bag made from a shirt

Admit it. You have some old shirts shoved away in the dark recesses of your closet. You know what I'm talking about. Those ones that you haven't worn in years and may not even remember you had until you poke around. Let's say we re-purpose those and get some use out of 'em, ay? This is so easy, you'll wish you had done it sooner.

Here's what you need:

1 shirt (long or short sleeved, doesn't matter)
scissors
needle and thread
sewing machine (optional)

Dig that shirt out of your closet. Maybe that one from the high school when midriff was in...

Cut the sleeves off along the seam, leaving the seam attached to the chest of the shirt.

This is what it should look like when you're done cutting.

Turn your shirt inside out, line up the bottom of the shirt and pin both sides together. Then, using a simple needle and thread or a sewing machine sew the bottom of the shirt closed. Turn the shirt right-side out and you get your finished bag.

Your finished product should look something like this. Wear the bag by putting your arm through the arm holes and place items through the neck hole, which you can enlarge by cutting past the seam. These bags are particularly convenient for rolling up and carrying in your purse for those unplanned purchases. I say, why should recycled bags just be used for groceries?

When I write to you next, I will have started my graduate school classes. Wish me luck!

Coasters

Hey all! It has been too long. I feel like I've been a crafting maniac this past month, but I don't have much to show for it. Thankfully, I do have one pretty nifty craft that I can share with you all. They are coasters made with your very own pictures (or I guess you could use a magazine, scrapbook paper cut-out or a print-out from the internet) shelaqued on to tiles with cork backing.

Here's what you need:

A tile (you can find one at a hardware store, like Lowe's or Home Depot), any size (mine was roughly 4.25 in x 4.25 in)
Picture printed on paper
Sheet of cork
Paper Adhesive (I used Us ArtQuest Perfect Paper Adhesive)
3D Crystal Lacquer
Crazy Glue (I used Gorilla Super Glue, which I found to be less sticky on my fingers than the name brand)

Here's how to make 'em:

First, choose the image that you want to put on your coaster.

Next, place the tile on top of the section of the picture that you would like to use and trace around the edges on to the paper using a pencil.

Then, using a paper cutter/trimmer, cut the the picture along the drawn lines.

Cover the surface of the tile with your paper adhesive. Make sure that there is no excess liquid, since that may create an uneven surface.


Carefully place the cut out image on to the tile. Run your fingers or a pencil along the edges to make sure that the paper has sufficiently stuck to the tile. Place something flat and heavy on top until it dries. Trust me, you don't want to leave out this step. If you do, the picture turns out all bumpy.

Once the paper is completely glued to the tile, cover the surface of the picture with your 3D glaze. You could use some kind of shelaque or modge-podge as well, but I tried both and I much preferred the 3D glaze. It comes out a lot more clear, smooth, and glossy.

Wait until the top of the tile has dried and then measure out a piece of cork and cut it to size. Use your crazy glue to attach it to the tile. Be careful, though, because the cork is quite porous and it easily seeps through on to your hands. I suppose you could try using hot glue instead.



Et voila! Now you have some beautiful new coasters!