Origami Lace Butterflies

Origami Lace Butterflies 

 So easy to make, there is really not much explanation or instructions to share. The most complicated part is deciding which origami butterfly pattern you'd like to try. I say, "Keep it simple".

 To start:

 1. Lay out parchment paper. 

 2. Lay lace on top of the parchment paper. (The largest size paper I found in the patterns was a       4.5" x 6".  I laid out enough lace to make several.)  The size in these photos were folded with 2.5" x 4" pieces of cut lace. The finished size is approximately 2" x 2".

 3. Apply a coat of decoupage mixture all over the lace.

 4. Let this dry throughly. 

 5. Peel lace off of parchment paper.

 6. Measure, mark and cut lace according to the instructions on the origami butterfly pattern you have chosen. There are thousands on pinterest!

 7. Fold the complete pattern with the lace and then tack into place utilizing inconspicuous areas, being careful not to tack down parts that should remain standing a bit.

 I would suggest, as I did this myself, practice with some cheap paper (without decoupage) before you start trying to fold with the prepared lace.

Have a happy, crafty, lacy day!

DIY -- Woven Pot Holder Baskets

These pretty little baskets are made from strips of t-shirts!

Supplies:

strips of cotton stretchable fabric (like t-shirts) get some here
a coffee can
a round knitting loom (should be close to the same size diameter as your coffee can bottom)
                                       and these tools

First we will make the bottom of the basket using our round loom and cotton strips.

1.  Measure, cut and secure the strand for the first direction on the loom.  Keeping your strand attached to the skein, wrap around the loom twice then tie onto the outside knob on the loom leaving the excess to hang for the moment.  Skipping the first two spots on the loom (ones on each side of the knot) begin stringing fabric strand around each knob on the loom.  Continue until you reach the opposite side not looping around the last two knobs.

tie a knot leaving excess to hang

wrap around loom twice

continue to the opposite side skipping the last two knobs

loop around each knob on the loom

2.  Measure and cut the strand of fabric to begin weaving.  Begin by skipping over the first two knobs on the loom in the opposite direction to cross over the strand already on the loom.  Cut a hole in the middle at the beginning of the strand, hook this end over the first knob we will use, remembering to skip the first two.  Cover each knob as you did with the first strand, skipping the last two directly across from the first two skipped, wrap the strand around the loom twice and cut.  This is your weaving strand. 

cut a whole in the beginning of the strand  

cover each knob skipping the first two

 Remove the strand from the knobs except the end we cut a hole in and begin weaving in and out just like you are making a pot holder with a square loom.  Work the weaving strand over and under the strand on the loom, when you come to a knob, go behind it, come around it, begin weaving again .

begin weaving, under and over and around the knobs

When you reach the opposite side and you have woven around all the knobs except the first two at the beginning and the last two, secure that strand to the loom underneath the woven fabric and let it dangle for now.

3.  Sew to prevent unraveling, secure with a knot and remove from the loom.  Untie the knot we used to secure the bottom strand to the outside knob on the loom.  Thread the strand through the plastic needle and begin sewing pulling the strand through the loops of fabric around the knobs and also catch the strands between the knobs.  Pull each stitch from the bottom upward encasing the edge with the stitching.

sew the edge from underside toward the top going up
through each loop on the knobs and between knobs

As you come to the opposite side where our weaving strand ended tie a knot to your sewing strand and keep on sewing until you come all the way back around.  Tie a knot with your sewing strand to one of the loops to secure.

remove the round pot holder from the loom

Tie knots to the pot holder with any long strands remaining and trim.  You have a round pot holder that would be good for starting a rug, using in the kitchen or use it for the bottom of your woven basket like I did.

tie knots to the pot holder with any remaining strands and trim

Let's weave a basket with cotton strips on a coffee can.

1.  Wrap your can.  With the strand still in tact to the skein begin by wrapping the beginning of your strand around the can and tying a knot to itself, make this one tight.  Then with the long end of the strand begin wrapping round and round the can.  Make sure you don't have any crisscrossed over each other.  Decide how tall you want your basket.  When you come to that point, tie another knot to itself and trim.  Try to make the beginning knot and ending knot even with each other.  You will have one knot at the top of your basket and one at the bottom where we started wrapping around the can.

tie the fabric strip around the coffee can

try to make beginning and ending knots in line with each other

2.  Measure and cut strands for weaving.  Be sure you cut your strand long enough to go up from the bottom of the can to the top twice for the desired height of your basket plus 3".

3.  Attach the bottom of the basket.  Using the strands, loop the middle through an area around the edge of the round pot holder.  That one strand just became two, using those two strands weave over and under the fabric we wrapped the can with.

loop a strand through a hole in the edge of the round potholder

that one strand is now two begin weaving up the side of your basket

Continue attaching strands around the edge of the round potholder and weaving up the side of the basket until you have the bottom attached and your basket is completely woven.

4.  Finish the top of your basket.  Once your weaving is complete, tie a fabric strand around the top edge of the height you'd like your basket to be.  Make sure all the strands are underneath this one we just tied around the can.

tie a strand around the can where the top of your basket will be

 Begin looping each strand around top strand, bringing it back up behind the top strand on the basket.

loop basket strands around top strand on the can

 Once you have looped all the strands around the top basket strand, begin tying knots with two strands at a time.

tie knots with two strands at a time going all the way around the can

Once you have gone all the way around, go back around again using two strands, one from each of the previous knots, tying knots again.

tie knots all the way around the can again using two strands from separate knots on your first row

Take your basket off the coffee can, trim all loose hanging strands and admire your beautiful basket.

DIY Flip Flops

These flip flops are great,  you can lace them up any way you like because you can attach the lace at any point on the woven shoe pad.

                                       

Supplies:
1.  One piece of woven fabric large enough to cover two shoe soles for the size flip flops you need. (I wove enough for one pair from old t-shirts and the other from a roll of purchased fabric t-shirt yarn).

2.  Enough sheets of fun foam to make several shoe soles the thickness you desire.  The yellow flip flop above has one piece of fun foam for each shoe sole and the orange, blue and white flip flop has 4 pieces of fun foam to make each sole.

3.  Glue ( I used Aleene’s Tacky Glue because it dries clear).

4. Cardboard (A large enough piece to trace one of your old shoe soles).

You will also use scissors and a needle with a large enough hole to thread the fabric t-shirt strips through and you will use your sewing machine with some durable thread.

Let’s get started:

1.  Weave your piece for your shoe pad very tight.  It will be one solid piece like this…
                                           

2.  Trace your favorite shoe sole on a piece of cardboard and cut out.  Using an old pair of flip flops find the points on the sole where the straps that cross over the foot attach to the shoe.  Mark your card board pattern as you see below.

3.  Trace two shoe soles on to the fun foam using the cardboard as your pattern.
                                          

4.  Cut out the fun foam soles, but don’t poke holes through the soles for the laces.

5.  Apply generous amounts of glue to one side of the two shoe soles and lay these on your woven piece, glue side down on the weaving.

   

6.  Lay parchment paper under the whole piece and over it, place heavy objects on top of the shoes and let dry for 24 hours or longer.  If the glue is not clear it is not dry.

7.  Once completely dry cut your woven piece with the soles glued to them out, leaving excess all the way around. (We will trim this off later, but I was just being safe).  
                     
  

8.  Using the edge of the fun foam sole as your guide place under the sewing machine and sew approximately 3/4” from its edge all the way around the sole.
                                     

9.  Layer the fun foam soles together with glue if you are going to put more than one sole on each shoe.  Put something heavy on the top of them and let the glue dry, about 24 hours or until the glue is clear.  Once they are dry glue them to the bottom of the sole sewn to the woven piece.  Here is the way I layered one pair……………


                                      

10.  When everything is good and dry you can trim it all nice and even, snip off excess glue and excess fabric.


                                    

11.  Using your card board pattern for the sole, mark the woven fabric where the shoe straps should attach.  Then attach the laces with a needle by slipping the needle underneath a strand in the weave like so…..remember not to sew it down.  

                          

12.  This step is optional.  If you want to extend the life of your flip flop take clear all purpose silicone sealer and coat the bottom of the sole.  This will protect the fun foam and give you a more durable sole.  I did this on the flip flop I only had one fun foam sole sewn onto the shoe pad.

Now get creative and design your own flip flop lacing and have a blast.  Hope you enjoy.

                   

                                                            
               


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