Blog - Gluesticks Blog

Sewing: 10 Minute Camera Strap Cover

July 23, 2015 By Brandy 1 Comment

Sew a camera strap cover for your DSLR in 10 minutes! Perfect use for fabric scraps and a fun way to customize your camera.

I've had a DSLR camera for a little over 4 years and LOVE it. And I use it ALL THE TIME so the camera strap cover can get dingy and dirty. This is the 3rd one I've made for my camera and it is so easy to do! A quick, 10 minute project. The last strap cover was getting to the point that I didn't want to touch it so it was time to start fresh. I snapped a few pictures of the process in case you'd like to make one too.

10 Minute Camera Strap Cover

The straps that come with these cameras are pretty much all the same size. I will share my dimensions as a reference.

You can see my old cover in the first photo. I like sewing the straps directly over the cover (just on the ends) so that it doesn't move around. It takes about a minute to remove the stitches when getting ready to make a new strap.

1. Cut a 25" x 4" rectangle of fabric. I got this measurement by adding an inch to the length of the strap area and doubling the width (+ a seam allowance).

2. Fold strap in half, right sides facing, and sew up the side.

3. Turn right side out and press.

4. Slide the cover onto your camera strap and fold down ends, tucking them under for a finished look.

5. Stitch right over each end of the strap.

Easy, right?

Printable: Quick Cleaning Checklist

July 20, 2015 By Brandy Leave a Comment

Given 15, 30, or 60 minutes of time to clean, how much can you accomplish? Probably a lot more than you might think!

How much time do you usually spend tidying up the house? I used to follow the kids around all day and pick up the toys as they dropped them. Sad, but true. To think of how much times I wasted when I had my first two kids trying to keep up with it all! Now I do a quick power cleaning of the house once or twice a day. Today I'm sharing my quick cleaning checklist with you and I'd love to hear what works for you in your home!

I always think of it as a game and I've enlisted my kids in this logic too. I look at the clock and think to myself, "I'll just see how much I can get done before I pick up the kids from school in 30 minutes." And, woah! When I focus that 30 minutes on cleaning and not on other things like checking my e-mail or Instagram I can get a lot done! We do this before bedtime too. I'll ask my kids to clean up as fast as they can to see how much we can get done in 10 minutes. And then there's those times that I get a text saying that a friend is stopping by in 15 minutes. Aren't those the best motivational boosts to get a little tidying up done? I don't feel like I have anyone to really impress, but I don't think they really want to see Ruby's undies laying on the living room floor or globs of sticky toothpaste all over the bathroom sink and counter.

There are household tasks that I do every single time I tidy up the house. Regardless of if I have 5, 15, or 30 minutes like decluttering and wiping down flat surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom with a cleaning wipe. Then there are tasks that I only do if I have an hour or so to clean or if the house really needs it like mopping or cleaning the toiletss. I made a Quick Cleaning Checklist in case anyone else would like to take the power cleaning challenge and I'll talk more about that at the end of the post!

My kids think I'm crazy, but I love to vacuum. Nothing brings faster results and instant gratification than nice vacuum lines across the carpet. Even if the counter has stacks of mail, school flyers, or groceries that still need to be put away. I only vacuum the second story once or twice a month, but I vacuum the main living area downstairs 4-5 times a week (we have a dog).

I was thrilled to add the Dirt Devil® 360° Reach™ to my cleaning arsenal this month. Look at all of those attachments! When I have 15 minutes to clean I usually vacuum, sweep the kitchen floor, and do a quick dusting of the first floor. My Dirt Devil 360 Reach can do all of that, and without even unplugging it thanks to a 27' cord.

After I do a quick declutter, I wipe down the kitchen and bathroom counters and load the dishwasher. Then I'll vacuum and dust the kitchen floor, getting up all of the dog hair and crumbs with the vacuum + dusting SWIPES microfiber pad.

Then I switch to the carpet and rug attachment to quickly spot vacuum under the kitchen table. I can also vacuum the living room carpets with this attachment. It is great for a quick cleaning, but I still like vacuuming with my full size vacuum when I need to do the entire first floor.

Then I decide on another area like the stairs, ceiling fans, or tall bookcases that might need a quick clean. I don't do clean them every day, but I'll go ahead and show how the attachments work for those areas too. On days when the stairs need to be vacuumed I can switch to the power stair and upholster attachment which makes it easy to vacuum the stair fronts as well as the steps.

The pivoting tool works great to get those hard to reach spots and angles like on top of bookcases.

It wipes and vacuums the dust at the same time!

I don't clean the ceiling fans every day, weekly, or even on a monthly basis because it is super annoying to do. Usually it isn't until I notice a thick layer of sticky dust building up and over the blades that I'll pull out a step stool and sprinkle my carpets with dust bunnies. With the ceiling fan attachment I no longer have an excuse for laziness. I can stretch from floors to ceilings and catch everything in between. This makes dusting the fan blades quick and easy. No step stools, no more dust bunnies all over the carpet.

When the SWIPES pads look disgusting I just pull them off and toss them in the wash.

When I'm finished with sweeping, vacuuming and doing a little dusting with my Dirt Devil 360 Reach I can put everything away in the storage bag.

The final thing to do is change out hand towels. Are your bathroom hand towels always wet or is it just my children that drench them when they wash their hands?!?!

That completes the 15 minute section of my Quick Cleaning Checklist!

*wipe down flat kitchen surfaces

*quick declutter (kids usually help with this!)

*wipe guest bathroom down with disinfectant wipes

*change hand towels in kitchen and bathroom

*vacuum main living area

*spot clean kitchen floor (sweep/dust, spot mop)

How much can you accomplish in 15, 30, or 60 minutes?

Feel free to print out this basic checklist for a quick reference!

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Dirt Devil, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #DirtDevil360Clean http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Homemade Pioneer Dress, Apron and Bonnet Costume for Girls

July 15, 2015 By Brandy 6 Comments

This homemade pioneer dress and bonnet are easy to make and so cute for little girls! A simple elastic pioneer dress, apron, and bonnet. Perfect for any Pioneer Day or Little House on the Prairie activity!

homemade pioneer dress little house on the prairie

The kids are going to a Pioneer Day activity this weekend and costumes were encouraged. I knew the girls would love to have their own bonnet and pioneer girl clothing so we went "shopping" through my fabric stash. These outfits were so easy to make and the girls adore them! They will get a couple of chances to wear them this summer. Not only to the pioneer day activity, but to Gold Rush days in Old Sacramento Labor Day weekend!

Homemade Pioneer Dress, Apron and Bonnet Costume for Girls

We love going to Gold Rush days; a fun California history weekend complete with gold panning, corn husk doll making, and blacksmith demos from folks dressed in period clothing. The boys are planning on dressing up too, but we were able to find enough things without having to sew costumes.

Here is how I created these darling homemade pioneer costumes for my girls:

How to Make a Pioneer Dress

Once again I used my peasant pocket dress pattern that I got from Whimsy Couture. I've lost track of how many peasant dresses I've made for my girls. This pattern takes an hour start to finish and is a simple pull on elastic dress, nice and stretchy, and very comfortable. I made them with ¾ sleeves and lengthened the dresses to the floor. It requires 1 pattern piece. SO easy.

How to Make a Pioneer Apron

A rectangle of fabric twice as wide as their waist measurement and long enough to go below their knees. I hemmed the bottom and sides, gathered the top to fit the waist, and added the ties. I sandwiched the apron front into the waist band ties similar to how I did it for our princess aprons.

A simple elastic pioneer dress, apron, and bonnet. Perfect for any Pioneer Day or Little House on the Prairie activity! These homemade pioneer costumes are easy to make and so cute for little girls!

How to Make a Pioneer Bonnet

On my goodness, I can't get over these! I used a step by step tutorial from The Waag Blaag for the bonnets. They have elastic in the back to keep them snug around their little heads and long ties to make a nice droopy bow in front. Ruby's is a little big for her, but she still loves it and it will definitely keep her face shaded from the sun.

I mentioned how pioneers wore bloomers for their underwear and Ruby said that she would like to have some. As cute as those would be, I decided that I had to draw the line at making pioneer underpants. I think the bonnet, dress, and apron will work just fine for this year's festivities!

Sewing: Simple Star Quilt

July 13, 2015 By Brandy 1 Comment

I made this throw quilt in two nights. Two nights! A simple pattern and medium sized blocks made for quick sewing. My favorite kind.

Simple Star Quilt

50"x60"

2 yards printed fabric

1 ½ yards aqua

2 yards purple (also used as binding)

fabric for backing (I used a twin sized flat sheet)

I used this method for making my triangle squares. They come together so quickly! I added ¼" to those squares so that after they were sewn and cut that they would be 7" like the basic square patterned quilt blocks.

Then I laid them out and started sewing the rows together!

I sent it up to Alaska as a birthday gift for my mother in law. She likes purple so I based my color choices off of that.

Finishing a quilt, not matter what size, is so rewarding. I just love pulling it out of the dryer all crinkly and fresh!

Kids Craft: Paper Animal Lanterns

July 6, 2015 By Brandy 1 Comment

#ProjectAmazing #CollectiveBias

A darling summer craft for kids! These paper lanterns are fun to transform into your favorite animals! We'll show you our favorites. What animal would you make?

It's amazing what you can get when you give a child a stack of art supplies. Kaylee has been wanting some paper lanterns for her room. They are bright and cute, and she sees them all over in craft stores and at birthday parties. I decided to buy a rainbow pack of paper lanterns and let her transform them into her favorite animals! Aaron and Ruby got in on the action too and I absolutely love what they came up with.

Paper Animal Lanterns

Supplies Needed:

Cardstock

Paper Lanterns

Scotch® Brand Double Sided Tape and Multi-Task Tape

Scissors

Markers for details

Cut out eyes, ears, and other details out of cardstock.

Use a marker to create the pupils in the eyes and other smaller details.

Tape to the paper lanterns using Scotch® Brand Double Sided Tape or Multi-Task Tape.

Hang outside or in a bedroom!

The lanterns are thin and we didn't want glue to soak in and discolor the paper. This is why we used Scotch® Brand Double Sided Tape and Multi-Task Tape to add the details. It was easy for them to use and required very little pressure to adhere all of the details.

My kids think tape is pure magic. They use it for absolutely everything (ahem...check this out, lol!).

These lanterns would be so easy to use for a summer backyard beach party!

Mr. Fish's face cracks me up.

Ruby had to have a pink piggy.

Aaron loves cats and did a great job on all of the details!

And Kaylee's frog is just too cute!

What animal would you make with your kids?

From masking tapes to spray adhesives and everything in between. No matter the task, there's a Scotch® Brand product to match. I recently picked up a package double sided tape from Walmart and the kids been using it for all sort of projects. You can find a variety of Scotch® Brand products in the craft aisle that will make crafting with the kids a breeze! Be sure to also check out Command™ Brand products to hang up your crafts and frames for a damage-free hanging solution! Command™ Brand products hold on strongly and remove cleanly.

https://instagram.com/p/4zQ7KXwdyz/?taken-by=gluesticksblog

Here are more amazing summer craft ideas!

Recipe: No Bake Summer Desserts

July 6, 2015 By Brandy Leave a Comment

“This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and EDWARDS®, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #EdwardsPies http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”

Delicious no bake summer desserts that won't heat up your home! The perfect way to end a busy day. Just thaw and serve!

The last thing I want to do on a hot summer day is fire up my oven. Especially this past month when our air conditioner has been struggling to keep up with the outdoor temps of over 100 degrees. Today I'm sharing a few of my favorite 'no bake' summer desserts that are perfectly refreshing for a summer get together or casual night at home.

I first discovered EDWARDS® Thaw & Serve pies on a girl's weekend trip that I went on with my sister. We stayed in a beautiful home in the heart of San Francisco for 3 nights, just the two of us. It was so fun to visit, eat delicious food, and explore the city. I was in charge of going grocery shopping and was looking for quick and easy dinner ideas since we wouldn't have a lot of time to prepare our meals. Of course that included desserts too! I found individual servings of Edwards pies in the freezer section at Walmart and have been hooked ever since! Now I buy the whole pies so that I can serve our family of six.

With no baking necessary, and quick thawing time, these are perfect for a quick and easy after dinner dessert! Our absolute favorite ones are EDWARDS® HERSHEY’S® Chocolate Crème Pie and EDWARDS® HERSHEY’S® SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Crème Pie. Last year Aaron wanted a cheesecake for his birthday so I bought a EDWARDS® New York Style Cheesecake and everyone enjoyed that (except me, I don't like cheesecake. Crazy, I know.)

You can save $1.00 on any ONE (1) EDWARDS® Whole Pie by taking advantage of the Walmart EDWARDS Ibotta digital rebate (while supplies last).

Edwards pies are awesome because they require zero prep time. If you have a bit more time, but still don't want to bake, you might enjoy one of these other summer recipes!

No Bake Chocolate Eclair Dessert

Chocolate Cream Angel Food Cake

Fresh Strawberry Pie

County Fair Inspired 4th of July BBQ

June 29, 2015 By Brandy 19 Comments

Take your 4th of July BBQ up a notch with a County Fair inspired backyard get together! Complete with all American hot dogs, Twizzlers flag cookies, Red, White, & Blue fruit cups, and Americana decor. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser.

One of my favorite Disney classic movies is "So Dear To My Heart". It is about a little boy who bottle fed a black lamb after its mother rejected it. He knew his lamb was worth as much as any white lamb. Jeremiah scrimped and saved to pay his own way to take his prized lamb, Danny, to the county fair. In the end Danny didn't win the blue ribbon because there wasn't a market for black wool and everyone said that a black sheep isn't worth as much as a white one, but Jeremiah knew that Danny was worth as much as any white lamb. The judge gave him a special award for merit and dedication to his little black lamb. He said that Danny was in a class of his own.

I recently shared this movie with my children and they loved it too! I love vintage Americana and the patriotic feelings that come when seeing flag buntings and red, white, and blue. Inspired by the nostalgia of the country fair in "So Dear to My Heart" I created a 4th of July BBQ complete with bright pops of color from Twizzlers Twists, all American hot dogs, mason jars, and plenty of Americana decor.

Here is my County Fair Inspired 4th of July BBQ Tablescape!

hot dogs and mason jars with red white and blue decor

I pulled out all of my galvenized metal trays and buckets, along with wooden crates for serving. I love the rustic element they add against the bright patriotic colors.

Tip: Use wooden crates or boxes to add height to your party table! This makes it easier to display your food, and also maximizes space.

twizzler patriotic centerpieces in jars on table with pinwheels

Classic pinwheels combine with Twizzlers Cherry Bites for fun centerpieces.

Tip: Make centerpieces that are multifunctional! They will add color and charm to your table and are fun for guests to take home as party favors too!

ixNo 4th of July BBQ is complete with out a good old fashioned American hot dog, right? Ketchup, mustard, relish and onions. Yum!

Tip: Serve food in baskets with liners. They are sturdy, easy to carry, and the food won't roll out! When the party is over, toss the liner and stack the baskets for future use.

flag sugar cookies made with red licorice

A cookie decorating station makes a fun and interactive activity for guests. These flag sugar cookies were so fun to make!

Tip: Don't have a cookie cutter for every shape on the planet? Yeah, me neither. To make rectangle cookies, use an index card! Simply place it on top of your dough and cut out the shape with a pizza cutter.

mason jar with blue bandanna and plastic cutlery

Mason jars have been done and overdone, but they really are classic and the perfect way to serve the drinks at my county fair BBQ. They also worked great to hold a bandana napkin and utensils!

Tip: Not only are bandanas bright and colorful, they are functional too. I used a few leftover bandanas to create my bunting for my table. I simply cut out triangles on the fold (3 per bandana) and hung them over a long piece of twine.

galvanized tray full of fruit cups and watermelon

These Red, white, and blue fruit cups are easy to serve and fun to eat. I used strawberries, peeled apples, and blueberries.

Tip: Oftentimes you will need to prepare your party food hours in advance. When working with fresh cut fruit, like apples, toss them in lemon juice to prevent them from browning. These apples stayed fresh and white for over 24 hours.

Mason jars also work great for displaying bursts of bright red Twizzlers Twists for snacking.

Tip: Use fillers like beans, popcorn, or candy to weigh down picks and signs on a breezy day. I used popcorn for my buckets and Twizzlers Cherry Bites for my jars!

And now for a little behind the scenes action to see how I created the centerpieces, flag sugar cookies, and invitations using Twizzlers Twists, Twizzlers Cherry Bites, and Twizzlers Twists (rainbow).

4th of July BBQ Centerpiece

Supplies (all found at Walmart)

Jar ($2.97)

Pinwheel ($.97)

Twizzlers Cherry Bites (1 (16 oz) package per jar)

Styrofoam ball

Twine

Hot glue

tape

Printable

how to collage for making 4th of July centerpieces

Poke pinwheel into styrofoam ball and place in center of jar.

Fill with Twizzlers Cherry Bites to weigh down.

Wrap jar opening with twine and adhere end with a dab of hot glue.

Adhere printable with a piece of tape.

Printable Invitation

Most invites are done via online these days, but I think it is still fun to receive a good old fashioned hand delivered invite! These invites are easy to customize using any print program (I use picmonkey).

Simply download this blank invite (5x7") and add your own wording! You'll notice that there is an empty space to the left to add a Twizzlers Twists Pinwheel.

I made these by wrapping the Twizzlers Twists (rainbow variety) in a piece of plastic wrap. Then I made a tiny 3" pinwheel out of origami paper, and poked the brad into the Twizzlers Twists, spreading the prongs in the back to attach. Then I used a glue dot to attach it to the card.

To make a pinwheel, cut out a 3" square of construction or origami paper. Then cut using the diagram below.

via

You will now have 8 flaps. Bring every other flap to the center so that 4 are in the center and 4 are left out. Use a brad to secure the center flaps.

countySources:

Food and Decor: Walmart (the cashier said, "I can't believe we sell all of this cute stuff!")

Tablescape Printables: Hostess with the Mostess

Blank Invitation Printable

DIY Doorway Puppet Theater

June 28, 2015 By Brandy 4 Comments

This doorway puppet theater is made to hang with a tension rod! It also folds up for easy storage and provides hours of imaginative play! DIY one today and let the show begin! This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias Inc. and it's advertiser: All opinions are mine alone. This post contains an affiliate link.

My girls love to put on a good show. Dancing, singing, magic, theater; it doesn't matter. If you are willing to be an audience member they'll have a show to share with you. My sister made them a doorway puppet theater years ago, but it was beginning to fall apart. It was time for a bold and bright update so I got busy!

This doorway puppet theater is made to hang with a tension rod! It also folds up for easy storage and provides hours of imaginative play! Let the show begin!

They broke in their new doorway puppet theater with plush toys from our new favorite movie, "Inside Out." Have you seen it yet? We saw it on opening day and absolutely loved it. Even from the second row (I would not recommend sitting in the second row of a movie theater...ever. Motion sickness anyone? Ha!).

Inside Out sparks so many emotions and thought-provoking conversations with children. Every baby begins with Joy, but then Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear make their appearance and create the different emotions and reactions to everyday life. I loved the movie because it shows how they all work together to bring out the best in each person. We can't live life with Joy alone. There is a part to play for every emotion. Even Fear and Sadness because they keep us balanced, and keep us safe.

Having seen the movie, the girls immediately knew and recognized the emotions when we spotted the plush toys at Walmart. They had so much fun planning their puppet show, and each emotion definitely played their part. Joy was happy, Sadness was sad, Disgust was annoyed, Fear was scared, and Anger was mad. These characters, mixed with imaginative play, are such a great way for the girls to practice different emotional situations in a fun way!

Ruby's favorite character is Disgust, but she can't always remember her name and often calls her "Gross". It cracks me up every time! At one point all of the emotions were working together and the puppet show got kind of crazy. Isn't that how it would be if we were feeling joy, sadness, anger, fear, and disgust ALL AT ONCE? I can't even imagine!

It's healthy for them to play together, learn to share, use manners, and work as a team. Every time they put on a show, periods of Anger and Sadness occur, (being bossy, not sharing, not taking turns, etc.) but it always ends with Joy. It's how they learn and grow! Another way that they learn about emotions is through music. Ruby especially likes the song, "If You're Happy and You Know It".

You can use a doorway puppet theatre to help your kids sort through their big emotions too.

I'm a very compulsive person. When I get an idea in my head I have a hard time focusing on anything else. That's exactly what happened with this theater. I had the idea around 8pm one night. At 9pm I went in my craft room and found some fabric. By 11pm the theater was finished. My husband came home from work that night and said, "I didn't even know you were planning on replacing the other one." Yeah, I didn't either...until that night! The girls were thrilled to wake up to a brand new puppet theater. I even got a big hug from Kaylee. I took down some measurements as I made mine in case you'd like to make one too!

How to make a Doorway Puppet Theater

Supplies to make a doorway puppet theatre:

2 yards fabric for main
1-yard coordinating fabric for curtains and ruffle
22"x27" fabric scrap for the window backing
Ribbon 2 (30") pieces
Thread
Tension Rod

Cut your main piece for the puppet theatre to the width of your doorway and 60" tall. A sturdy home decor fabric, corduroy, light denim, or duck cloth would work best. My doorway was slightly wider than an average door (42"). Just measure the spot you are planning on using the puppet theater the most and go with that measurement.

Measure 26" up from the bottom of the main piece and mark it with a pin.

Cut a 20"x20"* square out of a newspaper or a paper bag to use as a pattern and place that on your main fabric for the window. Center the square and line up the bottom of it with the pin.

*If your doorway is a lot narrower than mine, you can adjust the window for the doorway puppet theatre to be smaller if a 20" window seems too wide. Ex: Cut an 18" window and adjust the curtains, etc. to reflect the smaller measurement.

Draw around the square with a pencil and cut out. I pinched the fabric in the center of the square and made a slit with my scissors. Then I used that to make my way around the entire square.

Now it's time to hem and finish the inside of the doorway puppet theatre window!

Cut a 1" diagonal slit in each corner.

Fold each flap over ½" and press. Fold once more, press, and pin in place.

Sew each flap down, completing the hem around the entire window.

Now to finish the bottom and the sides!

Fold the bottom and sides of your main piece ½" and press. Fold again, pin, and sew all 3 sides.

Ready to finish the top of the doorway puppet theater?

Fold top ½" and press. Then fold down another 2", press the fold and sew to create a casing for your tension rod.

Finishing Touches to make your doorway puppet theatre stand out:

Doorway Puppet Theatre Curtains

Cut 2 (12"x24") rectangles. Double hem ½" on all 4 sides.

Set aside.

Window Backing

The window backing is just a solid piece of fabric (I used white) to hide the kids behind the window! It hangs down behind and the kids hold their puppets up in front of it.

Cut out a 22"x27" piece of fabric. Hem all 4 sides with a double ½" hem.

Now it's time to sandwich the main fabric, window backing and curtains.

Turn your main fabric over so that the right side is facing down.

Place each curtain piece on the window, overlapping the top edge by ½".

Place your window backing fabric on top of your curtains, matching top edges and pin.

Sew across the top. This is what it looks like when you turn it over. You can add ribbon or cording to tie the curtains and stop here....or you can add a ruffle across the top!

Doorway Puppet Theatre Window Ruffle

Cut out a 42" x 10" strip of fabric. Double hem all 4 sides ½". Create gathering (basting) threads by setting your machine to the widest stitch (my setting was a 4) and sewing 2" from the top 2 times, leaving a few inches of thread on the ends for pulling the gathers. If that doesn't make sense, you can check this out.

Pull gathering strings and continue to pull and spread gathers evenly until your ruffle is the 2" wider than your window. Pin Ruffle to the front of the puppet theater, matching the gathering stitches with the stitches on the main fabric below. Sew ruffle on top of puppet theater. Remove basing threads by pulling or using a seam ripper if necessary.

Stitch ribbon/cording to theater midway down the window.

Tie the curtains with ribbon and hang the doorway puppet theatre with a tension rod.

Now you have a darling doorway puppet theater!

If you liked this doorway puppet theatre quick sew tutorial you might also want to check out:

2 Sewing Projects For Messy Eaters

10 Minute Teddy Bear Sleeping Bag

DIY Minion Tote Bag Sewing Tutorial

June 24, 2015 By Brandy 5 Comments

Make a DIY Minion Tote Bag that is perfect for trips to the pool, a library tote, or even a preschool book bag. The kids drew pictures of their favorite Minion characters and I thought it would be fun to transform those guys into fun summer tote bags! This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and it's advertiser, All opinions are mine.

DIY Minion Tote Bag Sewing Tutorial

gluesticksblog.com

Time Needed: 1 hour

Sewing Level: Easy

Fabric: Bottom weight fabric (sturdy apparel fabric) or duck cloth.

Seam Allowance: ¼"

DIY Minion Tote Bag Fabric Pieces:

Bag

(2) 14"x12" Yellow (body)

(2)12"x 5" Blue (overalls)

(2) 5"x23" Blue (handles)

DIY Minion Face

(1) 14"x2" Black (goggle headband)

(2) 4" circles, Grey (goggles)

(2) 3" circles, White (eyes)

(2) 1" circles, Black (eyes)

Fabric scraps, felt, or black fabric paint for mouth, teeth, other details

Fusible webbing, optional

1. Sew yellow piece to overall piece. Press seam towards the bottom (blue fabric). Turn over and top stitch close to the seam. Repeat with other yellow and blue piece. Now your front and back tote pieces are finished.

Make a DIY Minion Tote Bag that is perfect for trips to the pool, a library tote, or even a preschool book bag.

2. Cut out detail pieces and iron on, glue, sew or paint on. For our DIY Minion details, we used scraps of fabric and adhered them with iron-on fusible webbing (wonder under). You could easily use felt and fabric glue for a quicker option and one that the kids could do on their own.

3. To keep the details from fraying, zig-zag around each detail (totally optional).

4. Fold top pieces over ½". Press. Fold over again and stitch.

5. With right sides facing, sew front and back pieces together on 3 sides, leaving the top open. Trim close to the seam.

6. Take the bottom seam and the side seam and squeeze them both together, so you create a right triangle. Measure 2 ½" and pin to mark the spot.

7. Sew and trim close to the seam. Turn bag right side out.

Here is a great tutorial for making boxed corners if you haven't done this before. This will give your tote a flat bottom.

8. Almost done! Time to make the straps. Fold each strap piece in half and stitch along the side, creating a long tube. Turn right side out. (I like using the safety pin trick to turn straps right side out).

9. Finish bottom and top of each handle with a zig zag stitch or fold under and stitch.

10. Measure 2" from the side seams of the bag and pin one end of the handle there. Repeat for the other handle ends.

11. Stitch handle pieces to the bag in a boxed shape for stability.

Now fill your DIY Minion tote with sunscreen, a beach towel and a bottle of water and you are ready for a day a the pool!

Want more DIY Minion Ideas? You might also like...

Minion Wrappers! from HaleGrafx.com

These printable wrappers were perfect for the birthday treats I brought to Ruby's class. A minion wrapped Twinkie + a $.38 clearance crayons from Target = super fun and EASY handouts!

DIY Minion Cupcakes

15 Minute Sunglasses Case Tutorial