Oilcloth Luggage Tag Tutorial

Hello!
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here and to me, that means making a few homemade presents.
I work closely with about 8 people and I wanted to get them a little something.  Something that wasn't food related, was relatively inexpensive and quick and easy to make.
I was at a loss for what to make until I overheard a few fellow Minnesotans discussing their winter vacation plans.  Then it just popped into my head:  luggage tags!
I made these out of oilcloth so that they would be durable and easy to spot in baggage claim.  I purchased a big sheet of it (about a yard) for about $20 at a local Minneapolis shop called Hunt and Gather.  (If you ever find yourself in Minneapolis and enjoy vintage, quirky stuff, I highly recommend visiting.  It's quite a spectacle!)  I have plenty left over for further craft projects. Oilcloth is also available online at Oilcloth by the Yard or at Etsy.  I have not been able to find it at big box fabric stores, but you could use vinyl, which is more readily available.  Or you could use a household vinyl tablecloth, that could be purchased at any discount retailer.
You will also need clear vinyl (I purchased mine at Joann's) and some sort of elastic.  I used hair elastics.  And you'll need your trusty sewing machine.  Let's get started.

Create a template for the tag.  This one is 3" x 5".  I made mine big enough to hold a typical business card.

Create a template for the clear window.  This one is 2 1/2" x 4".  It's based on housing a typical business card + 1/2" in height and width.
Using the tag template, cut two (a front and a back) out of oilcloth.
Using the window template, cut out one window.
(I didn't take photos of every little step. I figure you're intelligent people and would probably be able to figure this out without a tutorial at all, (it's that easy!) but if you have questions, please leave them in the comments.)

On the wrong side of the back of tag, mark the location for the elastic.

Using tape, place the elastic.  This will keep your elastic centered to the tag while you sew.  (This is a key step!  Oilcloth is slippery and it's hard to keep that pesky little elastic piece in place.)

Sew your clear vinyl window to the front of the tag.  Leaving the top edge open so you can insert your business card.
With wrong sides together, align the front and back of the tag.
Sew around the perimeter.  Since this is oilcloth, you can leave the edges raw.

That's it!  I made 10 of these in about an hour.  

Since it's hard to see the clear window, here's one with a business card in it.

Stick in a bag with a pretty tag and you're done!

Everyone always appreciates a pretty, useful, handmade gift.

I handed them out today and they were a hit!

You can read more and get some really useful tips about sewing with oilcloth on Made.

Doodle Mugs

I went overboard when I bought mugs for the monogram mug project. I really only needed one mug and I bought...four. When you're shopping at a thrift store and items are less than $1, it's easy to do. But those leftover plain white mugs were mocking me, just waiting have something done with them. While I am good at quite a few things, drawing is not one of them! Never has been. But then I came across this tutorial from an unlikely place, the Ladies' Home Journal website. I was nervous about the free hand drawing, but knew that the paint could be removed before it was heat set in the oven (I used a simple paint pen from the craft store). So, inspired by the tutorial, I tried a few free hand drawings on cardboard before I put pen to mug. I love the way they turned out! Although, I do have one little problem. Since Christmas, my mug population has risen quickly. I received 4 for Christmas, not counting the monogram mug I made myself. And I have very limited cabinet space. It may be time to thin the herd. And time to find a home for these two little puppies.

Christmas Craft: Sleep Mask

I have a very good friend. That is very hard to buy for! (And if you happen to read this, I mean this in the best way possible!) She is also one of those unfortunate people that have a December birthday. Not only a December birthday, but one just a couple days from Christmas. The worst! I had picked up a few things for her but was trying to think of something she really wanted. Then she mentions that she wanted a Sleep Mask, but couldn't find one. So I began a massive search for a Sleep Mask, but to no avail, could not find one! Being the resourceful person that I am, I decided to make her one. I found this tutorial on Prudent Baby. I used their pattern, but used fabric interlined with fusible fleece for the front and just a simple black quilting cotton on the back. She also happens to be the only person I know who likes to wear glasses, so I dug into my "for special occasion" fabric stash, this happens to be Echino by Etsuko Furuya.

I believe that this brings me to the end of my Christmas Crafts. I LOVE to make things all year long, but there is a certain joy that comes from making things specifically for people. With that, I wish you a Merry Christmas! I'm certain to be back after the new year. With the new year comes many, many new projects!

Christmas Craft: Simple Gifts

Unfortunately, the holidays can hold a lot of material obligations. I personally enjoy a simple gift, one that is thoughtful. Because, it really isn't about the money. But about knowing that someone has thought of you. I made these simple cans of paperwhites for my office friends. Just a can pulled from the recycling, a handful of gravel and a paperwhite bulb. Wrapped in a simple cover of burlap. In 3 to 4 weeks, they should bloom. A simple reminder of the new year and spring to come. (A complete tutorial can be found here. Via Mayamade.)

I also read this much more eloquently written blog post today, also written about paperwhites on Soulemama.

Christmas Crafts: DIY Monogram Mug

These monogram mugs can be found all over the internet as well as all over the market place. I knew I had to try my hand at this. Last week was quite harried, but I had like 5 minutes to kill before a hair appointment the other evening, so I popped into my local goodwill and scoured the shelves for white mugs. I managed to find 4 that were in really good shape. The original directions for this project can be found here. They call for using graphite tracing paper to transfer the image onto the mug. I couldn't find any of this, so I printed out letters in illustrator (rockwell) then cut out each letter, used double stick tape to apply the letter to the mug, and traced around it with a pencil. I also couldn't find porceline pens (I could only handle a trip to one crafty shop this weekend, and had to pick up fabric, so Joann's was the only stop-their real artist supplies aisle is a little lacking.) So I ended up purchasing a Deco Art glass paint marker. I wish they had a finer tip, but I made it work. They still turned out pretty well. I have two more mugs left. Trying to decide who should get them!

The Goose is Getting Fat. (A Project Round-Up) (And a Blogger Issue Remedy)

Christmas is coming. The goose is getting fat.

Am I the only one that remembers that song from grade school? We would sing it in the round.

But I digress. Christmas is coming. And if you are planning on any handmade presents, you best get started!

So here's a quick little round up of a few tutorials I've seen around that I think would make great gifts.

I'm kicking this off with a couple of sewing projects. Start these first! I love to sew, but let's be honest, it can be a little time consuming. But never fear, you have plenty of time if you start soon.

The Mama Clutch from Growing Home Not just for Mamas.

Organizer Wallet from LBG Studio Genius! This has a pocket for your iphone AND a notepad. (I'm a pretty modern girl, I still need an actual notepad.)

The following projects are fairly easy and inexpensive. So you could make multiples. Possibly for the people who help you out at work, for your kid's teachers, friends, just a little something to show that you've thought of them. (Because isn't that what presents are for anyhow?)

Felt Medallion Headband from Sew.Craft.Create. Cute for kids and adults alike.

Cereal Box Journal from The Long Thread Save your cereal boxes from your recycling bins, you could decorate the front with stamps. (I'm envisioning silver or white ink with snowflake stamps. Just a thought.)

Personalized Ceramics from Show Tell Share Look for inexpensive solid ceramics at places like the Dollar Tree and turn them into a great present.

Marble Magnets from Not Martha This is a perfect present for anyone with a cubicle. That covers quite a few people.

I've been suffering from terrible insomnia and was forcing myself to stay up until I was really tired. Think I've finally reached a level of true sleepiness. Here's hoping for a great night's sleep!

Happy Crafting!

(Quickly, on a completely unrelated note, I was having issues with functionality in Blogger. I couldn't select script to add hyperlinks, I couldn't cut and paste text. I could write posts and save them as drafts, but not actually post. It was incredibly irritating. I'm happy to report that after reading many message boards about this a very simple fix was installing and using Google Chrome as my internet browser. This seems to have fixed all issues. Thank goodness.)

A Present for Grandma's Birthday

When I made the difficult decison to move from the midwest to the east coast, the one thing that gave me much comfort was that I finally would get to live close to my grandma. She lives nearby in D.C. My family has always been rather far flung across the country and I guess the world for that matter, so getting to know her so well since I have become an adult has been a wonderful and unexpected gift. Her 85th birthday is coming up in early April, so I knew a special present was in order. It's important to note that no one supports my creative endeavors like Grandma does. And she would honestly be offended if I were to give her a store bought gift. I gave a lot of thought as to what I should make for her, eliminating recent gifts (totes, embroidered dish towels, fabric baskets) and finally came upon this pillow tutorial, found via the Sew, Mama Sew blog. It was honestly a pretty quick project. Mostly finished during a marathon night of Olympic viewing. The most difficult part was deciding if I wanted to add embroidery, if I did add embroidery-what would it be and what color thread to use. I finally decided to embroider the friuts of the spirit (Liz-thanks for the idea) in a fuschia thread. I really like the way it turned out and hope to incorporate applique into more projects in the future.