Upcycle: Coffee can into cute storage canister!

My son has crayons stashed in every corner of our home. Some are in bags, some are in pages of coloring books and there are even some stuffed in my couch.

I am in the process of attempting to get his closet as organized as possible, to make a little corner for doing artwork. This will be a big challenge, storage in our home is non existent so I am starting small. Storage for the little things, like crayons.

So I took a coffee can (we have many, I knew I hung onto them for a reason!) and got a little crafty.
Here is what you will need to turn your coffee can into a cute little storage canister:

- Coffee can
- Thick paper (I used scrapbook paper)
- Hot glue gun

Step 1: Lay out your coffee can on the paper. Use a pen or pencil to mark on the paper where you will make the cuts. As you can see by the arrows on the picture below, I cut only to cover the colored area of the coffee can, leaving the silver rings at the top and bottom.

Step 2: Make your cuts on the paper. 

Step 3: Put the glue on your paper and quickly wrap it around the can before it dries.

And viola! 

This will be filed away in my, *super frugal* file. I didn't have to purchase anything for this because I had everything I needed on hand! Easy, cheap and a great way to store little items!

~ Miranda

Nap Time Library Bag Tutorial- Guest post

The following post was submitted by Shannon with Sweet Panda Boutique.



Hello readers! My name is Shannon, WAHM behind Sweet Panda Boutique (Sweet Panda Boutique ). I'm delighted to be guest blogging for my new friends, Miranda and Kelsey.

My daughter and I went to story time at the local library last week, and saw some kiddos with super cute library totes! What a great idea. Totes give preschoolers ownership over their responsibility to take care of and return their borrowed books. When the books live in the tote, it's easy to keep them separate from a home library as well. Of course, it's also an excuse to use some cute fabric, or up-cycle an item that isn't getting much love. This tote came from curtains that no longer match my daughters décor.

I named this tote “Nap Time Library Bag”, because it can be reasonably sewn in under an hour (unless you rip a lot of seams like I do during experiments). A beginning sewer can make this bag, so give it a shot! Bear with me, it's my first tutorial and original design.

The Nap Time Library Bag

Supplies:

• 1/3 yard of an inner fabric (woven cottons work nicely)
• 1/3 yard of an outer fabric
• Coordinating thread
• Double Fold Bias tape for outer pocket (optional) Length = 1 width of your chosen bag size.
• Fusible interfacing (1/3 yard, optional) (I used interfacing to make the bag a bit more stiff, but your bag will work fine without it. My bag has a front pocket, and you can choose to omit or include that as well.)

Step 1: Wash, dry, and iron your fabric. This is always good to do, as finished items wont shrink when washed, and you'll get rid of the nasty chemicals from fabric production.

Step 2: Cut your fabric. You may choose sizing based upon your needs. I wanted my toddler to be able to handle the bag, so it is small. You can modify and make the straps longer if you choose as well.

Cut 2 for outer, 10 x 12

2 for inner, 10 x 12

2 strips for straps, 3 x 12

Cut 2 pieces of interfacing, 9.5 x 11.5

If including the pocket:

1 length Bias tape, 10 inches

1 pocket outer piece, 10 x 7

1 pocket inner piece, 10 x 7

Fuse the interfacing to the outer fabric pieces per manufacturers instructions. Leaving 1/4” of fabric on each edge

Step 3: Sew the straps. Fold the strips lengthwise and iron. Using a 1/4” seam allowance, sew up the raw edge, end to end. Don't forget to backstitch when you start and stop. Turn inside out, and iron again. Now topstitch 1/4” from both sides, creating a finished strap. Repeat for 2nd strap and set aside.

Step 4: Prepare the pocket (if you aren't using a pocket, go to step 5). Place your inner and outer pocket pieces together, right sides out. Choose a 10” edge and slide bias tape over it. If you look at the tap, on side will be slightly shorter than the other. Put the shorter side in front, where you'll be stitching. Pin in place. Straight stitch near the fold on the bias tape, catching the other side as you stitch. This finishes the top seam of your pocket.

Step 5: Sew your outer shell. If using a pocket, pin the pocket piece to the bottom of your front fabric piece. Make sure the pocket raw edges line up with the outer raw edges. Your finished edge will cross the center of the piece. Pin the back outer piece to the front piece, right sides together. Start sewing from the top left corner to the bottom left corner, using a 1/4” seam allowance. Put your needle down 1/4” from the end, lift the presser foot and turn fabric 90 degrees. Continue sewing across the bottom, turn at corner, and finish at the top right corner. Be sure to leave the top open. Clip the bottom corners. Finish with zig zag stitch or serger.

Step 6: Repeat step 5 for the inner lining pieces.

Step 7: Using 1/8” seam allowance, stitch the straps to the inner lining. Take one strap piece, pin one edge 1.5” from the seam, and the the other edge of the same strap 1.5” from the opposite seam. Be sure the strap is not twisted, and the raw edges from the strap and inner piece match up. Do the same for the 2nd strap on the 2nd lining piece.

Step 8: Sew the inner and outer bags together! Turn the lining bag right side out and the outer bag wrong side out. Place the inner bag inside of the out bag. Right sides will match up. Pin at the side seams to ensure they match. You will need to leave a 2-3” hole to turn the bag when finished. Start sewing with a 1/4” seam allowance at the inside edge of 1 back strap. Continue all the way around the top of the bag until the inside edge of the other back strap. Back stitch. This will leave and open seam at the center back.

Step 9: Turn bag and iron. Using the open edge, pull the bag through until your fabric is right side out. Your project now resembles a bag! Line up the top seams and iron around the opening for easy top stitching. At the opening, turn the raw edges in and iron so they mimic the sewn seams.

Step 10: Top stitch. I like to start at the beginning of the open seam to get that out of the way. Sew across that seam with a 1/8” seam allowance and continue all the way around the top of the bag. Back stitch at beginning and end.

You now have an adorable tote for your kiddo to carry his/her library books in!

Lamp Shade Re-do

My little family is currently moving so we're (should I say 'me'?) trying to update our new home without breaking the budget. Now, I picked out a color scheme for my new bedroom that I loved but nothing I already owned worked with my new ideal colors! Would I need to go buy all new things!? I don't think I could convince the frugal hubby that was a necessity so it was time to get crafty. Never fear, lamp shade tutorial is here:

I found this scruffy looking lamp shade/lamp base (a matching set, actually) for $5 which was a total steal because they were just ugly not broken. I then went to my local fabric store which happened to be Joann's and found the perfect fabric for my new bedroom. Now, these lamp shades are large so to be on the safe side I got them to cut 1 1/2 yards.

If I had a drum shade, which is a perfect circle, I could just wrap the fabric around the lamp shade and glue but I have a classic lamp shade and that's a more complex shape.

What I did is made a pattern with tracing paper and it's easier than it sounds:

1. Take tracing paper (OR any paper that can bee seen through like newspaper) and lay it against the  lampshade and tape with scotch tape.
2. Keep taping tracing paper all the way around the shade until it is completely covered.
3. Make sure to tape all of the pieces together so when you pull them off it's all in one piece
4. Take a marker and trace the edges of the lamp, top & bottom.
5. Carefully pull the tracing paper off and secure further with tape if needed.
6. Cut out the pattern but cut and inch or two outside of the lines to give some lee-way.

Phew! That was a lot of explaining!

Now what you should have is a semi-circle:

Ok, now all that's left to do is warm up the hot glue gun (fabric glue would work just as well) and pin your pattern to your fabric.

After pinned, cut it out and adhere it to the lamp shade with your glue of choice, making sure to leave a little overlap of fabric on top and bottom so that you may fold it over the shade for a clean edge.
*You may not line the fabric up correctly at first or need to get out some wrinkles, in other words, it's perfectly normal to do some adjusting. I know I did!*

Here is my finished product:

I spray painted the lamp too! It's 'Rustoleum Metallic: Satin Nickel'

Happy Crafting Y'all!

-Kelsey