teacher gifts: ombre zip pouches

For Teacher Appreciation Day, our preschool parents decided it would be fun to pool our money and send the teachers for a well-deserved spa treatment, so I offered to make zip pouches to use as the gift card holders. 

I whipped up these little ombre zip pouches using Anna's lil' cutie pouch tutorial and one of Target's fun ombre tablecloths. While at target, I also picked up some leather boot laces for the zipper pulls.

I love giving handmade gifts, but I also know how much teachers love to get gift cards, and these pouches offer the perfect combination the two! They came together in no time at all, and I still have a ton of fabric left over that would make really cute matching tote bags! ... Mother's Day gifts?! Maybe!

 

Thank you to all of the wonderful teachers out there - we appreciate everything you do for our kiddos!

flag tutorial

The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays.  Full of family, friends, food, fun, fireworks, and of course FLAGS!  So, in anticipation for this years celebration, I am sharing a tutorial for a fun and festive flag garland!

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Materials:

• denim (old jeans work great!)
• red ticking fabric
• twine ($1 at Home Depot)
• white embroidery floss
• embroidery needle
• mesh lingerie bags (pack of 2 at the dollar store)
• hot glue gun (optional)

Cut:

• denim into 1.5" X 1" rectangles
• ticking into 3" X 2" rectangles
  

To achieve the soft fringe around the edges, place your pieces into mesh lingerie bags, run them under water until they are soaking wet, ring out the excess water, and then toss them in the dryer.  It is important to dry the bags separately in case the denim bleeds (I learned this the hard way).  Check the bags occasionally to make sure the pieces are not all clumped together.  Remove when dry.

To get the fringe just right, pull off the loose strings.

Grab you embroidery floss, and cut a piece that is about 24" long.  Peel two strands out of the cluster.  Thread the embroidery needle, and tie a knot at the end.

  (click the picture to view larger image)

Start from the back and poke the needle through the top center of the denim. Follow steps 1-6 to create the star.  When finished, make a knot on the back of the flag, and cut your thread. 

 

Iron out all the creases - they can be stubborn sometimes, and I usually find myself dousing them with the spray bottle to achieve the desired flatness.

Once you have a stack of flags ready, it is time to attach them to the twine.

(click the picture to view larger image)

Tie a loop at the end of the twine.  Lay the flags out in a line to determine the length of twine needed. I spaced the flags about 2" apart.  Before cutting the twine, be sure to leave enough extra to tie a loop at the other end.

Then, using two more strands of embroidery floss, thread the needle, tie a knot.   Sew loops AROUND the twine, catching the ticking in each stitch.  Be careful not to sew through the twine, that way you can adjust the flag placement later, if needed.

Alternative: use a hot glue gun to attach the top edge of the flag to the twin.  Be sure to place them exactly where you want them, because there is no adjusting after the glue is dry!
Repeat with the rest of the flags, and you are done!

Let 'em fly!

variation: rusted wire instead of twine, and french knots to crate the circles.