Sometimes, I find myself saving random materials so that I can make useful products out of them later. It's rarely literal re-purposing, but tonight, I think I achieved it.
I've had this plan for the longest time - over a year, in fact - to make Elizabeth a headband holder out of a container, glue, and fabric. I had saved an old White Chocolate container from the espresso bar at church after one of my shifts with my sister-in-law about 3 months ago. Tonight, I finally brought this project to fruition.
To do this project, you will need the following:
- Round container with a lid (the circumference of mine was roughly 16", and it was about 6.5" high)
- 2 different fabrics, preferably one solid and one pattern
- Hot glue or Fabric Glue (or, in my case, Mod Podge, because our house is still full of random boxes, Christmas totes and toys, and I can't find my glue gun - we just moved in less than a month ago)
- Measuring tape
- Iron & ironing board
- Fabric scissors
- Ballpoint pen
Once you've gathered your materials, you can get started!
Measure the circumference of the container before you start. This will help give you a basis of how much fabric you need.
Cut your fabric. In my case, since my circumference was about 16", I made sure I cut 17" long, so I could have clean edges that were folded over in the end. My trim pieces are the solids, and the main piece is the patterned one. The trim pieces were cut about 1.5" wide each, so I could fold over the edges and iron them down. The main piece was about 6" wide, so that I could fold over 1/2" on each side for clean edges.
Next, iron your fabric down. (I took my measuring tape with me so I could measure the width at both ends, and once in the middle as I went!) It helps to lay it out flat as it will look on the container, so that you get a good visual for any flaws in your ironed edges.
It's time to start gluing! If you're using Mod Podge, make sure you cover enough space with a straight line. You want about 1/2" width, so your fabric doesn't pull away as you turn and glue. If you're using hot glue, remember to have your fabric ready, and glue quickly, so that your glue doesn't dry before you get your fabric set!
Glue down the top border first. Use glue all the way around, turning the container as you apply glue and press down the fabric. Make sure your fabric lays straight, and flush against the container. For the clean finished edge, just fold over and glue down.
Glue your bottom border down. Again, make sure you get glue all the way around so you don't get fabric puckering.
When you're done, you should have the open edges pointing towards each other, and the ironed edges on the outside. (Yes, I fixed the little fabric pucker at the bottom of the container!)
Glue the main fabric down on top of the trim pieces. Ideally, you want about 1/2" of overlap, to fully hide the open edges of the trim pieces, and secure the main part down. Again, make sure you use glue all the way around.
To finish the gluing part of the project, just fold down the last open edge of the main fabric and glue down. Again, a good rule of thumb is about 1/2".
Now you're ready to trace your circle for the top of the container! It's a lot easier to get a clearer circle if your container is still attached to the lid.
Trace & cut out the circle. (It works best if you cut just on the inside of the line, so you don't have to trim off the edges).
Glue down your fabric on your lid, and you're done! I used the solid instead of the print on mine, but you could use either the pattern or the solid. You can also use a second accent color.
Ta-da! Here's the finished product with some headbands on it!
Looks pretty nice, right?
Of course, if you're
my daughter, you have 20 headbands, need about 4 of these containers, lol!
Enjoy!
