Make fabric prints with tape

I'm still on that tape kick. I have a deep love for anything self-adhesive; peeling and sticking are two of my all-time favorite activities. So I tried an experiment with painter's tape to make a pattern on fabric.

You'll need: fabric, a measuring tape or yardstick, scissors, masking or painter's tape, fabric paint (I like Jacquard Textile Color), a foam brush, a protective surface of some kind, and any sewing supplies you'll need to turn the painted fabric into something.

To prepare your fabric, cut out a piece a few inches larger than the total amount you'll need for your project.

With painter's tape, make a pattern on your fabric. I thought the torn edges of the tape were interesting, but you could cut your tape if you like things straight. I varied the width of the tape pieces for a little variety.

Place the taped-up fabric on a plastic tablecloth or other protective surface. Some paint might seep through to the back side of the fabric and you probably don't want a checkerboard on your dining room table. You might even tape the fabric to the plastic to keep it from sliding around. Then dab on the fabric paint with a foam brush, filling each tapeless area.

Let the fabric dry, then pull off the tape pieces. Set the paint by following the manufacturer's instructions; usually ironing it will do it.

Then sew the fabric into something nice. I decided to make simple envelope pillow cover. It's the easiest home decor sewing project there is, and the internet is full of tutorials.

Printable vintage hanky notecards

Amy Moss of Eat Drink Chic has designed free vintage hanky-inspired note cards. She suggests that wedding guests could use them as an alternative guestbook, writing notes to the bride and groom and hanging them up for display. Use them in dozens of ways; just don't blow your nose on them. Get the files right here.

Quiz: Test your fashion I.Q.

A little fun for Friday: take this quiz from the New York Times and decide which look is old and which is new for fall 2010. I got 4 out of 6: "Close, but no stiletto." That's okay since I prefer flip flops. And jeans and t-shirts instead of black lace dresses that show my underwear.

Make bags from envelopes and pretty tape

I got a little tape-happy the other day. This project is like the envelope gift bag tutorial from awhile back, but approximately 200% cuter due to fancy tape. These little gift sacks could be used as party favors filled with candy or as packaging for wee presents.

You'll need an envelope, decorative tape, and a scissors. I used 4 3/8" x 5 3/4" envelopes, but any size will work.

Seal the envelope and trim off one of the short sides to make an opening.

Wrap tape around both sides of the envelope. No need to cover the last inch, since it will form the bottom of the bag.

Fold about one inch of each side of the bag toward the middle; then fold the bottom upwards, creasing your folds well. You can vary the width of these flaps depending on the proportion of the bag you want. Flip the bag over and reverse the folds along the same lines for easier shaping in the next step.

Put one hand inside the bag, and with the other, push the bottom fold down. This will leave the bottom corners of the bag standing up. Press each corner into a triangle.

Fold both triangles down and secure them with more tape, covering the bottom of the bag.

Sources of fancy Japanese washi tape include Happy Tape, Cute Tape, and Ginko Papers. However, you might be sorry if you click these links because money will immediately fly out of your wallet. Be warned.

Round up of projects to make with doilies

The cupcake wrappers got me wondering what else people make with doilies, so here are a few other tutorials for making pretty, lacy things.

Doily drink umbrellas from Papermash
Bowl made with fabric stiffener at Design*Sponge
Stenciled canvas bag from TidyMom
Embellished drawstring bag by A Little Red Ribbon
Plaster doily bowl from Songbird
Doily tins at Martha Stewart

Free printable favor box

Download, print, and assemble little gift boxes from Don't Eat the Paste. Of course I'm quite pleased to see orange included in the range of colors.

Header makeover

Good morning, all. Yesterday I freshened up the blog with a new header. The old one felt too heavy, so I put this blog on a diet. I plan to do some other trimming this week as well, so pardon any oddities you might notice while I'm ignorantly tinkering.

How to make wall art with paint pens

I stumbled on a half-finished, abandoned canvas in a drawer the other day. Poor thing. I felt sorry for it, so I turned it into a DIY tutorial. If you've got some wall space to fill, here's a way to use transfer paper and paint pens to make your own decorative art.

Paint some abstract stripes on your canvas with acrylic paint. No need to be too careful. Be free!

Choose an image you'd like to reproduce, and size it for your canvas with a photocopier or printer. Tape sheets of paper together if needed. This Victorian ornament is from one of Dover's electronic clip art books. You could also search this vintage clip art library, or draw your own if you're good like that.

Cut a piece of graphic transfer paper to the size of your image. This stuff is found at art stores. Be careful when handling it or your fingers will turn gray. Place the paper graphite side down on the canvas. Place your image on top, face up. Use a few pieces of tape to fix the stack in position.

Then trace over your image with a pencil, being careful not to rest your hand heavily on the paper or you'll end up with unwanted graphite smudges. Remove the papers.

Trace over the transferred lines with a permanent paint marker. I like DecoColor markers, which come in various tip widths and tons of colors. They're available at most art stores. I've used Sharpies before, but they tend to dull and dry up quickly, and it's hard to get even coverage. As you're tracing, keep a blank sheet of paper between your hand and the canvas to avoid smearing the graphite lines. The paint marker will dry almost instantly.

If the paint marker lines look too shiny to you when you're finished, give your painting a coat of clear acrylic gel medium to even out the shine difference between the matte acrylic paint and the shiny marker.

Printable birthday card from Susy Jack

Susan Connor has designed another free printable; this time it's a birthday card with her signature burst of flowers. Head over here to download it.

30 new free fonts

Check out Smashing Magazine's round up of 30 free fonts, including Piron, above. I'm not sure how I feel about the stroke-ends showing in the letterforms, but they had me at orange.

No more naked cupcakes

There's no end in sight to the current cupcake craze. And these days no self-respecting cake would be caught dead in just a liner, the cupcake equivalent of going out in one's underwear. Cupcake wraps often cost a dollar a piece, so if you feel the need to dress up your cakes, try these DIY versions with printable templates:

Doily cupcake wrappers at Intimate Weddings (top). Check your local craft or dollar store for doilies.
Decorative paper cupcake wrappers at Snow and Graham (bottom).

Quiz: What's your creative style?

If you're curious to know what your particular brand of creativity reveals about you, take this little quiz from Psychologies magazine.

I learned that for me, creativity is "a magical world in which you like to immerse yourself. When you’re involved in it, you get the wonderful sensation that there are no limits, that anything is possible." Ah, magical! That explains why I always try to sneak a unicorn or leprechaun into every brochure I design.

DIY Marimekko-inspired wall drawing

Kibwe Daisy explains how to transfer an image to your wall and color it in with Sharpies(!!) to make a cool Marimekko-like graphic for your living room. Read about his project here at Curbly. Kibwe apparently has a very lenient landlord. Add that to your list of supplies.

Orangify your laptop bag

A friend is hunting for a new laptop bag and asked if I knew where to find something cool. Of course the suggestions I sent back included a healthy dose of orange. (My own laptop bag is a very functional black. I just want to live vicariously through her.) So for the daring among you, I present a few orange choices: the Half Circle case from Snap, where I'm in love with everything; the Jane Marvel laptop sleeve; the Retrostriper bag; and the Melissa Beth bag. If you're too bashful to carry a bright orange laptop case, no worries. These shops have many other stylish color and design options for you.

Free canister decals

Cathe Holden has created printable decals for everything you could possibly wish to label in your kitchen, except for maybe the sink. Choose from three vintage-style designs and learn how to apply them using water slide decal paper right here. (Via Craft)

Cute origami houses

Projects that seem completely uninteresting when I'm in my right mind suddenly become irresistible when I ought to be working on something else. Folding tiny useless things out of paper is one of my favorite ways to procrastinate. If you have a chore you don't want to do, I recommend making little paper houses by following this diagram.

If your purse is ugly, you might be in luck

If your handbag situation needs serious help, this contest is for you. 1154 LILL Studio, the original design-it-yourself handbag company, is looking for the ugliest purse in America. If this hideous abomination belongs to you, you'll win an entire bag wardrobe you can customize yourself. Mmm hmm, a whole pile of fabulous new bags.

I'm honored to be one of the contest judges, who include Meg Hemphill, writer and former fashion and beauty editor at InStyle magazine. We'll choose the winner from among the finalists selected by the public. So even if your own purse isn't ugly, you might still enjoy voting for your favorite bag entry (and then secretly feeling relieved it's not yours).

The contest runs until August 21. To see details and enter, click here!

Camera-related sewing tutorials

Photography fans, here are a few project ideas for you:

If you're ambitious, make your own camera strap at Ikat Bag.
If you're less ambitious or have fickle tendencies, just sew your camera strap a slip cover at Design Sponge.
Make a small camera case at Sew Mad.
Sew a tote bag with a camera graphic like this project from Stitch Idées magazine via Fototiller. No online tutorial, but you can use the photo to inspire your own.

A thing I like

Maybe this item is supposed to be a vase? I don't know, but I like it. I found it in a vintage shop on Etsy a long time ago, and now it holds stuff on my desk. (Full disclosure: I took out all the ugly pens to make this picture more attractive. I feel compelled to confess that.)

Printable cards for embroidery thread

Wouldn't you rather store your embroidery thread on these funny cardstock bobbins instead of snarled up in a ziplock bag? I think you would. Download and print these guys, compliments of Wild Olive.

Fresh photography by Fulvio Bonavia

If you like captivating photography, food, and accessories—particularly when all three are combined—you'll enjoy Fulvio Bonavia's portfolio. Take a look at his "A Matter of Taste" photographs in the "Work" section over here. I'm glad my shoes aren't made of food. As it is, I have enough trouble keeping my foot out of my mouth.

(Images by Fulvio Bonavia)