Our site is getting a makeover! Please bear with us whilst we make improvements

Reusable Christmas Cracker Sewing Tutorial

Reusable Christmas Cracker Sewing Tutorial

by | Dec 2, 2020 | My Makes, Sustainable Sewing, Tutorials

Fancy a more sustainable snap at your festive table this year? This reusable Christmas cracker tutorial (oh yes they did!) will have you repurposing your recycling, reducing your rubbish & reusing resources!

These christmas crackers can be refilled time & time again & stored away for the following year without fear of the snap losing it’s spark!

The core of these reusable crackers is a plastic milk carton & the snap sound comes from a knotted elastic band that pings on a milk bottle top & makes a satisfying SNAP sound! A fantastic re-purpose of your old rubbish… Don’t you agree?

Want a printable copy of this tutorial? No problem! Request it below & a copy will be sent direct to your in-box

Send ME a printable version

Boring Legal Bit: If you follow any tutorial or guidance found in this post, or on this blog, you agree to be bound by our disclaimer which can be viewed here

Reusable Christmas Cracker Tutorial

Skill Level: Beginner

 

To make ONE reusable Christmas cracker you will need:

1 fat quarter of quilting cotton (Check out our Christmas Fabric here)

1m Ribbon (we used Berisfords Festive Gold Edge Satin Ribbon)

40cm 3mm elastic

1 4pt milk bottle (label removed, bottle washed & dried)

2 milk bottle lids (washed & dried)

2 small elastic bands

Additional resources:

Glue gun & glue sticks

Domestic scissors

Important notes:

1.5 cm seam allowance throughout, unless directed.

For steps using machine sewing, always backstitch at the start & end unless otherwise stated.

Pre-wash your fabrics

1. Cut your materials

From fabric:

Outer cracker barrel 44×18.5cm

Inner cracker barrel 44×16.5cm

For directional pattern fabrics; the shorter measurement spans the circumference of the cracker & the larger spans the length.

From the milk bottle:

1 Outer cracker barrel 9×16.5cm

1 Inner cracker barrel 9×14.5cm

2 Cracker ends 5 x 15.5cm

2. Make the snap

Cut a slit through the rim in each side of a milk bottle lid.

Slot an elastic band into the slits & tie a knot close to the underside of the lid. Repeat with the other lid.

 

3. Form the barrels

Using a glue gun form 4 cylinders from the cut plastic. All should be curved along the long edge.

The outer & inner barrels should be glued with a 1cm overlap.

The end barrels need to be formed with the snap at one end, the underside of the lid facing into the cylinder

 

4. Prepare the fabric

Fold over the short edges 1.5cm & press.

Open out the pressed edges then pin & sew the long edges right sides together.

 

5. Form the cracker

Turn half of the outer cracker barrel fabric out the right way to form 2 layers of fabric.

Insert the corresponding plastic cylinder between the 2 fabric layers & guide it down to the fold line.

Insert a snap section, lid end 1st, inside both layers of fabric. Position it just above the barrel section.

 

6. Elastic casing

Tuck in the pressed seam allowances. Pin & sew around the top of the cracker.

Sew around the top edge of the cracker leaving a 2cm opening for threading.

Thread the elastic through the casing twice to form 2 loops. Tie off the ends of the elastic.

Sew the opening closed.

 

7. Finishing touches

Guide the cracker snap up to meet the elastic casing.

Tie a bow each and with 30cm of ribbon between the barrel & the snap.

Thread 15cm of ribbon through the loop in the snap elastic and secure in place with a knot.

To set up your cracker, pop your chosen treat/ joke/ quiz question inside the thinner central barrel. Insert the thin barrel into the wider one and your cracker is ready. To activate the snap, each person pulls the ribbon inside the end of the cracker then releases as the cracker is pulled apart.

Want a printable copy of this tutorial? No problem! Request it below & a copy will be sent direct to your in-box

SEND ME A PRINTABLE VERSION

Boring Legal Bit: If you follow any tutorial or guidance found in this post, or on this blog, you agree to be bound by our disclaimer which can be viewed here

We hope you enjoyed that tutorial and have fun making it. If you make your own version please tag us @PlushAddict #PAReusableChristmasCracker

We would love to see your creations!

A Quick Tip For Cutting Out Slippery Fabrics

A Quick Tip For Cutting Out Slippery Fabrics

by | Feb 15, 2016 | My Makes, Tutorials

Despairing this morning when I realised Little Plush had zero leggings that fitted properly (how do they grow sooo fast?!) I decided it would be quicker to sew some up than actually get to the shops. If you’ve not tried sewing leggings – don’t be scared – they are SO easy and are super quick to boot – win win.

The fabric of choice was some viscose spandex. It has 4-way stretch so it perfect for leggings, alas it’s a slippery little sucker on the cutting table so thought I’d try a new tip I picked up at Morley College and figured I’d share it with you as it worked a treat!

[In case you are interested, I used the Love Notions Leggings Pattern, which is on sale and actually FREE at the time of writing.]

This can be used for any fabric which wants to shift around.

  • Line the fabric edges the best you can with the lines on the paper to ensure the grain line is straight. If you haven’t got any Dot & Cross Paper then just draw yourself 2 lines at 90 degrees to each other that you have a right angle to use to line up your fabric ensuring it’s straight as possible.
  • Make sure your fabric is wrinkle free and place your pattern piece on top of the fabric and paper. Weight it down and secure your pattern piece with pins.
  • Cut out through all the layers – including the bottom paper.

That’s it! Essentially you have a fabric sandwich, between 2 layers of paper which stabilises your fabric and means it doesn’t wiggle around.

Little Plush loved her leggings declaring they were the softest she’d had – I’ve trained her well!

Do you have any tips to share on how to stop slippery fabrics going their own way? Please share them if you do.

[This post contains some affiliate links]

Easter Bunny Garland Tutorial

Easter Bunny Garland Tutorial

by | Jan 18, 2016 | My Makes, Project Ideas, Tutorials

Need a simple Easter decoration idea? This Easter Bunny Garland tutorial is a great a scrap-busting project which will add a touch of adorable to your Easter celebrations. 

Those bunny pom pom tails! For the love of cute!

This Easter garland is super simple to make and only needs a few supplies… Check out the tutorial and grab your free template below!

What You Will Need:

 

Click below to download the pattern!

DOWNLOAD Pattern

How to Make An Easter Bunny Decoration

 

Step 1: Trace around the bunny template on to the smooth side of the Bondaweb using a sharp pencil.

Step 2: Cut around the shape close to, but not on, your pencil line.

Step 3: Iron the Bondaweb bunny shape on to the reverse of your fabric. It should adhere quite strongly.

Step 4: Cut around your shape on the pencil line

Step 5: Score the Bondaweb paper with a pin and remove the backing paper.

Step 6: Cut 5cm of the 5mm ribbon and fold in half.

Step 7: Lay your cut out bunny shape on to the backing calico. Place the ribbon between the bunny’s ears and enclose the raw ends underneath your bunny shape. Leave at least 1cm of the folded ribbon exposed, this will form your hanging loop.

Step 8: Press to adhere the shape on to your calico, enclosing the ribbon loop.

Follow Us On Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/plushaddict/

Step 9: Trim the calico to match the bunny shape taking care not to cut the ribbon hanging loop. Small scissors will help you be more precise around the curves.

Step 10: Using a zig zag stitch on your sewing machine sew around the edge of your shape with the outside of the zig zag right on the edge of the shape. Take care on the curves and sew slowly.

Step 11: To add the tail, thread a hand sewing needle and tie a knot in the end of thread and pass the needle though the centre of pom pom. Secure the tail on to the bunny shape with a few stitches.

You can use the template as a tail placement guide by lining up your shape with the template, putting the needle through the template, lifting the template and marking where the needle is with a fabric marker. This is your tail placement mark.

Step 13: Repeat for as many bunnies you’d like on your garland.

Step 14: Wrap some tape around the end of your jute ribbon to make it easier to thread and jute ribbon through the loops.

You’re done! Happy Easter!

Click below to download the pattern!

DOWNLOAD Pattern

Pin this to a board for easy reference!

Don’t forget to share your finished makes with us – tag us @PlushAddict as we LOVE seeing your projects!

Cloth Nappy Fabrics 101 Part 6: Stay Dry Fabrics

Cloth Nappy Fabrics 101 Part 6: Stay Dry Fabrics

by | Apr 24, 2015 | Cloth Nappy Making, Minky Fabric, My Makes, Product Guides, Sustainable Sewing

Hello! And welcome to the last part of my nappy making fabrics guide. Last up we’re going to talk about “Stay Dry” fabrics which are often used as the inner layer of a nappy. We have up to 20% off all fabrics in our “Stay Dry” section and all orders placed over this week that you’ve asked us to hang on to will be dispatched today. We also have 20% off nappy making kits all week long.

What is a Stay Dry Fabric?

A stay dry fabric is generally a man-made fibre which feels (almost) dry to the touch after it’s gotten wet. These fabrics are said to have “wicking” properties, which means they draw moisture away from the skin and out in to the atmosphere so the moisture can evaporate. Let’s be real here, if you pour water on to any fabric it’s never going to be 100% dry but on these types of fabrics it will feel much dryer than an a natural fibre absorbent fabric which will just be sopping wet.

Why is this important in a cloth nappy? So your baby isn’t sat with wetness against his or her skin for any period of time. So how do stay dry fabrics do this? It all comes down to the wicking…

Most wicking fabrics are made from polyester blends, and  synthetic fabrics don’t retain moisture like natural fibre fabrics do. Polyester holds on to a tiny 0.4% of moisture where as cotton retains about 7%. All polyester fabrics are not wicking fabrics, the wicking properties comes from the weave. The fabrics are constructed in such a way that the moisture is forced into and through the gaps in the weave

So there are a number of fabrics that can be used as a stay dry layer and each can perform differently. Our most popular choices are microfleece and suedecloth but some people choose to use cuddlesoft or plush too.

Microfleece

Microfleece is probably the most popular nappy lining fabric we stock, it’s a fleece fabric which is incredibly soft, thin, comes in a variety of colours and wicks moisture very well. No fabric will be completely dry when liquid is added but microfleece is one of the best at pulling the moisture away from the skin to the outer of the fabric and letting it evaporate and keeping you cool and comfortable. Because of this it’s also a popular choice for exercise clothing. We also stock an which has a smooth knit on one side and fleece on the other, it’s a great choice for slimming down your nappy even further.

Suedecloth

Suedecloth is a 100% polyester fabric which has a very short, fuzzy nap on one side and a smooth knit on the other. It’s much thinner than regular microfleece and is cheaper too. It works very well as a wicking fabric and is the fabric used as an lining fabric in many mass manufactured cloth nappies. It’s a popular choice as it comes in a wide range of colours and is only £3.99pm!

Other Stay Dry Options

Plush

Some people line their nappies with plush (minky) fabric. I had several nappies lined with plush and due to its luxurious and tactile nature it certainly made the nappy feel very special. Lining with plush does add bulk and in my experience it doesn’t  feel quite as “dry” as microfleece or suedecloth but the performance is still adequate and it does have the bonus of feeling extra special.

Cuddly, super soft plush fabric

Cuddlesoft

Cuddlesoft is in essence a plush fabric without a brand name behind it. This means the quality isn’t as good as something like Shannon’s cuddle fabric, but it’s still lovely and tactile and usually a bit thinner so it makes it a good choice for a nappy lining fabric. In my experience it performs a little less well than microfleece or suedecloth, but it’s perfectly fine.

Well that concludes my series on cloth nappy fabrics and I hope you may have learnt something or perhaps been tempted to give cloth nappies a try. It’s by no means exhaustive and there are so many other ways to use the fabrics too, I’ve just mentioned some of the post popular. If you have any other questions or have an area that’s puzzling do get in touch and I’ll do my best to help.

A Plush Addict Guide To: Border Prints

A Plush Addict Guide To: Border Prints

by | Apr 15, 2015 | Fabric Guides, Fabric Information Guide, My Makes

I have been asked a few times recently to explain what a “border  print” fabric is. If you’re not up to speed on this particular fabric lingo read on, especially as we’ve had a couple of crackers arrive this week. If I’m teaching you to suck eggs then scroll down to the inspiration part to check out the pretty prints!

So what is a border print?

Most prints are printed so the pattern runs “up the bolt/ roll” where the direction of the print runs at 90 degrees to the selvedge, like the illustration to the right.

Some fabrics are designed so that the print runs in parallel to the
edge, like the illustrations below. These are the prints we refer to as “border prints” or they can also be known as “railroaded prints”

 

In a border print the design runs along one side of the selvedge.
A double border print has the design running along both selvedge edges.

Border and railroaded prints offer some exciting design opportunities. They work particularly well for items like dresses and skirts. These prints can also add extra interest to items like aprons, cot bumpers and bags, to name just a few ideas. You can find our border prints here.

Border Prints

 

We’ve got some gorgeous new Dashwood Studio prints!

 

 

SILK ROADS

 

With twirling dragons, roaming elephants & dancing camels, this collection will delight the kids, as well as the grown ups… 

 

A bright & summery colour palette makes this collection perfect for all your exotic sewing projects!

 

Check out the border print below.

Need Some Inspiration?

 

Need some inspiration to fuel your ideas about how best to use a Border Print?

 

Here’s one we made earlier:

This skirt was made using the Pamper border print (it’s a double border print too!). You can find the full tutorial here – it only takes 30 minutes!

 

You can find the full collection here, and the border print here.

 

We hope you found this guide helpful – let us know in the comments below if you have any suggestions for other guides you’d like to see!

Follow Plush Addict on social media and keep an eye out for more tutorials!

Cuddle Puzzle Quilt: Pieces By Polly

Cuddle Puzzle Quilt: Pieces By Polly

by | Mar 20, 2015 | Minky Fabric, My Makes, Tutorials

If you follow me on Instagram you’l know that I recently made this puzzle quilt from super soft plush fabric. The moment I saw Polly’s quilt shared by Shannon Fabrics I swooned and instantly fell in love. It’s a rainbow! It’s a jigsaw! It’s super soft and fluffy! These are all things that appeal greatly to Mrs Plush and I just had to give it a try.

It’s an absolutely ingenious design. Initially I thought it was beyond my capabilities – I mean how the hell do you sew those curves? Well the answer is – you don’t. They are appliquéd on. Awesome.

I followed Polly’s tutorial which she put together as part of Shannon’s Great Cuddle Cake Challenge.  It takes two packs of Shannon Cuddle Cakes and, in a nutshell, you cut out the “knobbies”, appliqué them on to adjacent squares and then stitch in to rows, then the rows together. It really is pretty simple. (Please note my mahoosive SuperBoard in the above photo which was invaluable in laying the squares on to, this board is super handy for dressmaking too, especially if you are rubbing off your own clothes to make patterns.)

Lots of Bondaweb knobbies

There’s not much to add to the original tutorial, I followed it pretty much to the letter except I didn’t use any wadding (batting) because I thought two layers of plush would be enough, and I really like the result. It’s a lovely, flexible and soft quilt.  I trimmed back the “knobbies” in the seams once the top was sewn as it was pretty bulky in places. I’ve never quilted two layers of plush before and I thought I’d be a good quilty girl and start from the centre of the quilt each time to help with any travelling. I can’t say that this worked that well for me and I did get a bit of bunching in a couple of places and it seemed to work better just quilting form edge to edge which is what I ended up doing for the lion’s share.

Appliqué of the “knobbies”

I thought it might be handy to have a list of the thread colours I used to match the Very Vibrant Cuddle Cake pack that I used as the thread is visible on the top

I used Gutermann Sew All Thread colours 372, 733, 156, 392, 350, 852, 336, 833, 197, 311.

I backed my quilt with Embossed Chevron Red Cuddle and I used Dark Lime Cuddle for my binding.

If you fancy having a go at this we’ve put together this bundle which contains two packs of cuddle cakes, 10 co-ordinating threads and a pack of Bondaweb which will save you £4.40 than if you bought everything separately PLUS we’re chucking in a free hessian bag. Don’t say we don’t look after you.

Fancy having a bash at Polly’s Cuddle Puzzle Quilt yourself?