How to Cover Things with Woodgrain Contact Paper: Project #1

I love all things woodgrain, real or faux bois and that is why I decided to cover an old oatmeal container with woodgrain contact paper I found at Home Depot. BECAUSE IT IS AWESOME.  Also because I have trouble throwing anything that is remotely useful away.

Side note: It is hard to put into words how much I love Home Depot. Nothing is better than the smell of sawdust and metal and paint. It is impossible to walk into that store and not want to build a fort. Also I love orange aprons.

This container (and more like it) will soon be filled with poppycorn and gifted to people I love. People I am lukewarm about will just get bran muffins or something.

Another side note: Every year during the holidays my sisters and I make a magical food known as “Poppycorn.” It is caramel-ly and crunchy and addictive. It is the Gisele Bündchen of chex mix. Only better. It is also a diabetic’s nightmare. I will tell you how to make it very soon.

How to Make a Swimmer-Getting-Eaten-By-A-Shark Halloween Costume.

Materials

2 (or more) yards of grey felt
White felt
Stuffing (optional)
Clear bra straps
Scissors
A Sharpie
A sewing machine
Very, very basic sewing skills.

Steps

1. Decide that this Halloween, you would like to wear something that:
a) is warm
b) is comfortable
c) does not rely on being a “slutty” version of a cartoon or fairy tale character for attention
d) is loosely based on one of your greatest fears

Congratulations: You’re going to be a swimmer getting eaten by a shark.

2. Buy fabric! And get felt! because it doesn’t need hemming! You’re going to need enough for a shark body and fins, so get at least two yards of grey stuff. Get three yards if you’re super tall. Wearing a too-short shark costume is lame.

Also buy white felt for teeth and eyes. It’s all about the details.

Tutorial: Lumberjack Bag (The Prototype)

Or, How To Decide To Make A Bag With A Lumberjack On It And Then Spend All Day Working On A Bag You Don’t Really Need But Really, Really Like.

Materials:
1.5 yards fabric for bag (i.e., the outside. I went with canvas.)
1.5 yards fabric for bag lining (i.e., the inside. I went with flannel.)
Thread – one color that matches your outer bag, another that contrasts it for some detail stitching (i.e., the lumberjack nose)
Felt or Fleece – one color for a lumberjack hat, another for lumberjack beard (These fabrics won’t fray when sewn to the outside of the bag)

Tools:
Sewing Machine
Scissors
Ruler
Pins
Paper for pattern
Iron and Ironing board

Step 1: Make your bag pattern.
I went with the “oversized tote bag” look, so my finished bag was about 16” x 16”. If you’re going for a very specific size, remember to account for at least a 1/4” seam allowance. Make one rectangle for the front/back of your bag, one for the sides/bottom and a third for the strap. Cut the strap on a fold to cut down on the number of seams you have to sew.