How to Tuck Serger Threads into the Seam

tucking-in-thread-ends-800.jpg

I absolutely LOVE my serger! I have the Brother 1034D, which seems to be a very popular model. I have had it for 7 years and sewed hundreds of dresses with it (FOR REAL!) Today I thought I would share how I tuck in all of those thread ends when finishing a seam with the serger or overlock machine. Maybe it is just common sense stuff that everyone who uses a serger knows, but at one point I did not. It makes everything more secure, can help even out slightly uneven edges, and produces a nicer finish.

How to Tuck Loose Serger Threads into the Seam

When you plan on tucking the loose ends into the seam, you have to leave a "tail" of serger threads after you sew. About 3 inches will usually work well. I start by gently sliding the threads between my fingers to even them out. The tail will start to stretch out, but two of the threads will be much longer. You want them all to be trimmed close to the same length so that they don't get bunched up. It will look something like this:

Trim off the two longer threads and thread the remaining section through a darning needle. My daughter calls this particular one the "magic needle" because it is a short needle with a wide eye. It works great!

Next, insert the needle into the seam, preferably between the fabric.

Push it through about an inch or so into the seam (more if you would like).

Pull the needle all the way through.

Finally, just trim the ends.

It really is a simple, little trick! It makes things look a lot neater, though!

How to Hide Serger Threads

If you forget to leave a tail for tucking, don't panic. You can trim the ends off and use fray check. It is not as good of a finish, but it is better than nothing.

how to neatly finish seams

DIY Handwriting Copy Sign Tutorial

A new trend I have noticed is displaying portions of handwritten notes enlarged as a sign. I think it is a lovely way to remember special words. I was recently asked to create a sign with a portion of Clarence's note from It's a Wonderful Life so I thought I would snap a few pictures of the process to share a tutorial on the blog.

DIY Handwriting Copy Sign Tutorial

I happened to have the perfect size board already on hand. It is a rough cut board sanded slightly, so it has the rough edges and saw blade marks still visible. It really gives the piece some rustic character. I just lightly brushed some cream paint onto the board to get a weathered effect. You can also sand the edges to remove paint and make it more rustic.

Next, I resized the portion of the original note I was using and printed it out. (I just use Microsoft Word because I can use the page size to estimate dimensions.) I used carbon paper to transfer the image to the painted wood.

It's a Wonderful Life Quote
Use carbon paper to transfer handwriting to wood
How to transfer handwriting to signs

I used a fine tip black paint marker to paint the words onto the wood. It is more natural to make handwriting with a paint marker vs. a paintbrush. I also let the roughness of the wood texture the lettering by not filling in chips and grain.

How to easily make a sign from handwriting

Finally, I applied an antiquing wax to further age and seal the piece.

It's a Wonderful Life sign- Clarence's note

I think this technique would be really sweet for old love notes from your spouse, cards from special occasions, or even treasured family recipes!

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Scrapbook Paper Picture Frame Tutorial

April is generally the craft month for our MOPS group. We wanted to come up with something that every mom could use... picture frames! At the March meeting we set up a photo booth with two background choices: an aqua sheet thumbtacked to the divider with THIS pink and yellow bunting or a navy sheet thumbtacked to the divider with some yellow stars that are part of our "Starry Eyed" meeting decor. They were simple, but beautiful (and FREE!) One of our steering team members is also a talented photographer. She has a good eye for capturing those special moments. She photographed the moms as they came in with their little ones and we got free 4 x 6 prints through the Shutterfly app printed before the April meeting. We figured if there was a picture to put in the frame right away it would be used.

Cute and easy MOPS craft with picture frames!

The frames were easy and inexpensive. I got them at Michaels and used a 30% off your entire purchase coupon so they were only 70 cents each. We also used up leftover paper from our journal craft in September (see HERE). I picked up some more scrapbook papers in neutral and blue colors that would be better for pictures with the navy background.

DIY book page picture frame

Scrapbook paper over a wood frame...

MOPS photo booth and picture frame craft

I have made these frames before and you can see some of them in my daughters' collage wall HERE. It is the perfect craft for a ladies night or a group. You can add little embellishments like baker's twine, washi tape, fabric flowers, die-cuts, etc. so they will all be unique. In addition to flat frames like these, you can use this same technique on any flat wood surface. I made a mustache for the collage wall, too!

Easy group craft- scrapbook paper covered picture frames!

Here is what you need:

~wood frame ~mod podge ~foam brush ~sandpaper ~scrapbook paper ~scissors ~pencil ~embellishments (optional) ~paint (optional)

Easy DIY frame craft with scrapbook paper, cheap wood frames, and mod podge.

I began by painting the edges of the frames just to make the finished product a little nicer. I used white acrylic.

Paint the edges of frames for a nicer finish

Lightly sand the frame to remove any rough edges or extra paint. (My craft table is a disaster! #keepitreal)

how to prep a wood frame for decorating

Trace the frame on the wrong side of the paper (so you don't see pencil marks in case you mess up).

how to make scrapbook paper frames

Cut out the frame shape you traced, but leave a little extra outside the pencil lines. Always go big, not too small!

Cute paper to cover wood frames

Brush a layer of mod podge onto the frame. It should be a fairly thick layer, but it should all be smoothed out- no runs or lumps.

mod-podge-frame

Lay the paper on top of the frame, lining up the center opening and edges as best as you can. There should be a little extra all around.

How to cover a wooden frame with paper

If you get big wrinkles, you can take it off and redo it, but only if you are fast about it. Some wrinkles can be pushed out by hand, or you can even try scraping with a credit card. Just smooth it all out the best that you can and let it dry. We did our "speed friending" activity awhile.

Then, it is time to sand the extra paper off of the edges. Make sure to use a perpendicular, downward motion (if you have ever done Jamberry nails it is the same technique!) Don't ever push the sandpaper back upward or you might lift the paper. Just keep scraping down at as close to a 90 degree angle as you can. Use some muscle! It takes a bit of pressure to make it work. The paper will begin to loosen and peel off.

This tip helps you sand extra paper of the edges of mod podge frames for a clean finish.

The secret to getting perfect edges on mod podge picture frames...

Don't forget the inside, too. It looks very crisp and neat when you are done! Nothing at all like my messy table.

How to get clean edges on a paper covered frame

It is a good idea to seal it by brushing on a thin layer of mod podge. If you want to add embellishments, just brush a little mod podge on, stick it on top, then just brush over the whole frame.

Cute embellishments on a DIY frame. Mod podge is great!

See? It dries clear.

Easy picture frame craft project!

You can also add washi tape to a dry frame and lightly seal over that.

Washi tape on a DIY picture frame

Pretty easy, right? I think the sanding is the trick to this. And now, on a nicer background than my icky table...

Mod podge, scrapbook paper, and washi tape make this cute frame!

There is a lot that you can do with these. They don't take too long and don't cost much to make. If you mess up and get too many wrinkles, you can always rip the paper off, sand, and try again. Or, you can call it "texture" and just go with it. No one will see small wrinkles from across the room. Just you.

scrapbook paper mod podge frames

Feel free to pin it for later...

Use scrapbook paper and cheap wood frames to make a cute craft - perfect for craft nights and groups!

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composition-book-journal

Upcycled Sweater Heart Hand Warmers Tutorial

Sometimes I get these overly ambitious ideas and that is as far as they go. Just big ideas.Sometimes, a year or so later, I actually act on them. And, more often than not, it was a lot easier than I anticipated.

This particular big idea: I wanted to make hand warmers from sweater scraps. I made some sweater pillows (some are still not finished, so I will blog about them eventually) and I have a pile of sleeves laying around. Originally, I was going to make hand warmers for my kids' classmates for Valentine's Day, but I really don't have that much ambition. I realized that they are best in pairs, so I would have to make 80+ hearts. No, thank you! Instead, I gave them out as little thank you gifts for some friends and family.

DIY hand warmers made from old sweater scraps
Step-by-step tutorial shows how to make hand warmers from old sweaters.
Hand warmer thank you gifts.

They are soft and lavender scented and pretty. Just microwave them for about 30 seconds and tuck them in your pocket. They make a really pretty little favor or thank you gift. I just tied mine with baker's twine and made little tags to go with  them.

How to make hand warmers from old sweaters

I took some pictures to show you how to make them, and I even did it two different ways to make it even more beginner-friendly!

Start with your fabric- I used scraps from a sweater sleeve.

sweater scraps used to make handwarmers

Make a template- mine are about 3" across. I used an old receipt from the grocery store. Place the sweater scraps right side out and pin the template to them. You want to leave some extra fabric all around the template so that there is wiggle room if/when it shifts.

Use an old receipt to make a sewing template

Start on the straight side of one heart just before it starts to curve. Backstitch, then sew all around the template, leaving a small opening on the straight side. I used a receipt because if I caught the edge of the paper it didn't matter- it tears away easily.

Sewing hand warmers from old sweaters

Take our your pins and remove the template.

Sew hand warmers from old sweaters

Fill the hand warmer with rice. (A funnel is really helpful!) I mixed mine with some lavender essential oil.

How to make hand warmers with rice and old sweaters...

Sew the opening closed. It is a straight line, so it is pretty easy!

Sewing old sweaters to make hand warmers
How to make rice filled hand warmers

Use pinking shears to trim all the way around the heart.

How to make hand warmers from old sweaters without small pieces to sew

Easy, right?

Beautiful, soft handwarmers made from sweaters

But there is another way to do it that I found to be even easier...

Draw a template on a piece of tissue paper.

tissue paper template for sewing

Pin the template to your sweater pieces- I just folded the bottom of the sleeve in half, keeping the right sides out.

Use tissue paper as a sewing template for small pieces

Now, here is the even easier step... sew right on top of the tissue paper, following the lines you drew on the template. Again, start on the straight side right before the heart starts to curve and leave an opening at the end, stopping a half inch or so after the point at the bottom of the heart.

How to sew through tissue paper onto sweaters

See? The tissue paper just tears right off!

How to use tissue paper as an easy sewing template

Now, the only downside that I found was that the pencil from the template made my threads darker. So, if this bothers you, don't say that I didn't warn you. I put it in bold AND italics. Maybe a Frixion pen would work and iron out? If you try it, let me know! I can't find mine.

How to make a pair of pocket hand warmers from old sweaters
I love these soft hand warmers made from old sweater sleeves!

If you want to pin it for later…

Upcycled Sweater Hand Warmers Tutorial

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