SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO DO? A pouf for you or a pin cushion/box for a friend.

This blog is a little different this month.

This could be a large pouf for a room for you.

Or maybe a gift for a non-miniaturist.  I'm using mine for a pin cushion box to set by my sewing machine.

Whatever you use it for I think it will be fun to make.

Maybe you can experiment with other sizes of . . . . cans?

Yes, this is a simple little tuna can.
Mine  measures about 1 5/16" tall,     3 5/16" in diameter and 10 7/16" in circumference.

Measure the height of the inside of the can and the circumference.  Cut a piece of card stock that size.

Apply glue stick to one side of the card stock and press onto your fabric.
Cut the extra fabric to match the picture.

Use tacky glue to glue the end onto the card stock.

Apply tacky glue to the inside of the can.

Starting with the unglued end put the covered card stock into the can.

Press the card stock into place.

Apply a little tacky glue to the outside of the can and flip the extra fabric down onto it.  Press to seal.

I measured the diameter of the inside of the can and used my compass to draw a circle to fit inside the bottom of the can.

Apply glue stick to one side of the card stock and press onto your fabric.

Trim as in the picture.

Apply tacky glue to the card stock and press the extra fabric into the glue.

Apply a little tacky glue to the inside bottom of the can and press the fabric covered card stock into the glue.

Measure the outside bottom of the can and draw another circle with your compass onto card stock.

Apply glue stick to the card stock and press your fabric onto the glue.  Trim as in the picture.

Apply a little tacky glue to the bottom of the can.

Press the card stock into the glue.

Apply a little tacky glue to the outside of the can and press the extra fabric into the glue.

Measure the height of the can and cut a card stock strip.

I wrapped the strip around the can and marked where the strip ended.

Cut on that mark.

Apply glue stick to the card stock and press onto your fabric.

Trim the extra fabric as in the picture.

Use tacky glue to glue the extra fabric as in the picture. 

Leave one end unglued.

Apply a little tacky glue to the outside of the can.
Start with the unglued end and glue the covered card stock to the outside of the can.

I found some wide rubber bands and stretched them onto the can.

I get these rubber bands from bundles of broccoli.

Don't leave the rubber bands too long.  Just long enough for the glue to tack.

***If I make this again I would cover the outside of the can first, then cover the inside of the can.  Just reverse the instructions.***

I am beginning the ruffle.
The circumference of my can is 10 7/16", this rounds up to 10 1/2".  As a rule of thumb half the length is added to make a ruffle.  You can add more if you like.
So, half of 10 1/2" is 5 1/4".  Add these two together and we get 15 3/4".  I'll round that up to 16" for the length of the ruffle.
Fold the fabric in half with enough to make your length.  Use your ruler to draw a line along the edge.  Draw another line 1 9/16" away from the first line.  I've put pins into the fabric.

Cut the strip out.  Measure and fold up a 1/4" for the hem.

Glue up the hem.  You may press the the glue dry with your iron.

Cut a contrast strip of fabric 5/8" wide the same length as the first strip.

Sew a 1/8" seam with right sides together.

Press with an iron the seam towards the hem.

Use tacky glue to glue both ends to the wrong side.

Press with an iron the contrast fabric over so that the raw edges of the seams match.

Yes, I forgot to glue up the ends and had to rip back a bit to shoot the picture that's above.

Go back to the machine and "stitch in the ditch".  Stitch in the seam to hide your stitches.

There you are.

I am using 26 gauge covered wire to gather the ruffle.
I have 26 gauge covered wire because that's what I use to make the wicker furniture.  I use what I have on hand.

Thread the ruffle onto the wire.

I've bent the wire back onto the ruffle to hold the ruffle onto the wire to gather the rest of the ruffle.

That was way too many ruffles.

Arrange the ruffle the way you want it.
Bend the wire around the can or the lined box as I like to call it.
Have your ruffle touch end to end.

Apply tacky glue to the top edge and press the ruffle into the glue.

I am using clamps to hold the ruffle on until the glue is dry.

Cut the extra wire off and bend to the inside of the ruffle and glue both ends to the box.

I have clamps holding the ends.

Measure the opening of the box.  Use your compass to draw a circle to fit over the top.  Draw onto foam core.

Cut the circle out.

Cut four circles from ThermolamPlus sew in batting, not the iron on kind.  I buy this from Walmart.

The largest circle should be the same size as the form core circle.

Apply tacky glue to the foam core and glue the batting on starting with the smallest circle.  Don't apply glue to the batting, just the foam core.

Cut another circle out, this one is large enough to fit over and onto the edge of the foam core.

Apply tacky glue to the edge of the foam core and trim off the extra batting.

Cut out enough fabric to cover the top and around to the back.

Thread a needle, double the thread and sew a running stitch around the fabric circle.

Put the foam core top into the circle and sew around another time.  Pull the thread as tight as you can without breaking the thread.  Secure with a knot.

Arrange the gathers so that the edge of the top has no gathering showing.

Apply tacky glue under the gathering near the edge of the top.

Trim off the gathering making sure the edge is glued down smoothly.

To keep the top from slipping off cut out another circle of foam core to fit inside the box.  Cut out a piece of card stock the same size.

Measure around the outside of the new foam core circle you just cut. Cut a 5/8" strip of fabric the length plus 1/2".

Cut the strip out.
Apply tacky glue to the edge of the foam core and glue the strip on.  Turn under one edge at the end.

Clip out notches on the top and bottom.

Apply tacky glue to the bottom and top of the circle and glue the notches down.

Apply glue stick the card stock circle and press onto your fabric.

Cut out notches around the circle.
Apply tacky glue to the card stock and glue up the notches.

Use tacky glue to glue the card stock circle to the foam core.

Apply tacky glue to the covered foam core circle.  Center this circle over the top and press to seal.

You may have to hold this for a bit for the glue to tack.

The two pieces are together.

This makes a nice pin cushion box for a gift.

The pouf measures about 4" in diameter that's 4 feet in life size measurements.  It would be a large pouf in a room.




I hope you try this out, it was fun and pretty quick to make, too.

Hope you received chocolates for Valentines Day!!

As always,

Have fun, Expand on it, Make it better . . .

Just keep making Minis!

TTUL  Kris

1 INCH SCALE FLOWER POT STAND - How to make a 1 inch scale flower pot stand from paper and mat board.

I saw this in a catalog, it was for holding 3 wine bottles.  I thought it would be a perfect flower pot holder in 1 inch scale.

Nancy's pattern page is above.  Use the directions from the "Things to do, Things to see" list at the left of the blog, "HOW TO RE-SIZE THE PATTERNS" to print to 1 inch scale.  Thank you Nancy!

 These are my two patterns for the forms we will make.  Nancy has drawn your patterns.  The shaded area is what I want you to cut away.

Use two layers of mat board for the form.  Use glue stick to glue the pattern to the mat board. Cut away the shaded area.  If you are using a scroll saw you can glue the two layers of mat board together first.
If you are using a craft knife cut one layer at a time and then glue the two layers of mat board together.

 This is important, use a piece of wax, I have a little piece of candle, to coat the edge of the form.  This wax coating will keep the paper from sticking to the form.

 I use rubber bands to hold the quilling paper to the form.  I buy these from Walmart, they are in the hair doo-dad section.

Use yellow wood glue to glue the quilling paper together.  Yellow wood glue dries hard and stiff.  We want that for our pretend wrought iron.

If you don't have quilling paper on hand you can cut 1/8" strips of paper for this tutorial.

 

 I've folded my quilling paper in half, that's about 5" long.

Glue it together.

I have the first layer on the mold.

I made two molds so I could switch back and forth, letting glue set for a minute.

I've glued another 2 layers of quilling paper together, I've taken off the rubber bands and now I'm applying glue to the first layer.

 You will glue 3 sets of the doubled quilling paper to the mold, 6 layers of paper in total.

You see I have both of the forms filled and I will let these dry overnight.

Here's my pattern and 2 pieces of mat board for the top part of the flower stand.

 I've glued my pattern to the mat board and glued the 2 pieces of mat board together just like for the first form.

 This is my form.

 Wax the edge of the form.  Be sure to get into the rounded area, too.

Glue the folded quilling paper together with yellow wood glue.

The length of paper for the top form is 9".

 The first layer is in the form and secured with rubber bands.

Starting to glue in the second layer.

I'm using a dowel to smooth into the curl.

I  put the rubber bands on as I go.

Glue on the third layer and let the form dry overnight.

Make two.

Again, you have 6 layers of paper in total glued into the form.

While you are waiting on the top and legs to dry you can make the flower pots.
Print out the patterns on card stock or trace the patterns onto card stock.

Curl the pots over a pencil to help with the gluing.

Clamp your pots and curl the rims.

Glue the first rim on.

Glue the second rim on.  This doubled layer makes the rims stand out after painting.

Apply glue to the bottoms of the pots and set onto a scrap of card stock and let dry.

When the glue is dry cut the pots away from the card stock.

The legs are dry and removed from the form.

The top is dry and removed from the form.

Center the top over the legs and glue them together.  I got the two parts clamped together to dry for a couple of hours.

For the shelves cut 4 pieces of mat board 2 15/16" x 1".

Either glue Nancy's pattern to the top of the mat board or trace the circles onto the mat board.  The circles are 5/8" in diameter.

If you have a scroll saw glue two layers of the mat board together and cut the circles out.
You will have to drill a hole in the center of the circle large enough for the scroll saw blade to fit through.  Remove your blade and place the mat board under the "hold-down".  Replace the blade and proceed to cut out the hole.  Reverse this to move to the next hole.  (I know you all ready know how to do this.)
For those using a craft knife cut out the holes in each piece and then glue the two pieces together.

The shelves have been glued together.  Glue on a strip of quilling paper to cover the edge of the mat board.

Glue the bottom shelf on first.  Center it in the middle of the leg and leave just a bit of the shelf showing on the outside edge.

First side on.

Both sides/legs are on with the shelf.  Let this dry a bit.

I glued one side of the top shelf at a time.  Let this side dry before going on to the other side.

I used the bottom of the curl as a guide for gluing.

Glue the other side.

I sprayed the holder black and painted the pots a clay color.

A "wrought iron" flower pot stand for your patio or sun room.





























In the "Things to do, Things to see" list at the left of the blog I have directions for "Geraniums", "Floral Arrangement" (carnations, daisies and leaves) and "How to Make a Faucet Planter and Daisies".  Put a little spring into your workroom with this tutorial.


I will be posting a February tutorial soon.

Have fun, Expand on it, Make it better . . .

Just Keep Making Minis! 

TTUL   Kris