Scrapbuster No. 8: No Sew Applique with the How To ... on a real cute bunting

I love to applique! It was one of the first fabric-y crafts that I really got into. For a while there, I was applique'ing (is that a word) onesies and tees up a storm, and even selling them on Etsy. But then I went back to work and fell off that wagon.

From time to time, I still like to applique things .... Recently I was requested to make a bunting for a friend's baby shower for TWINS!  You may have noticed I have a thing for buntings - I love them! I was thrilled to make something for the brothers - and just as excited to have a chance to dabble in boy fabrics.

I shopped at Joann's and actually came away with some cool fabrics - that go together really well. I knew the bunting had to say their names (it's gonna go in the nursery ... and it WAS to be the decor at the baby shower) and we wanted to add giraffes & something else. I decided to go with a beach ball for the center point of the bunting!  

A good beach ball has to be multi-colored, right?

I didn't want to sew anything, so I pulled out the trusty Heat 'n Bond and got to working. I love how the beach ball turned out. If you want to make one too, keep reading and I'll show you how.

Before I start that, I'll admit that I hung this bunting in my house for a over a week JUST BECAUSE it made me smile everytime I walked past it! It turned out so cute, and the giraffes are about to die for (bigger pics below). I have no need for this completely personalized for someone else bunting, but I kind of wanted to keep it. Just because.

I had all these visions of taking beautiful pictures of this displayed at my friend's baby shower ... but guess what!? She went into labor THE DAY BEFORE her shower! We were all bummed (this was going to be one heck of a baby shower, let me tell you!), but you know when you're preggo, you're no longer in charge. Baby bosses get you every time.

SO ... I dropped the bunting off at the hospital and she hung it in her room there. I think it cheered her up for her stay (she was on bed rest quite a while) ... and it made me SOOO happy to give a gift that really made someone so happy!

We're having a post - baby shower, but I just couldn't sit on these pictures any longer! So maybe I'll just have to post an update later :-)

Without further ado, to Make Your Own Multi-Colored No Sew Applique ... you'll need

Materials:

·         Shape template (beach ball)

·         Scrap fabric

·         No Sew Fusible interfacing aka Iron-On Adhesive (I like Heat ‘n Bond UltraHold)

·         Iron

Directions:

Step 1. Select the image you want and print it out. Number the 7 sections of the beach ball (actually write on the sections).

Step 2. Determine how many different fabrics you will use for the shape (the beach ball). I used three (1 for the circle in the center & 2 different ones for the “triangular” sections). You need such a tiny amount of fabric to do this … the completed ball is less than 3” x 3” so that tells you how LITTLE it is!

i used these "scraps" to make the beach ball

Step 3. It helps to make a little “checklist” of which fabrics go with which numbered sections; in my example, sections numbered:

• 1, 3 & 5 = blue fabric
• 2, 4 & 6 = brown
• 7 = orange

Step 4. Cut the 7 sections into 7 individual pieces like so:

you seeing how this will all come back together?

Step 5.   Fuse Interfacing to WRONG side of fabric (we’ll now call it “fused fabric”); follow package instructions regarding the appropriate iron setting.  

Step 6.  Using a pencil, trace each section REVERSED onto the paper side of the interfacing (this is IMPORTANT! You need to trace in reverse, so that the image will appear properly on the RIGHT side of the fabric). I find it helpful to write the number of each section on the fused fabric. 

^^see how section 5 is reversed on the fused fabric...^^

Step 7. Cut the shapes from the fused fabric – I like to cut slightly outside the lines just in case … you can always trim down if needed

Step 8.   Peel paper backing off of fused fabric.

Step 9. Arrange the pieces in the order of the original shape (the beach ball) on your intended piece to be appliquéd (the bunting "flag" in my example). Make sure to line up the exterior of the beach ball and not worry too much about how the center (piece number 7) looks because we're gonna cover that up anyway.  

^^see how the middle doesn't line up ... no problem! it'll be covered up with piece #7!

Step 10. Iron down following package instructions. And that’s it! Super cute beach ball that you didn't even have to sew! :-)

Scrapbuster Bonus! ^^make your own gift card ^^ with the scraps from the project. This is my one of my FAVE things to do. People love it, and I am a tad obsessed with sewing fabric onto paper anyway. :-)

of course a giraffe themed bunting deserves to be wrapped in a giraffe bag. (I got married at the Zoo ... that's why I have these bags).  

Like the giraffes? That’s another clip art find from Microsoft … Google Images is another good place to find images.

since this was a very detailed piece to cut out ... i glued it to card stock first (i should have just printed on card stock to begin with!)

  

If you want to make letters for a project, follow the same instructions. The only tricky part is remembering to trace the letters in reverse! Other than that, couldn't be easier and makes a really cute gift or decoration for yourself!

Wondering about the bunting? Just flags sewed onto single fold bias tape ... easy does it!



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