DIY Tutorial – Stamped Mini May Day Tote

May Day

is an often overlooked holiday but in my book it's well worth celebrating. To help you do just that, here is a little flowered tote perfectly sized for hanging a small bouquet on a neighbor's doorknob. I made this tote in two variations, one decorated with stamped fabric paint and the other with embroidery. Of course you can use these sweet little bags any time of year for things like party favors and gifts. I hope you enjoy!

DIY Stamped Mini May Day Tote

Materials:

1 small potato

knife for carving

fabric paint (I used

Jacquard brand

)

bag fabric

Fabric for straps or pre-made ribbons

thread

sewing machine

Instructions

Step 1:

Cut 2 pieces of fabric for bag each 8 x 9 inches. Cut 2 pre-made straps 14 inches long. Or, make your own straps as described below in Step 6 at the bottom of the post.

Step 2:

Cut potato in half and carve a tulip design into cut edge. Using a foam brush, apply paint onto tulip design. On a covered countertop or table, stamp tulip designs onto right side of bag fabric. Let paint dry. Set paint according to manufacturers directions.

Step 3:

Finish fabric edges.

Step 4:

Place tote fabric right sides together. Stitch around 3 sides leaving one shorter edge open.

Step 5:

Turn top edge to wrong side about 1 inch. Topstitch in place.

Step 6:

Pin straps to outside of bag. Stitch in place.

OPTIONAL: 

Make your own straps

Cut 2 pieces of fabric 14 inches x 3 inches. Fold in half lengthwise, right sides together and stitch along the long edge. Turn right side out and press with the seam along one edge. Fold in the raw short edges.

I really love the look of contrasting fabrics on the bag and straps. This is a great little project to highlight a scrap of floral fabric or ribbon you've been saving for just the right time. Happy May Day! How are you going to be celebrating the holiday?

Related:

Sewing posts

Tutorials

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DIY Tutorial - Therapy Rice Pillow

A therapy rice pillow is a wonderful last minute handmade holiday gift. A therapy rice pillow can be used like a heating pad, hot water bottle or ice pack when heated in the microwave or cooled in the freezer . I like to use mine as you would a hot water bottle to warm the end of the bed and keep my toes nice and comfy. You can reuse the pillows over and over again. They really last for years. All you need is fabric and rice. So it's pretty affordable too.

Make them in any size to suit your needs. Make a small one to warm your hands, a medium size to soothe a sore belly or a long skinny one for a stiff neck. A cotton flannel fabric is the coziest of all but any tightly woven cotton will do.  

Supplies:

2 pieces of fabric 13 x 7 inches

About 5 cups of uncooked rice

(The cheapest rice available will do just fine. Although I've read the Minute Rice is not recommended.)

Thread

Sewing machine

Step 1:

Place fabric pieces right sides together and stitch around all sides leaving about a 3 inch opening on one side. Don't trim the corners. (Don't believe me? Go read this post from Tilly. It will change your life.) Turn fabric right side out and press.

Step 2:  

Pour rice into bag but don't fill it up all the way. You want the rice to be able to move around freely so that it feels comfortable against the body. Five cups was just about right for this medium sized bag. If you stand the bag up on one end, the rice should fill it up about halfway.

Step 3: Stitch over the opening to close the bag. I used a straight stitch and a blanket stitch to make sure it's really sealed.

To heat your pillow, just put in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. You might remember that I made one of these bags a few months ago with a removable cover (see it here). The removable cover is optional. Just know that the bag itself can only be spot cleaned.

You can also make tiny little pillows to use as hand warmers (like here on the Swoon blog) and when you're not using them for warmth you can practice your juggling or have a little game of bean bag toss.