New Button Brooches

Just stopping by to share a little shop update with you all today! I'm working really hard to add new pieces to my Etsy Shop at the moment and I'm photographing all the pieces myself, so it's a learning curve, but one that I am enjoying very much. This week I added three new button brooches- two knitted ones in a lilac and a pale blue and a lovely mustard toned Harris Tweed one. They are all handmade by myself and embellished with tiny pieces of upcycled fabric, stitched onto the brooches in gold thread. 

The button brooches look equally lovely worn on their own or as a group to brighten up your favourite cardi or jacket.

Thank you for letting me share these with you today, I hope you have had a fab week!

Louise xx

New Harris Tweed Necklaces Sneak Peek

Happy Wednesday to you all! Here's a little sneak peek at some new Harris Tweed mini embroidery hoop necklaces that I'll be adding to my Etsy Shop in the next couple of weeks. The green and the pink tweed are new colours that I'm pretty excited about. I've been given lots of new offcuts of fabric to use for the embellishments too so I've enjoyed sewing with them. I'll let you know and I'll share more pics once I've got them up in the shop! 

Thanks as always to the fab Hammonds Photography Studio for the great photos!

Tile and Spray Paint Coasters How To

Have you got some old kitchen/bathroom tiles that you're not sure what to do with? Why not turn them into handy coasters or plant pot holders? This is a really thrifty make using tiles, spray paint and masking tape- all materials that you probably already have to hand, or can buy cheaply. With just these few materials you can create something that's both stylish and really useful for your home or desk. As you know, I love upcycling and thrifty makes, so I'm excited to share this How To with you today...

1) You will need

Tiles, spray paint, masking tape, small pieces of felt and double sided tape/glue for backing (not pictured)

A note on tiles... If you don't have any spare tiles to hand, many DIY shops sell sample tiles for a few pence each

2) Use the masking tape to cover the areas you don't want to spray paint. I chose simple striped designs but there are lots of other things you could try- try adding small snippets of masking tape to your tiles, blocking out a grid, mask just the corners or the sides- so many possibilities!

3) Spray your tiles! Building up thin coats will give you a better paint coverage than one thick coat. I sprayed my tiles with three coats of paint. Ensure you spray paint in a well ventilated area and wear a mask. Allow to dry thoroughly between coats

4) When the paint is completely dry, carefully peel away the masking tape to reveal the finished design. I didn't leave mine to dry completely and as you can see, this has resulted in jagged paint lines. I quite like the effect, but if you'd like straight lines, do leave the paint to dry completely!

5) Use double sided tape or strong glue to fix small squares of felt onto the corners of your coasters to protect your surfaces

Tah da! Make a nice cup of tea, grab your favourite biscuits and put your new coasters to good use, or use as a pot holder for your plants. Happy making!

How To... Fabric Scrap Photo Frame

I keep this fabric scrap, decopatch photo frame that I made for a blog How To a couple of years ago on my bedside table- this pic of Mr Writer and myself is one of my favourites. I wanted to share the post again as it has been one of my most popular posts so far and it's such a fun make! All you need to make your very own customised frame is some fabric scraps, Mod Podge (or watered down PVA glue is a good alternative), a paint brush and a photo frame in need of a new lease of life. This thrifty make is a lovely way to display a special photograph and would also make a thoughtful gift. Check out the How To here. Happy making!

If you try this How To and make your own frame I'd love to see- share your makes in the comments below!

How To... Handmade Patchwork Mother's Day Card

It's Mother's Day this Sunday 6th March! I always like to make my Mum a handmade card- I love making cards and I think it's so lovely to receive them- I always keep them when I receive one. This Patchwork handmade Mother's Day card idea is a great way to use pretty fabrics from your stash (if you're a regular reader you will know that I love a stash busting How To!) and could even be mounted in a frame after Mother's Day. Here's how to make it!

1) You will need

Blank greetings card, pretty fabric scraps, small piece of paper for making heart template, ruler and pencil, pins, fabric scissors, embroidery thread, small piece of cotton fabric for use as backing, small piece of Bondaweb, double sided tape

2) Cut the piece of cotton fabric to the size you would like for the background

3) Cut strips of fabric the length of the background fabric and to a width of your choosing. I was aiming for a random patchwork effect so the pieces are of different widths and are not cut perfectly straight

4) Heat your iron and cut the piece of Bondaweb to the same size as the backing fabric. The Bondaweb will have a paper on one side and a side that feels rough- this is the glue. Apply the rough side of the Bondaweb face down onto the backing fabric, so the paper side is facing you. Cover with a piece of baking parchment or a thin piece of fabric to protect your iron and iron for 10-20 seconds. If you iron it for too long it will be impossible to peel the paper off (I've learnt the hard way!). Peel off the paper- do this while the Bondaweb is still hot, or the paper may be difficult to remove

5) Decide how you would like you fabric strips to be arranged and place them onto the prepared backing fabric, overlapping them slightly. Cover with a piece of baking parchment or thin fabric and iron for 10-15 seconds to fix the fabric to the background- the fabric strips should now be attached to the backing fabric. Trim the edges of the fabric if necessary

6) Draw a heart shape onto thin paper or card and use this template to cut the fabric heart

7) Pin and then stitch the heart patch to the middle of the background patch. I've simply over sewn the heart but check out more stitch inspiration here. Next, stitch around the edge of the patch to seal the edges- again, I've over sewn the edges but you could use blanket stitch or add a decorative embroidered border

8) Write "mum" in the middle of the heart lightly in pencil, or use a heat dispersing pen and embroider over the top using running stitch

9) Attach the patchwork to the blank card using double sided tape. After Mother's Day the patch could be mounted onto strong card and displayed in a box frame- it's both a card and a gift!

Happy making!

How To... Customised Canvas Bag

If you're anything like me and try to avoid using plastic bags as much as possible you will have an ever growing array of fabric bags to use as project bags, shopping bags, beach bags etc. You may also, like me, have a plain canvas bag that has been languishing in the cupboard not being used because it's just too plain or you may have even made a plain fabric bag such as the Fabric Remnant Tote Bag I made in this How To and it needs some decoration. So, in my latest how to I hope to inspire you to give a new lease of life to your plain fabric bags! This is a thrifty make- as well as saving that bag it's also a great way to use beads and printing inks/fabric paints you may have left over from other projects and a quirky way to upcycle an old belt. Here's the How To...

1) You will need

A plain fabric bag, fabric paint/printing ink, sponge, beads- I used cone shaped stud beads, an old belt, leather punch/poking tool/strong sharp needle for making holes in the belt, needle and thread

2) Draw the shape you would like to print onto a sponge or piece of foam and cut out with scissors or a stanley knife. Practice printing your shape onto some scrap fabric before printing onto your bag to check you are happy with the shape

 3) I always use an ice cream tub lid as my palette! Place some card or newspaper inside your bag to prevent any paint seeping through. Choose your first colour  to stamp with. I've chosen to stamp triangles in two colours across the bottom of the bag but the choice is yours, print whatever shape you wish in a design of your choice

4) Allow the first stamped designs to dry completely

 5) Once dry, stamp the second coloured triangles onto your bag, filling in the gaps between the first triangles

6) Allow to dry completely and then fix the paint according to the instructions on the pot

7) Use a quick unpick to remove the handles from your bag

8) Cut the buckle off of the old belt and cut the ends straight. Cut two pieces from the belt to use as bag straps, using the old straps as a length guide

9) Using the poking tool/leather punch/strong sharp needle, punch holes for stitches at each end of the belt pieces

10) Stitch the straps onto the bag

11) Stitch your beads onto the bag in any design that takes your fancy. I stitched two rows of beads between the handles on the front of my bag

Now all that's left to do is to get out and about with your fab customised bag!

If you have a go at customising a bag, share your photos in the comments below!

New Products: Denim Button Brooches

I've just added a little selection of Denim Button Brooches to my Etsy Shop! Each one is handmade from upcycled denim and colourfully embellished with recycled fabric pieces. I've been enjoying wearing mine with my favourite denim dress (double denim, haha!). Take a look at them in my Etsy Shop and check out my other upcycled fabric brooches here

Happy National Upcycling Day!

As part of National Recycling Week from 22-28th June, Gumtree are championing the work of upcyclers and celebrating National Upcycling Day today, 24th June! Find out more about National Upcycling Day here

I'm delighted that upcycling is being recognised in this way. I love the challenge of making things using upcycled materials- it's very satisfying to give a new life to materials that were destined to be thrown away, re-inventing them as something new to be treasured for years to come. I thought I'd share with you some ways that I  upcycle...

Photo by Green Craft Magazine

My upcycled jewellery pieces (including my Harris Tweed button brooches, above) are handmade using upcycled Harris Tweed, taken from worn garments and scraps from garment making. I also incorporate other fabrics which are upcycled from everything from clothes to curtains. In an age where we are encouraged to constantly buy into the latest trends and discard the old, I love to create jewellery with personality that will be treasured forever. Take a look at more upcycled jewellery pieces in my etsy shop 

If you would like to get crafty and do some upcycling yourself, check out the How To section of my blog where you will find many craft project tutorials made using upcycled materials, from a spray painted vintage tea tray to a photo frame decopatched with upcycled fabrics, to napkins upcycled from tea towels! 

Do you love to upcycle? I'd love to see your creations- share them in the comments below and we'll all celebrate National Upcycling Day together!

How To... Make Recycled Fabric Wrapped Bangles With Two Variations

I shared this How To for Recycled Fabric Wrapped Bangles on the blog last Summer. They are extremely thrifty and simple to make using scraps of fabric and old jewellery/beads you are likely to already have to hand. Lovely summer accessories- perfect to wear in the hot weather we've been having!  

If you try this or any of my How Tos and you're on Instagram, tag a pic of your bangles with @louisedawsondesign so I can see your lovely makes! Happy making!

How To Make A Set Of Coasters Using Old CDs and Lace

Last year I shared this How To, showing you how to make a set of coasters using old CDs and lace. It's been my most popular blog post so far, so I thought I'd share it again! This is a a really thrifty make, using up those old CDs that you haven't got round to taking to the charity shop, recycled lace and a paint tester pot.

You can also find the recipe for the rosewater, white chocolate and pistachio cupcakes here- go on, treat yourself to tea and cake and enjoy the excuse to use your lovely new coasters!

If you try this How To, please share your photos, I'd love to see your makes.

Happy making!