2015 #18 Shabby-Chic Wrist Wrap {by Jo Myhill}

 2015 Topic 18: Wearable Art

Hi everyone Jo Myhill (shabbydandelion.blogspot.co.uk) here, joining you this evening with a post about painting and stamping calico to make a shabby wrist-wrap. I wanted to show how you can use fabric with minimal or even no sewing to make a fun fabric hippy style wrist wrap.

Step One: I started by cutting a square of calico (approximately 20cm by 20cm) and ironing it onto some Bondaweb (fusible interfacing). Keep the backing paper on for now as it helps to make the fabric easier to paint. 

Spritz the fabric with water to dampen it (the paint moves around more easily onto damp fabric) and start adding your favourite colours. I started with Cheesecake and then added Professor Plum (new Limited Edition Colour) and Spanish Mulberry. I wanted to create the look of plum crumble seeping and staining into the custard! Add a final layer or two of Chalk to soften the whole thing.

Step Two: Now using some of your favourite background stamps (Hot Picks are great for this) start covering the surface with stamping.  I used Sepia Archival Ink to stamp the large text stamp from Hot Pick 1501.  

Alternate the direction of the stamp (horizontal and vertical). Then using Plum Archival I stamped the large butterfly stamp from Hot Pick 1506...

... over the top, again altering the direction of the stamp. Fill in the gaps with the small stamps from HP1501 to cover your background with Jet Black Archival ink. You want to end up with a collage style background.

Step Three: Cut a square of white felt and stick your fabric top layer to this by removing the 

paper backing from your fabric and ironing the fabric to the felt.  I put some baking parchment between the fabric and the iron. Really press hard to mark sure its well stuck and remember no steam! Square your fabric up, so you've got straight edges and cut into strips, mine are about 1cm, you'll end up with loads of strips! 

Step Four: Now start sewing the strips together, butting the edges up against each other rather than one on top of the other to make one long strip.  I started with hand sewing but also used my machine but you could just as easily hand sew them neatly or grungy! You need the strip to wind several times round your wrist.

Step Five: Once you are happy with the length, hand sew a 'popper' to either end so you can fasten. Along the length of the strip put eyelets in.  I coloured the eyelets and the surrounding fabric with alcohol ink. It stained the eyelet so doesn't matter what colour you use and seeps and spreads nicely into the fabric to make it more grungy and shabby-looking.

Step Six: Now you can start adding your hanging embellishments using jump rings, I kept it simple and just added some tiny wooden beads I had in my stash but you could add, metal bits, shrink plastic bits, buttons, more ribbon - whatever takes your fancy!

This was really fun and easy to make and you could have so many different ones depending on your fabric and paint choice.  They'd be a great make for kids  for those rainy days in the hols.  

I'm thinking with the spare strips I have of adding a lace border and threads tied on - endless interpretations!  I hope you give it a go and I look forward to seeing your take on the idea on the challenge link and hopefully in person!

Jo

Blog: shabbydandelion.blogspot.co.uk
Twitter: @jomyhill
Instagram: jomyhill\a

Love this Jo, and I would never think to add alcohol ink to the eyelets that way. Fantastic music festival wear too! My girls would really love making these - also a great birthday party idea for a teen. Thanks for sharing! ~Leandra

We would love you to join in with Challenge #18: Wearable Art If you are inspired by any of our guests who blog with us over the fortnight, then please join in and link up your creativity HERE. 

All links go in the draw to win a voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store. The Circles link will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, Oct 11th winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.