Leftovers

I hate leftovers. There is almost nothing as disgusting to me as the smell of old food in a fridge.

However, I live for craft leftovers. Most of my cards are made from paper scraps. I have a gigantic portfolio just for paper scraps (divided by color). Some of my scraps are literally six or seven years old. You never know when they can come in handy. I love how you can make something completely new by using things you already have without spending a dime.

I have lots of adorable fabric left over from making my book purses. I usually have about 1/4 of a yard left after I make a purse. Here's what I did with some extra fabric:


I found two old fabric headbands and covered them with the fabric. First, I cut the fabric to the length of the headband plus an extra inch or so. Dab some hot glue on the inside ends of the headband and attach both ends of the fabric. Then gradually wrap the fabric around the headband, gluing the fabric underneath as you go along. Trim any excess fabric and glue some grosgrain ribbon on top of the raw edges of the fabric. Make sure to turn the ends of the ribbon under and hot glue it.

I made this necklace out of left over fabric and beads. Here's the tutorial I followed to make it. It's really easy and cheap to make, not to mention her necklaces are way cuter than mine!


Leftovers may be a great start for a homemade Father's Day gift. Here are two really cute tutorials on how to make the ubiquitous Father's Day tie into something new: an eyeglass case or a "gadget" case to hold an i-Phone, I-Pod or other techie device. Just scrounge up an old tie or get a cheap one at a thrift store and you've got a unique and cheap gift for Dad.

Happy Crafting!