Creating my way to Success

Make your own Reusable Fabric Bowl Covers in 5 steps and 15 minutes

For a long time now I've been wanting to make myself some of these fabric bowl covers. I remember when I was a child, we used to have a set that we used when we ate outside in summer, to keep the flies off the food.

Nowadays I have just been using cling film (glad wrap) to cover my bowls - and feel bad every time I do it thinking of the plastic waste I'm creating!

So I finally got around to making myself some, and thought I'd add another new tutorial to show how easily you can make your own Reusable Fabric Bowl Covers.

All you need is some fabric, elastic and paper for a circle template.

I just used simple cotton fabric from my scrap boxes. I can just through them in the washing machine with a regular wash every now and then to keep them clean.

For the elastic I used pieces reclaimed from the adjustable waistbands of old worn-out kids' pants!

You can make these covers any size you need.

So here is now to make your very own Reusable Fabric Bowl Covers in just 5 steps and 15 minutes!

1. Cutting out

Cut a circle of paper around 5 cm (2") wider than the bowl you want to cover.

Lay your two fabrics right sides together and pin on your circle template. Cut.

2. Stitch the circles

Stitch the two circles together around the outside, leaving a small gap, then turn right sides out and iron.

3. Making the casing

Cut your elastic just smaller than the diameter of the top of the bowl you want to cover. Then stitch around your circle in from the edge wide enough to allow space to thread your elastic through.

4. Adding the elastic

Using a safety pin, thread your elastic through the casing you just created. Stitch the ends together securely,

5. Finishing

Finally, top-stitch the opening closed, either by machine or hand.

And there you have a finished fabric reusable bowl cover!

You can make them whatever size you choose - to cover bowls, plates and cups.

I made several sizes and used up some of my scrap fabric in the process.

I'm really pleased with how they turned out.

Cute, functional and eco-friendly! What could be better?

For the free downloadable PDF version of this tutorial, click here.

And for more sewing tutorials showing things you can make in just 5 steps and 15 minutes - go here.

Crochet Granny Square Bracelet

This week I've been getting back to my crochet learning.

After a few weeks off thanks to a holiday and family visit, I found I'd forgotten how to make a Granny Square!

So I relearned that and practised by making a few using a selection of embroidery thread I was sent a few years back and still haven't managed to use!

So then, once I felt I had the hang of it again, I had to decide what to do with all these little squares.

So I learned how to join Granny Squares together using

this great little tutorial from Attic 24.

Just a simple slip stitch through both squares you're joining!

My least favourite part was weaving in all the ends!

But I'm quite pleased with how neat I managed it! Not perfect, but not bad for my first try.

I just kept on joining until they all formed a circle, and hey presto - I'd made myself a bracelet!

So now I have a matching bracelet and earring Granny Square set (the earrings I made a few weeks ago)!

I think I might keep on with the Granny Squares for now - there seems to be plenty of things you can make with them!

As always, any and all suggestions welcome.

Make your own Reusable Snack Packs in 5 steps and 15 minutes

I'm gradually working on making our lives and our household more sustainable, environment and budget friendly.

This past week I whipped up a few small reusable snack packs. I find that I'm often wrapping home made cookies in foil and putting savoury scrolls and other home baking in paper bags for lunches. So these small snack packs should reduce our need for foil and paper bags!

I used scraps of fabric I had to make these packs. A laminate fabric for the outer fabric and rip-stop nylon for the insides. I chose these as they will easily wipe clean, and the waterproof laminate will be great in the kids lunch boxes as the outside of things often seem to be wet or covered in food by the end of the day - so again, easy to wipe and the cookies inside will be protected against any moisture.

You could use any fabrics to make these packs. I know some people are concerned about fabrics being food safe - but for me, clean, washed fabric has to be better than aluminium foil, cling wrap, or plastic boxes! It's a personal choice and making your own lets you customise to suit your own needs.

So how can you make your very own reusable snack packs in just 5 steps and 15 minutes?

You will need inner and outer fabrics and sew in velcro.

(alternate fastenings would also work if you choose - press studs or buttons for example)

Here's how:

Step 1

Cut your fabrics, 1 inner and 1 outer piece the same size.

I cut mine 30 x 12 cm (11.75 x 4.75").

Cut 10 cm (4") of velcro

Step 2

Place your fabrics right sides together and stitch around three edges, then turn right sides out. Use a chopstick to push the corners right out.

Step 3

Fold the open edges in on themselves to hide the raw edges, then top stitch around all 4 edges of your fabric.

Step 4

Fold your fabric up as you want it to be when it's a finished pocket, with a flap open at the top.

Place your two velcro pieces - one on the inside of the flap and one on the front piece of the pocket. Pin then stitch in place. Stitch around each velcro piece twice for extra strength.

Step 5

Finally, with your pocket folded, top stitch the two sides together. Run your stitches backwards and forwards over the edges a couple of times for extra strength.

And there you have your very own reusable snack pack!

I made a few smaller ones.

And a couple of larger pockets too.

(For these I cut fabric measuring 36 x 22 cm (14.25 x 8.75"))

These, together with the fabric lunch wraps I made a few years ago (get that tutorial here),

help us be a little more eco-friendly with our packed lunches.

For the free downloadable PDF version of this tutorial, click here.

And for more tutorials of things to make in 5 steps and 15 minutes, go here.

A crochet bookmark

After a month away from craftng, sewing and my crochet learning, things have finally calmed down enough here for me to try a little more crochet again!

I started back with something small and simple - a bookmark using a pattern I'd pinned from here.

I learned why my crochet gets smaller and smaller as I work rows - you have to make an extra chain before you start each row!

Something I've probably read or been told before but it only just clicked this time!

I told my younger daughter this when she came home and she said," yeah, my crochet usually ends up like a Christmas tree! - smaller and smaller each row" - so now we know!

I also liked the simple tassles added to the end of the bookmark.

I'm looking forward to getting back to some weekly crochet learning. I've pinned so many amazing projects, but will have to try lots more simple ones first!

I'm very pleased with my little bookmark!

What do you think?

Japanese sewing and origami

Today we head off on a family holiday to Japan, so I thought this would be a good time to showcase the 'Japanese' crafting I've done over the years - from Japanese style bags, to fabric and paper origami and some Japanese fabric too! Hope you like them!

Fabric Origami bag - photo tutorial