Scrapheap Challenge: Ways with pretty left-over fabrics, Part 2

2:  Make them into paper...

Yup, that's right.  If you have pretty fabric and a colour photocopier you can do some very clever things.  This doesn't necessarily use up your scraps but it can be a great way to make some matching items to go with other things you've made out of the same fabric.  Also, I love the fact that the grain of the fabric shows when you copy it, which is a lovely effect.  Make it into matching cards/ wrapping paper, or just add it to your craft papers to use another time.

And here is an idea of how to use that paper:

A delightful desktop confection, (and great rainy day craft project for kids)

Pencil tins:

You will need:

* A scrap of fabric about A4 size. (I used some fat quarters I have reserved for a sewing project and don't want to cut into, not strictly scraps, but you get the picture.)

* Clean food tins (preferably with no sharp edges especially if kids are going to use them)

* Double-sided tape

* Clear contact (stickyback plastic if you are in the UK, Duraseal if you are in NZ)

* Or a laminator and thin, flexible laminate sheets

Photocopy your fabrics (helps to iron them first if they have been folded in your stash for a while).  Putting a heavy book on top also helps, like this 1979 classic, 'Home Crafts' :).

Press copy!

Lay tin on back of photocopied page and mark the length of the tin on the paper, just inside the top and bottom lip.  Please excuse the stripy photo, I used my phone and the camera is rubbish!

Using a ruler draw two lines from the marks you just made, down the length of the tin.  As you see here one A4 sheet could easily make two tins.

Trim to your lines.

Wrap around the tin and mark where it joins, leaving an overlap of about 1cm.  Trim the excess.  If you don't want to use a plastic protective layer, you could just tape the paper on at this stage.  

Cover the right side of the paper with your clear contact or laminate it.  Note:  if you are laminating you will need to trim your paper strip by about 7ml along it's long side to allow for the laminate seams at the edges (keen laminators will know what I'm talking about). Trim contact/laminate.

Use a piece of double sided tape to join the seam. 


Find a little Picasso and give it to them, or have them help you make one!