Oilcloth Projects: Part 1

Oilcloth! It’s hip, it’s durable, it’s fun to work with, and it’s loaded with nostalgia! What’s not to love about this versatile fabric? 

What is Oilcloth?
If you aren't familiar, oilcloth is a laminated fabric that's been fused to a durable vinyl backing. Cotton laminate has a similar smooth finish, but it's lighter weight and a little less durable than oilcloth. Vinyl is another fabric option with a similar consistency. You can find these fabrics online and at some fabric shops. 

What's it Used For?
With it's smooth finish, oilcloth is great for outdoor decor, tablecloths, lunch bags...anything that runs the risk of getting wet or messy.


I used both oilcloth and cotton laminate to create today! Most of my supplies were purchased at Material Girls Quilts in South Jordan, UT. 


It totally reminds me of my grandma, as she used to have oilcloth tablecloths on her kitchen table. Believe it or not, this was the affordable option for her low-income family, at only $0.05-$0.15 a yard. Now adays, oilcloth averages about $15-$20 a yard. It’s worth every penny, if you ask me. Just look at all you can do with this sassy crafting supply!

Create a Cloth Banner

I’m super excited at how this one turned out. You see, the black pieces of the banner are actually made from chalkboard vinyl, which has similar durable properties to oilcloth.   I purchased this fantastic fabric at Bolt, an amazing fabric shop in Portland, OR. I love it, because it allows me to personalize my banner over and over again for different ocassions. Since I’m sharing this on Studio 5 this morning at 11:00 MT, I thought I’d dress it up accordingly using a bistro marker (chalkboard marker). 

Make your own banner in 4 easy steps:

1. Cut fabric pieces to desired size.
2. Sew two pieces of fabric back to back to create a double-sided banner. 
3. Cut out around banner pieces with pinking shears or a decorative blade.
4. Punch holes in top of each banner piece and thread onto twine. 

Banner Supplies

1. Oilcloth and/or cotton laminate
2. Chalkboard vinyl 
3. Sewing machine
4. Pinking shears
5. Hole punch
6. Twine
7. Bistro marker or chalk

Try a Table Runner

Inspired by my sweet grandma’s tablecloths of yesteryear, I decided to create a modern take on an oilcloth table covering. To make this runner, simply measuer and cut the fabric to the length of your table, only covering a portion of the table’s width. Dress up the edges by sewing on some jumbo poms. Simple and cute!

Supplies

1. Oilcloth or cotton laminate
2. Jumbo pom pom trim
3. Sewing machine

Cover a Tray

Transform a basic tray into a durable serving/storage piece by inserting a piece of oilcloth or laminate in the bottom. You can either glue it in place with a sturdy fabric glue (such as Fabritac by Beacon’s) or hot glue. Or, for a more finished look, try sealing the edges with book binding tape, as I’ve done here.

Supplies

1. Oilcloth or cotton laminate
2. Tray
3. Book binding tape (mine is from Paper Source)

Cut Coasters

Oilcloth is water resistant, making it an excellent coaster option. Simply cut squares from fabric, and sew two squares back to back. Note: I used two different fabrics, making my coasters double-sided. Hey, you can also skip the sewing and use a single square for a slightly thinner coaster option. 

Supplies

1. Oilcloth or cotton laminate
2. Sewing machine

Add Oilcloth Details

Finish your party decor with oilcloth-wrapped bottles. It’s as easy as cutting your cloth to fit a bottle or vase (I used coke bottles that I’ve been saving for such a fun project), and secure it in place with fabric glue or hot glue. Wrap an oilcloth bow around in a different pattern to finish your design.

Supplies

1. Oilcloth or cotton laminate
2. Recycled bottles or vases
3. Fabric glue (I used Fabric-tac by Beacon’s)

Play with Posies

In place of traditional flowers, try oilcloth creations. I made pinwheels following these instructions and cut a butterfly using my Slice Fabrique tool. For the stems, I simply punched the top of spoon strawes, and tied the buttons on my shapes through the holes. I added some glue to keep things extra secure. 

Supplies

1. Oilcloth or cotton laminate
2. Buttons and twine
3. Hole punch
4. Spoon strawes (snowcone straws)

For more oilcloth ideas, check out the baby bibs I made from this happy fabric here. 

And check my blog again later this week for part 2 of working with oilcloth, as well as my Studio 5 segment. Thanks for your visit! I hope these projects inspire you to create with oilcloth. You’ll make your grandma proud, and add a cool vintage vibe to your next celebration. 

Cheers!
Megan

Cupcake-Liner Crafts: Part 2

Of all the cupcake-liner fun I had, this project is probably my favorite. It’s cupcake liner fortune cookies! They’d be great for baby showers, parties, weddings, or as a surprise in someone special’s lunch.

Fortune Cookies

They’re super easy to make!

1. Fold a regular cupcake liner in half.
2. Stitch (I used a sewing machine) around the outer edge of the liner.
3. Leave about 1/4” unstitched at the end. This is your opening to insert candy. (I used after-dinner mints, as they’re small and dry.)
4. With your finger, push the center up to create the fortune cookie shape.

Bottle Skirts

This is probably the easiest of my cupcake-liner projects. They’re bottle wraps. Simply remove the circle from the center of the liner and put the skirt around a bottle. Forget about marking your drinks at a party with a marker. This approach is cute and quick!

Quick Gift Wrap

Have a gift that needs wrapping? Use cupcake liners to dress up an ordinary gift box. Simply cut liners down so that the edges are short. Use the area you trimmed off to create a decorative center by twisting and gluing it into a spiral in the center.

Note: Cupcake liners are slick (so the cake won’t stick to them), so you’ll want to use a strong glue. I used Fabri-Tac by Beacon’s. Hot glue would work as well.

Liner Lanterns

These dangle-y delights are simply threaded cupcake liners. Used a needle and some baker’s twine to string them up. I started with a smaller liner and put a regular liner on top of it (with the edges cut down). You can string up one or add a bunch to a single string.

Cory calls these my mushrooms. I was going for lanterns, but, no matter what you choose to call them, they’ll make any room brighter! :)

I have one more project to share, a card, which I’ll post on Friday. In the meantime, you can watch my recent TV segment on these crafts here. And you can check out my past segments on the Creating Keepsakes website. Thanks!