Papier-mâché Dish

This is an easy project that's basically free, but it requires a bit of a time commitment. Papier-mâché uses only a few ingredients, but you need to give each layer time to dry, and then each coat of paint takes time. For this project, I tried a recipe that requires cooking the papier-mâché mixture. This extra step is supposed to give you a harder, glossier finish (and it wasn't very difficult, so it was probably worth it!). 

To make the papier-mâché, I mixed a half cup of flour into two cups of cold water. After stirring out all the lumps, I added this mixture to two cups of boiling water. I let it boil until it thickened, then took it off the heat and added two tablespoons of salt (this helps prevent mold). The recipe was thick and custardy, which is great, but I ended up with way too much. If you are doing a small project, I recommend making just a quarter of this recipe.


To start, choose a dish to use as a mold. I used a little storage container, and covered the outside with plastic wrap to keep the project from sticking. You can use a thin layer of vaseline instead of plastic wrap, but then you end up with some grease on your finished project. Here's the dish wrapped up and ready to papier-mâché!

Now you dip paper into the papier-mâché mixture and let it soak a few seconds, then lay it on the mold. Lay strips down in one direction, then lay more strips in the opposite direction. Try to remove most of the goop from each strip before laying it down, or you will end up with a sticky finished project that will take days and days to dry. 

Ideally, you should do a couple layers of paper, give it a day or two to dry, then do another layer (or two). I did two layers, giving it a day to dry in-between. My finished project is thin and fairly flexible, but seems strong enough. The papier-mâché mixture can mold fairly quickly, so it's best to refrigerate it in between uses and try to get the project done within a week or so. 

Once it's good and dry, carefully remove the papier-mâché from the mold. To neaten the edges, trim off the excess at the top. 

Now you're ready to paint! I did a few coats of paint and finished it with Mod Podge to seal it and give it shine. It's perfect for holding earrings or other odds and ends, and you can decorate it however you want. 

Thanks for reading! 
Cate

How-To: Blind Hem Stitch

This will not be a normal craft post, but I just learned this technique so thought I'd share in case anyone else has been meaning to try it. It's a blind hem stitch, and it makes a nearly-invisible hem so your garments look more professional. I've been hemming by hand for years or trying to make neat rows of machine stitching, and this is so much easier. I wish I'd tried it sooner!

You will need:

• a machine that has a blind hem setting (almost all of them do)
• a blind hem presser foot
• something to hem, such as a dress, skirt, or curtains (or pants, but those are a little difficult to do on the machine and I would probably just hem them by hand)

Start off just like normal - finish everything except the hem and determine your finished length. As with a handsewn hem, trim to the desired length plus about 1.5" on the bottom for the hem. Now fold the raw edge up about .5" and press. Fold it again, this time about 1" and press, then pin in place. Same as usual, right?

To prepare for the blind hem, fold the pinned edge up the other way, so it's folded up along the right side of your garment.

 

 

The top of your folded hem should show about .25" above this newest fold, as you can see above. Now let's set up our sewing machines for a blind hem stitch. You'll want to check your sewing machine's manual for the exact settings, but look for a stitch pattern that is a straight line interrupted every few stitches with a little zig-zag. On my machine it's stitch B in the pattern selector, and then I set it on a medium zig-zag stitch. More modern machines probably let you set the pattern with just one button.

I did several practice runs since this is my first time trying this technique, and I would recommend that you do the same. Lay the fabric on your machine with the fold up against your presser foot's guide. The blind hem foot holds the fold in place so that the zig-zag will catch just a few threads every few stitches. Most of the stitching happens at the top of your hem, which will be inside your garment.

As you sew, keep the fold snugly against the guide, but there's no need to push it. Watch out for getting the foot caught in your seams, like I did. If that happens, stop the machine and carefully pull the foot free without moving your fabric out of place (after pausing to take a picture for your craft blog!). 

Once you get all the way around, you've finished the hem! Easy, I know. It should look like this before you fold it down:

 

Open the hem and press it. It should look like this on the inside:

It is nearly invisible from the outside (especially after you get it completely flat). This is the finished hem:

If I'd known how easy this is, I would have tried it years ago. The only caveat is that it's not the strongest hem, so it's best on garments that you can be a little gentle with. It's fine for a sundress, but I probably wouldn't use it for kid's clothes.

Thanks for reading!
Cate