How to set glitter on wood

I'd like to know how to get the glitter on wood to set. I have spread glue and then sprinkled glitter on wood and want it to stay and not come off or shed. Is there a spray that I can spray on the glitter to make it stay without the glitter shedding off? Thanks.

I asked the Queen of Glitter - Jean Bernard to answer this for me ... here's what she says:

I would apply a few thin coats of clear glossy varnish over the glitter. Next time mix the glitter 50/50 with the varnish :) You could find some Krylon super gloss sealer and try a test spot before you cover the entire area if this is a big project. Sometimes even the super glossy spray will cloud the glitter and it will loose its sparkle :)
hope this helps ya :)
Jean

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How to transfer your drawing to Wonder Under

Kristen asks:
I'd like to know how to transfer my drawing onto the back of the Wonder Under.

You should transfer your drawing to the paper side of the wonder under. You can do this by either using a light box or taping the drawing to a window and placing your WU on top of it and tracing.

If you have an inkjet printer you could cut a piece of WU slightly smaller than a piece of bond paper, then tape it to the paper and run it through your printer. As long as there is no heat it should work (laser printers use heat so that's a no-no).

Judi

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How to make a blackout lining for bamboo window blinds

Susan says:

I have bamboo roll up blinds on 2 windows. They are see through at night. How do I make a privacy cloth backing for them? Thank You.

Our decorative painting expert, Judy Leasure, has made some Roman Shades recently and this is her suggested solution:

I have made Roman shades and with those you sew your fabric and the lining together and then sew rings on the lining side. When the shade is finished, you thread cording through the rings and across the top to one side. To raise, you pull on the cords (which are all joined together so they pull uniformly). To lower, you release the cords. If the bamboo shades work the same way, you would have to find a way to create a channel around the cords so they will move once the backing is applied.

You might try making a liner of black-out fabric by cutting a piece of fabric 2 inches larger all around than the shades. Hem all 4 sides with a 1/2-inch double hem. (machine stitch). Then align the liner with the shade and hand stitch with a heavy thread vertically along the sides and vertically in one or two rows in the center. Your stitching would wrap around every other bamboo rod on the way up the shade. Whip stitch the bottom around one of the bamboo rods and you may need to do the top as well. In this way, the mechanism should still work and the fabric will stay in place with the shade.

This appears to be a lot of work, but I can't think of another way to keep the functionality of the shades. Again, I'm not 100% sure how the roll-up mechanism works.

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Vintage iron on transfers

I'd like to know how to look for cowgirl, or western hot fix iron on heat transfers. Does anyone know who specifically carries this type of transfer. Thanks.

This was tough - I wasn't sure if you meant hot fix as in templates for hot fix crystals or just pre-made iron on transfers. I actually found that you can find both at eBay. The key to searching for the pre-made transfers is that they are now considered vintage as most of them are from the 90's. With the advent of ink jet transfer sheets and ink jet t-shirt transfers crafters are making their own art. Just go to eBay and search on 'western iron on" and/or 'cowgirl iron on' and you'll get lots of choices.

Best of luck!
Judi

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How to make clothing labels

Barbara asks:
My daughter is starting in daycare and I wanted to find the best way to put her name on her clothes . . any creative ideas?

Depends how artsy you want to get! There are always the 'laundry markers' you can buy to write her name on the labels - not artsy at all! This might be fun though - you can use a sheet of pretreated printer fabric and print her name with a little graphic - then use an iron-on adhesive (like WonderUnder) to iron the labels to the hem or waistband of her clothes. If you use one of the mailing label templates in Microsoft Word you could design it once and print an entire sheet of labels.

Have fun!
Judi

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How to reconstitute glitter glue

Catherine asks:
I'd like to know how to salvage some glitter glue I have.. It is made by Elmers called 3D Shimmering Shapes and comes in a bunch of colors with all kinds of different glitter. Thanks so much!

Brian Rumschlag, Consumer Response Analyst for Elmer's, says that by simply mixing in a small amount of water you can reconstitute the 3D Shimmering Shapes glitter glue.

So, there you go! Another question answered!
Judi

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How to make wallies or wall decals

Caren asks:
I'd like to know how to make your own wallies or stick up wall art... Do you have any suggestions?

I have a couple of suggestions. First - to make a wall decal that will be removable with no damage to the wall make it out of fabric and then soak it with liquid starch. It will stick to the wall. I've actually heard of people doing this with large pieces of fabric - so little shapes should work well. The second suggestion would be to use wallpaper paste and thick paper or even canvas as the substrate. This would be harder to remove though.

Have fun!
Judi

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CHANGE IN FORMAT

I've decided not to keep this up on a daily basis as the questions have dropped off. So I will just answer questions as they come in. If you link to me in a newsreader such as Bloglines you will be notified when a new posting has been made. Thanks for visiting!

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Not enough information ...

Matt asks:
I bought some fusible shade backing to make blinds with and I can't get it to adhere to my fabric - what am I doing wrong?

Sometimes questions come in that we just can't answer because we don't have enough information. If you ask a question about fabric please state what type of fabric you are using. In the question above - is it cotton or a polyester or ??? What kind of fusible was it? I wrote back and asked but never got an answer. So please ... give us the details, it can only help you get a better answer!
Judi

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How to begin to make wings with a 4 foot span

Jennifer says:
I'd like to know how to begin to make a large, 4 to 5 foot wing span, dove. It will be hung from a ceiling, like it is hovering. Any ideas what to make this out of, how to construct it? I want it to be realistic looking. Thanks for any ideas you might have!

First, I would search the web for a dove's wing anatomy. That will give you the basic shape your wing should be. It will also give you a good idea of what size and shape each layer of feathers should be. You are going to have to make an armature for your base. I imagine the type of wire you use will depend on what you end up using for feathers. But once you build the basic armature you could cover it with Amaco Wireform Mesh -- it's meant for sculpting armatures. That should give it some strength and it will be the base you need to attach the feathers. After that it's just a matter of adding the feathers and figuring out the balance so you can find the appropriate points to hang it from.

Best of luck,
Judi and Dawn

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How to sew slippery fabric

Naomi asks:
I hate sewing taffeta and fabrics that slip and slide. Any hints to make this easier?

I know how you feel - I'm not a fan of that either. One of the best hints I've ever come across is from Patti Culea. She says to dissolve some water soluble stabilizer in in a spray bottle of water. Spray it on the wrong side of your fabric and let dry. Then it should act like a cotton. If you've ever used the water soluble stabilizers you'll know they get sticky and gooey as they dissolve so I can see how this would work. I would test it on a scrap first though.

Hope this helps,
Judi

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What are silk hankies?

Martha asks:
My friend bought me some silk hankies - I thought they were actual hankerchiefs but they seem to be some wispy stuff. They didn't have any information with them, what is this stuff?

A hankie is made of one silk cocoon. A cocoon is carefully opened at one end and then stretched gently into a square. They are put on stretcher bars to dry and they can be dyed. You can use it for various surface embellishing techniques, spinning, needle felting, and making silk paper. Here's an article from Wormspit with photos on how they are made.

Have fun with them!
Judi

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Quilting Arts TV

Not a question today, just sharing some information. Pokey Bolton, editor of Quilting Arts and Cloth Paper Scissors, announced yesterday that she will be hosting a new quilting show this winter on PBS. It will be about art quilting rather than traditional quilting. Something new to look forward to and we don't even need cable!

Judi

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Pellon Wonder Under Instructions plus Tips and Tricks

Emma asks:
Can you find me the instructions for Wonder Under. When I search all I get are companies that sell it, I'm getting really frustrated. Thanks.

I can understand that! If you are looking for something like this it is best to search on the company name rather than the product name. But to answer your question here are the instructions for Wonder Under from the Pellon website:

805, 807, 725 Wonder-Under®
The paperbacked adhesive web that turns any fabric into a fusible fabric.

Fuses fabric to fabric or to a porous surface such as wood or cardboard. For denim, canvas or other heavy fabrics, use

Heavy Duty Wonder Under, when extra holding power is needed. ALWAYS PRE-TEST.

Has no grain - can be cut and applied in any direction.

Finished item can be washed or dry-cleaned; according to the fabric's care requirements.

GENERAL DIRECTIONS

1. PRESS & CUT
* Place rough side of Wonder-Under against wrong side of fabric. Press for 5-8 seconds with hot, dry iron. Let cool, draw desired shape onto paper backing, then cut
* Alternative method: Trace shape onto paper backing, cut to size, then press, rough side down, onto fabric. (Note: To avoid backward letters and numbers, draw on rough side of Wonder-Under with ballpoint pen. For dark fabrics, redraw shape on paper side.)
2. Step 2: PEEL & FUSE
* Gently peel off paper backing. Position fusible fabric, web side down, on the project. Cover with DAMP press cloth.
* With iron at wool setting, press FIRMLY for 10-15 seconds. (Heavier fabrics = more time.) Repeat, lifting and overlapping iron until all fabric is fused.
* Remove press cloth and iron fabric to eliminate excess moisture.
* Tip: Use your damp press cloth as a temperature and timing guide. After 10 seconds, press cloth should be dry. If not, raise iron temperature or hold iron in place a few seconds longer.
* Tips: With “fat/thin" or "heavy/light" fabric combinations, fuse from thinner or lighter side. If necessary, "baste" first by ironing on the right side.

Care Instructions:

* Washable, dry cleanable
* Machine wash Warm, Delicate cycle.
* Do not use fabric softner.
* Tumble dry Low.

Special Techniques:

* For hems: Cut and press strips ofWonder-Under to hem allowance. Peel off paper, turn up hem and fuse.
* For layered appliques: Press Wonder-Under onto fabric and cut out base shape. Use Wonder-Under to fuse details to applique, then peel paper backing off base and fuse completed applique to project. If desired, machine stitch around edges of applique.
o Create reversible fabrics or sturdier projects by fusing two layers of fabric together with Wonder-Under.
o Cover wood or cardboard items, such as room dividers, valances and boxes, with fabric using Wonder-Under.

* For best results, store unused Wonder-Under by rolling it onto a tube (Instead of folding).
* Overtime, if Wonder-Under separates from the paper, it can still be used. Simply place the web on the surface to be fused, cover with the Wonder-Under release paper, and press with a hot, dry iron. Fabric, web and paper will stick together. Proceed with directions for cutting, peeling and fusing.

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Can you use different solders with one soldering iron?

Katrina asks:
I would like to know if I can use copper solder with my soldering iron that I use for tin soldering without damaging my soldering iron as it seems to have a special finish on the tip. Thank you

The answer is yes, you can use it without damage.

We asked Annaliese's dad, the Soldering King.

Best of luck,
Dawn M Schiller - Odd Fae and Autumn Things

Online Workshops
Faery Wings
Sculpting a Realistic Face

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How to clean your windows

Marsha says:
I know this has nothing to do with crafting but what's the best way to clean the windows in your house.

Okay, this is odd but what the heck, I'll answer it .. at least I'll tell you what I do. I use a windshield washer concentrate that you buy at the auto parts store. Ever notice that you don't have to buff your windows when you wash them at the gas station? You mix the concentrate with water and sponge it on, use a hard rubber squeegee to get it off. Works great.

Judi

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Using plexiglass to make a hard purse bottom

Roberta asks:
I'm making a purse and the pattern calls for a cardboard bottom that just sits inside the purse. This doesn't seem too sturdy to me, any other ideas?

Yes, I think you can use a piece of plexiglass. You can buy it in different thicknesses and if you have those big box stores (like Home Depot or Lowes) nearby you can find it there. To cut it you will need a special cutter but they sell those too. If you can only find thin stuff you can always make a cardboard bottom and then put a piece of plexi on both sides for reinforcement.

If your pattern doesn't have a cover for the bottom you can make one. Just trace around the 'cardboard' bottom, and add a seam allowance. Sew three of the sides up, slip the bottom inside it, then slip-stitch closed.

Hope this helps,
Judi

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Can you thin Petal Porcelain?

Judi D says:
I'd like to know how to thin the petal porcelain - i remember it being more liquid than solid but it's been sitting in the bottle for a while.

Actually it is supposed to be thick like glue according to the folks at Plaid so yours is probably fine.

Hope this helps,
Judi

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How to use fabric as a stencil

Randy asks:
Do you know any shortcuts for stenciling? I like the look of stenciling on furniture but I just can't be bothered.

The only thing that comes to mind is spraypainting through lace. This will give you a negative so you have to think about what the base color will be. Let me explain - say you have lace with flowers on it - the flowers will be woven fairly solid so the paint won't penetrate. If you want red roses you need to paint, say, your table top, red. Then use a different color to spray through the lace with. The paint will go through all the 'holes' and leave a negative impression of the design. It won't be as crisp and sharp as a stencil but it's quick.

Hope this helps,
Judi

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Where to find clear glass paperweights for decoupage

Darlene says:
I'd like to know where to find clear glass paperweights. I saw some in the Oriental Trading catalog but I wonder if there are other higher quality (but reasonably priced) paperweights for sale. I want to use them for decoupage.

I only found one company that had cheaper prices than Oriental Trading, and it was only about 30 cents cheaper per item. So you would have to check on shipping costs to see the bottom line cost. There really isn't a way to compare quality online. I haven't dealt with this company so I can't endorse them. I have bought from Oriental Trading Company before and haven't had any problems with them.

A lot of times the search terms you use really define what you find. Pay attention to what the companies you research are calling the paperweights. I found a lot of sites calling these blanks. So you can search online for glass blanks and see what you can find.

Best of luck,
Judi

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