The Holiday Planner – create a removable binder cover with fabric

Let’s stay focused and stress free this Holiday Season with a fun yet functional planning binder. Holly Jolly by Jen Allyson is the perfect fabric to cover some old unused binders to create this holiday binder. I dare you to only make one….

What you need to make binder cover:

• Your choice of binder (I have tons of used binders laying around the office ready to be covered and up-cycled or you can purchase one)
• ½ yard fabric for front (I’m using Gray Holly Jolly Damask)
• ½ yard fabric for back/inside (I’m using Gray Holly Jolly Damask, Lost & Found Basic Shades Slate)
• 2 fat quarters for inside pockets (I’m using Gray Holly Jolly Damask, Red Holly Jolly Dots)
• 1 piece of fusible batting & optional lightweight interfacing for pockets
• Optional: lace, ric rack, ribbon, vinyl, binding

First start by measuring your binder. Open the binder and measure from side to side. I just used my cutting mat. This is a 1.5″ binder and the length measures  21.5″ inches. The width (top to bottom) is 11.75″ inches. So to cut the outside of your cover you will add 1″ inch to both the length and width. For a standard 1.5″ binder you will cut your outside fabric 22.5″ x 12.75″.

You will also cut a 22.5″ x 12.75″ piece of fusible batting. Measure from the edge of the side towards the rings to determine the width of the pockets. I cut mine 12.75″ x 10″, you will need 2 (And you will need to cut 2 of the interfacing). I cut the small pockets 6″ x 10″ (red dot).
Once everything is cut out you will need to fuse the batting to your outside piece using the manufacturer’s directions. Then you can start the fun part of embellishing your front…. I cut a piece of the Red Holly Jolly Dots, pinked the edges, gathered it and sewed it down the front on the right side.

I then added jumbo ric rack to the middle of the ruffle stitched down the middle. Next you will need to finish the pockets for the binder to slip into. Take the small pockets and finish one of the 10″ inch sides.  I just folded it down a quarter inch, pressed then folded again and topstitched. You will layer these small pockets with the larger pockets and baste the edges.=

I measured in 2′ inches from the right side on the left pocket for a pencil/pen holder. This pocket will be closest to the rings to allow for room for the pen or pencil. You will bind one 12.75″ inch edge of the 2 pockets.  

Now let’s put it all together with 4 simple strait seams! Lay out the outside piece right side up (you can see the gray Damask in the middle). Lay the pockets right side down, bound edges in the center, on the outside piece and pin the 12.75″ sides. Sew down these 2 sides. Take it back to your cutting table and measure the whole piece and cut your lining piece (Basic Shades Slate) to fit, pink the short sides of the lining. Layer this lining piece right side down on top of the main piece and pin the long edges.

Again sew 2 simple strait seams along the long sides. Turn the lining right side out.

Now turn the pockets right side out.

Now you can slide your binder inside the pockets.

And there you have a covered binder that is sure to keep you in that Holiday spirit…. Now all you have to do is fill it!

Halloween Decorations Part 1 + Free SVG files

How many parts will there be? That I am not sure yet! But I do know that I’ve been having so much fun decorating!

TA DA! My fireplace is almost done being decorated. I stayed up way too late last night getting my eclectic halloween banner finished.  I do have a few things still left to do – the chalkboard will have a creepy recipe or saying on it, and the burlap frame will have some sort of art pined to it, but really it’s ALMOST done, and it looks fantastic. I am so happy with how it’s turned out.

If you would like a detailed step-by-step tutorial on the banner, visit my halloween banner tutorial blog post at Design House Digital. I didn’t want it to get too wordy over there so I saved a few things for my blog. First thing was that I used burlap ribbon for the base-layer. I took this bolt of ribbon that I had (bought it clearance from Ballard designs last year for like $6), and basically hand pleated and fed it through my machine in a very sloppy manner. I wanted the whole thing to look spooky and unkempt.

Once I had a bunch of it pleated, I hung it on my mantle to make sure it was a good length.

Once I was happy with the length and draping, I cut it to size and then started building my flags.

You can read a bit more about that process on the Design House Digital blog. But basically I used my new Vintage Findings Halloween digital papers, printed them out and made some super cute flags using the printed out papers, plus some doilies, ribbons, and My Mind’s Eye brads. I did take some pictures about the process of staining the doilies, but I’ll post about that later next week.

What I wanted to share with all my readers is an awesome free download of the .SVG files (cutting files for digital cutters) for the banner shapes and the letters for this project (If you don’t have a cutter that will cut SVG files, I’ve also included a template that you can print out and use to cut your shapes by hand).

Click image below to being downloading zip file.

Click on the image above to download a PDF and SVG version of my printable banner project . The downloadable files in this article (and across my entire site) are free for personal use only. If you would like to blog about this free download, please accompany and images from my site with a credit and link back to this article. As a courtesy please do not link directly to a downloadable file but rather to this page.

Blog of the Week : Nautical Themed Baby Shower

This week’s Craft Blog of the Week is not so much a craft blog, but the blog author April  (who is an awesome photographer in the Houston area), is super duper crafty! She recently threw a baby shower for her Sister-in-Law that was fit for a Queen! Here are some of her photos of this awesome celebration. To see more, visit her blog: Life in Print.

Totally cute invitations! I love me a great invitation.Adorable banner and table. Those big fans are so much fun and the cake is too cute.

Bath Salt Party favors and a cute Entry/Guest Book table. This party had it all! And there is more… be sure to check out the rest of the photos including the awesome FOOD table. April sure knows how to party, and she’s a pretty great photographer too!

Paris Themed Bunco Party

There is nothing that I like more than throwing a fabulous party. So when my turn to host Bunco was coming around, I had to find a fabulous theme! I visited the awesome Hostess with the Mostess Blog (what did we do before blogs??), and scoured the pages for some much needed inspiration. I came across this amazing Parisian-themed Baby Shower. I was super inspired and created this adorable invitation (seen below with glassine envelopes from ClearBags.com) using some clipart that I found.

Here are some photos from that night. I don’t have a wide photo of the whole “party table” but you get the idea!

Food and fun and prizes were had by all! It was such a great party, I can’t wait for next year! The straws, cupcake papers and striped bags are all from Fort & Field.