Craft Test Dummies » crafting with neckties

Tie Bag Swaps Received

admin — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:27:47 +0000

Oh, my mailman has been busy! Among the many goodies that came yesterday was a package from CPS swap hostess Rachel, containing tie bag purses from Diane and Cindy. Whoo-hoo!

I really love how everyone put their own spin on them. Diane constructed hers using the long skinny end on the back as a pen holder, and included a little composition notebook.

Cindy used the middle section of the tie as a handle, and beaded it up with these cute pressed-glass flower beads. How fun!

To see my tiebags for the swap, click here.

To see the post with the original instructions from Sulky, click here.

And for another site of great inspiration, check out the Artful Ties blog. She has some great links there, too, and eye-candy. FUN!

More Recycled Necktie Crafts – Necktie Daisies!

Jenny — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:40:21 +0000

Well, I sent off my Necktie Bags today to my CPS Group swap hostess today, and wouldn’t cha know, I ran across another necktie craft!! These are super cute, and kind of fall in with my yo-yo obsession, too.

The tutorial was found on Craftster, and the idea is simple: take the small points from the small end of the tie, snip ‘em to about 2 inches, gather the cut ends together by stitching them by hand, and then making a fabric button to pull it together.

Geez! If I had found this sooner, all of my tie bags would have had cute little daisies on them! Well, at least now I know what to do with my tiebag leftovers…..

Recycled Tie Bags- Purses for Swap!

Jenny — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:27:34 +0000

A while ago I posted about the Tie Bag purse that uses recycled ties. Well, I got a-stitchin’ (and a-gluin’, and a-beadin’) and I’ve got 2 worked up for the swap. I’ve got another in progress, too…. so here’s what I’ve got so far:

Sewing- Recycled Tie Bag/ Purses

Jenny — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:23:49 +0000

Got some old neckties that are hideous? One or two with sentimental value? How about whipping up a quick little purse-lette with it?

This idea came from the Sulky Company (makes thread and machine embroidery accessories) but I’m doing mine by hand. And with a little help from my hot glue gun. The link came through my ClothPaperStudio Yahoo Group- we’re going to do a little swappin’- but I pounced on the idea because I got a new Sirius portable radio for Christmas..

So far the new accessories aren’t out yet. Picture this: Jenny is working at her studio table, engrossed in craftmania. The radio portion is on the table. Jenny drops a bead! She goes down to retrieve it, and the radio is pulled off of the table and on to the floor. The headphones pop off and mess up her hair. What to do first? Get the bead? Fix the hair? Retrieve the radio???

So I figure if I make up one of these little beauties for myself, I’ll have a handy-dandy place to stow the radio. Then I only have to worry about those dang wayward beads.

And if you have even more ties to use up, here are some projects to explore:

And if you’d like to see some other folks’ craftwork with ties, check these out, too:

Big Horn Mountain’s tie quilt block, made in memory of the ties owner….
Darcia Ray’s necktie quilt… good close-up to give you an idea of how to piece it
Xanadu23 refashions ties into some rockin’, edgy skirts. Shout out to the CIA grads!
And Jana Morgan made a whole ballgown out of ‘em!!

It just dawned on me I should have saved all of this ’till Father’s day….oh well.