Quick & Easy Star Favors or Motivators

 As promised, lots and lots of projects this week! Here's another new one to share that's super quick and simple... and, I've even included a free printable of the tags I made.  I purchased the star wands at Walmart on clearance, but I've seen the same wands at both Target and The Dollar Tree.  After printing the tags, I cut them apart on my paper cutter, cut a sparrow's tail (I think that's what it's called!) at one end, than used a glue gun to affix it to the wand (sort of wrapping the blank side of the paper to the back.) I'm planning on selling these at our competition gift table as a sort of gift topper to slide under a ribbon or tuck into a flower bouquet.  But, I think they'd be cute as a team favor or motivator, as well.  Of course, you could personalize the tags with your team name.  You'll just need to format the lettering to the right half of an 8 1/2" x 11" paper. 

That's it, you're a star! Get it ;) 

Here's your FREE printable!

Fleece Dance Team Blankets...Take 2!

As I mentioned yesterday, I've got lots of projects to share this week! Some are new, like yesterday's, but this is just an update on a project I posted in January of 2015... Sorry most of the blankets are in cellophane, I forgot to photograph them before I wrapped them for our gift table! Opps!

Unlike my first post, this time around I purchased the blankets pre-made at my local Walmart for less than $5 each...a real steal! And, I mostly used glitter iron-on vinyl for that extra bling the high school girls love.  But, some of the letters are made of scraps of satin backed with Heavy Duty Heat n' Bond and cut on my Cricut machine.  You need a sharp blade, and be sure to use the custom setting for backed silk fabric.  I've also figured out that if you put a rectangle around your letters when formatting on Cricut Design Space, you can use the positive and negative sections of the cut (see photos), because let's be honest, glitter vinyl is expensive!  This means you need to be careful when separating the letters to be sure you have the centers to letters like A, but I have faith you can do it! 

Here's some details:

1. Back your satin with fusible fabric stabilizer. (I used, Heat n' Bond Lite...the Heavy duty will gunk up your sewing machine so only use it for letters you're not sewing around!)
2. Format lettering on your Cricut or Silhouette Machine. Be sure to layer on a rectangle behind the letters.  And, don't forget to use the mirror setting for cutting iron-on vinyl!
3. Carefully separate the vinyl letters so you can use both positive and negatives of the cut.
4. You're now ready to heat up the iron to medium-high setting;  iron the satin rectangle to the blanket (Cover with a pressing cloth or old pillow case or you will melt the blanket and the satin!!) 
5. Next, iron the vinyl letters to the satin...again, cover with your pressing cloth.
6. Lastly, I finished the edge of the satin with a tight zig-zag stitch around the edges because even with the fusible stabilizer it won't really stay without it!

Here's a couple of the finished blankets...