i noticed a great project by becky shander in the premier issue of art quilting studio magazine. becky creates beautiful envelopes using dryer sheets....and i was so intrigued that i just had to try it!
first, rescue the used dryer sheets from your laundry room trash can and iron them flat by using a low temperature on your iron.
fold dryer sheet in half and use a template to sew an envelope shape using a straight, zig-zag, or decorative stitch around the edges.
tuck a sweet little something inside and sew a button or decorative ribbon on the flap. the dryer sheet is transparent enough to give the recipient a peek inside.....
....but it's a lot of fun to open it up, too! i followed becky's example by using a piece of cotton quilt batting for my card. then, i tore a piece of watercolor background (that i made a long time ago) into a heart shape and finished it by sewing a favorite Scripture address to the front.
and then, since the dryer sheets smell so good, i decided to make a little "sachet" to hang in my closet. just tuck one of your favorite images in between two layers, sew around each edge, and then attach a ribbon for hanging!
edited: i've had several comments about the darker envelopes in the first photo....becky says they are "dyed" using a 50/50 solution of coffee and water. soak for five minutes and then wring out moisture and lay on paper bags to dry. then iron flat.
click on any image for a better view
26 comments:
What a neat idea! Thanks for sharing. I'll put the envelopes on my rainy day list. Are the darker ones dyed? Finally, some motivation to get to our laundry! :)
I LOVE LOVE IT Lor! Your envelopes are adorable! I've collected one dryer sheet so far (ha). I don't use them every time but after reading CLoth Paper Scissors way back (on a very similar article) I thought I can mixed-media/sew them into my art somehow.
BTW, what ribbon hole puncher do you have? is it 3/8" punch by Fiskars? I have a Martha Stewart one and it's so limiting. I can only use 1/8" ribbon! Where are we...in a land of tiny people?
HOW adorable!!!!
Oh cool. How fun is that! Such creativity. Love it. Love it.
I am playing around with napkin art again today. Gonna try to post about it soon.
Hugs from Texas.
Reuse and recycle. What a neat little project. I have been using my drier sheets as dust cloths. Now I can sew them into cute little envelopes. Thank you Lori.
how fun, one more thing I won't be able to throw away! lol
This is so cool! Just the other day, I started saving dryer sheets thinking I would be able to use them somehow....and now, here is your post!!! Too fun! The darker ones look like they have been tea dyed????
I will make sure that I don't throw any of them away....THANKS!
I sure do love a project that promotes recycling! These are so just so cute! :)
what a great idea...loving it!!! i love the transparency of these...
Ive been saving my dryer sheets up for the past few weeks so that I could iron them and then paint on them. I also saw an article on CPS on this. Love the envelopes!
Ohhhh, I really like that :). I can't believe I haven't been saving my dryer sheets all along (I save EVERY other piece of fabric, paper, plastic, ANYthing just in case I find a project to go with it!). Very sweet. And opens up my head to other possibilities.... Fun!
Love it! I saved a bunch thinking that my daughter would use them for something and threw them out after she didn't for a while. But I never saw the "transparent" ones you're using. Hmmm, you say "dryer sheets, these actually might be something I never saw, I was thinking of the sheets I use while washing the laundry, for catching "bleeding" colors in the machine. So I get a bunch of very non-transparent but lovely colored sheets and I can try this in a different way, that's a great idea! I'll also try them as dust cloths, thank you for mentioning it, Dolores!
Hi Lori! What a fabulous idea! Love the recycling part too! Another wonderful post with great photos! Thanks for sharing your creativity!
Hugs,
Lisa :)
OOOOOOOOO - I like this.
You are so creative in so many ways and everything that you make is so cute!
This is so neat! I've always said that crafters were the original recyclers. Twyla
What wonderful little treasures. These would be neat to make to hold ATC's. And to include in packages being shipped. And to hold tiny gifts for Sunday School students. And...And...
I love your trademark hand in the sachet.
Wow! I think your envelopes are just adorable! (love what you put inside too!) What a GREAT idea! I'm going to give it a try myself! Thanks for sharing! :oD
How cute is that!! ;o)
This turned out really really cute. Ok, I am going through the laundry room trash right now!
This is such a beautiful way to make these dryers sheets into something beautiful. They have done their day to day work shift, then get to dress up for the ball! Fantastic. I bet they would be great with dried flowers in?
Thank you so much for sharing these. Love what you did with the hand and heart.
i so want to make some of these. total sweetness is what they are!! and you're a sweetie to share with us!
take care, dear friend!
What a neat idea. I just love your blog!
Your envelopes and artwork turned out fabulous!
Create green,
Becky Shander
I love this idea. Where did you get your envelope template from? I couldn't tell what size they are, but I love them!
WOW! I never would have thought to used dryer sheets to make such beautiful and cute little creations! Thank you so much for sharing them with us and for showing us how you made them! I love your blog!
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