SCRAPS!

For the last few months I have been saving every tiny scrap of fabric. I make a lot of applique tees and you just never know when that 2" scrap will be perfect for a leaf or a petal or even an alien arm. I have a little wooden box that I keep on my fabric shelf so I can toss in any leftovers that aren't large enough to use in a sewing project.

Did you notice that I said that box was LITTLE??? Well, let's just say that it was more than a LITTLE full! But, I hated to just throw the pieces away...I mean some of them are gorgeous fabrics.

So...I gave them to Belle - with a bottle of glue! YIKES! Are you as scared as I was???

We found an old cereal box in our scrap basket (yes, I keep paper and cardboard scraps too...and yes I AM related to my grandma!!!). I cut out a large square of cardboard and handed over a pile of scraps...and that glue. Belle set to work sticking scraps all over the cardboard and created a beautiful piece of art. But alas, there were still scraps in her pile. "Mommy, can I have more carkboard?" (nope - not a typo:) So I cut the smaller square, but there were still more scraps. You can see how this quickly got out of hand! Needless to say, the cereal box is no more, but the pile of scraps was finally gone and the results are pretty amazing for a 3 year old. And I got a dress for Bee cut out while she worked:):):)

If I had a sewing room, these would definitely be framed in shadow boxes and hanging on the wall. But sadly, I don't think they match the decor in the dining room that I have taken over with my crafting...oh well!

So in case you are so inclined, and haven't already figured it out...here are the directions:

1. Cut up an old cardboard box (cereal, granola bars, etc.).
2. I cut the scraps into small pieces if they were larger than about 3 inches...this is optional, but allows for more color across the project. I cut them in ragged shapes, not squares, but you could cut them however you want.
3. Give your child a bottle of school glue...deep breath, it will be ok!
4. Have your child drop small drops of glue on the cardboard and attach fabric pieces to each drop. If you aren't lucky enough to have had preschool teachers teach your child how to dispense small ammounts of glue, then you will probably need to do that and supervise this project a little more closely.
5. Encourage your child to cover all the cardboard. It makes for a more impressive final product.

And if you are fabric scrapless - we'd be happy to share!