Boys Will Be Boys: Monster Art Carrier [and a Fabric Fairy giveaway! – giveaway is now closed]
Welcome to the first day of Boys Will Be Boys so Handmake Their Toys!! A whole week devoted to handmade gifts for little boys.
My boys love art. They like to color and paint and draw, and my five-year-old writes the best stories. Ever.
So I decided to make an art carrier, and they can create on the go!
Today I’m sharing how you can make one for the little boy [or girl!] in your life too.
Supplies:
- Heavier-weight material [like canvas or outdoor decor fabric] – you could use all one style or two different fabrics, like I did.
- Felt
- Accent fabric for pockets
- Coordinating thread
- Sewing machine
- Fabric glue/hot glue gun
- Velcro
- Iron
- Scissors
- Chalk or water soluble marker
1. Cut two pieces of heavier weight fabric 22.5in x 12.5in. They could be the same type of fabric or different – I used one piece of this stripe from IKEA and another piece of canvas.
2. Cut two pieces of your accent fabric. These will become your pockets. Cut one piece 11in x 10in [pocket one] and the other 15.5in x 10.5in [pocket two].
3. Use your iron to press in the edges of both pieces of pocket fabric.
4. Fold the pocket fabric in half and press.
5. Pin the pockets onto the fabric that will be the inside of the carrier. [in the above photo, you can see pocket one on the left, pocket two on the right] The top edge of the pockets should be the folded edge.
6. On pocket one, use chalk or water soluble marker to mark one inch increments. These will be perfect for pencils or skinny markers. Mark larger increments if you’d like it to fit fat markers.
7. Sew a straight stitch around three sides of each of the smaller pocket. Do NOT stitch along the top [folded] edge of the pockets.
8. After you stitch along the three sides, stitch straight lines down the pocket, according to your one inch increments.
9. Cut monster face shapes out of felt. Using fabric glue, assemble the face. [note: the glue I used is not ideal for felt. hot glue would work if you want a stronger hold and don’t want to sew the pieces together later]
10. Pin the face onto the the fabric that will be the top of the art carrier. You’ll want to make sure you leave enough space to fold the fabric edge under [as seen in the above photo].
11. Stitch the face onto the top fabric. You could use hot glue to attach the face, but sewing it on will ensure a stronger, permanent hold.
12. Cut a piece of fabric 2.5in x 3.5in for the velcro closure.
13. Fold the closure fabric in half and zig-zag stitch along one of the long sides.
14. Clip the corners, turn right side out, and press.
15. Top stitch along the edges of the closure.
16. Take your top and and bottom fabric pieces [the one with the monster face and the one with the pockets] and put them right sides together and zig-zag stitch along three sides – leave the end open where the monster’s mouth is. [sorry, no picture for this step!]
17. Clip the corners and turn the carrier right side out. Fold under the edges of the open end. Pin the closure in between the two fabric pieces.
18. Top stitch along all four sides of the carrier. If you want, you can add teeth on the back side of the carrier [use the fabric glue to add them before you top stitch]. Just be sure to leave a gap in the teeth for the velcro closure.
19. Add velcro to the back side of the carrier and the bottom side of the closure. Use fabric glue to secure this [I added fabric glue even though mine was self-stick].
It should look like the above picture when closed.
Now add some markers and paper, and you have the perfect present for the art lovin’ boy in your life!
And now, it’s Giveaway time!! The Fabric Fairy has so generously offered to give away a gift certificate to their online store. So you can pick out the perfect fabric for this or another handmade gift for your little boy. [this giveaway is now closed]
To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post! Visit The Fabric Fairy and tell me what fabric you’re loving right now.
For optional extra entries, you can:
- Like If Only They Would Nap on Facebook
- Like Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy on Facebook
- Like The Fabric Fairy on Facebook
Leave a comment for each of those likes for your entry to be counted. [If you already like any of our pages, just leave a comment telling me that too!] This giveaway closes on Friday.
Now be sure to visit Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy and check out her Police Softies Tutorial that she has today!
And come back tomorrow for more of Boys Will Be Boys so Handmake Their Toys… and more giveaways!
![Scripture Embroidery Hoop [a baby shower gift!]](https://i0.wp.com/siloandsage.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/dsc_0554.jpg?fit=768%2C512&ssl=1)
at first i was oogling that adorable bicycle PUL…but then i saw the Space knit fabric, and then…
well, you get the idea!
I like the Ice Cream Cones Cotton Knit Fabric!
I like If Only They would Nap on FB. :)
Dino Dudes knit from Micheal Miller- my boys would go crazy for that print.
I like Fabric Fairy on FB.
Like Boy Oh Boy
Like you on FB
Awesome! I love the mini guitars.
And, of course I like If Only They Would Nap on FB. :)
love the owl sweatshirt knit.
liked If Only They Would Nap on facebook
liked Boy Oh Boy Oh boy on facebook, too!
Jess-I love this little series! such a great idea.
Yellow Bamboo Cotton Lycra Jersey Knit Fabric
This would be perfect for my unpaper towels!
jess, i think you are SO cool.
um, i think YOU are so cool, sarah :)
I like the Silly Rainbow Stripe Cotton Knit Fabric
I like the fabric fairy on FB
I like Boy Oh Boy on FB
I like you on FB!
I love all of Fabric Fairy’s knit stripes and polka dots!
Love the Planets Cotton Knit Fabric.
Like If only they Would Nap on FB
Like Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy on FB
Like the Fabric Fairy on FB
I really like the Playful Snails in Blue.
Thanks!
lisa(at)vetteklisa(dot)com
i am a follower of boy oh boy oh boy on fb
also, follower of if only they would nap on fb
LOVIN the dino PUL THANKS
I love the Dino Dudes fabric. My little is so into dinosaures right now.
I am a FB fan.
I am a FB fan of Oh Boy Oh Boy Oh Boy
I like the fabric fairy on fb
i like you on FB, and i’m sure i’d like you in real life, too. ;)
hehe i hope so ;)
also liked the fabric fairy on FB
and oh boy oh boy oh boy!
I’m loving the swimsuit fabric but I really want to make something of this http://thefabricfairy.com/red-multidots-on-white-cotton-lycra-knit-fabric.html
thanks for the giveaway!
I liked If Only They Would Nap on FB
I liked Boy, Oh Boy Oh Boy on FB, too.
And I can’t believe I’m just liking the Fabric Fairy on FB now, but I am. :)
Got to be the Michael Miller Dinosaur fabric.
I like boy oh boy on fb
I like you on fb
I like fabric fairy on fb
I love the yellow and blue hearts…
I adore the knit ruffle fabric… I can imagine a wonderful summer weight skirt and enjoy the warm breeze blowing around it! Thanks for the chance!
I am loving MM fabrics at the moment but my wallet isn’t haha. Next I want to purchase maybe some bicycles fabric? Or dinosaurs? Too many to choose from!
toni.maree at ymail.com
I like If Only They Would Nap on FB :)
I like Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy on FB :)
I like The Fabric Fairy on FB :) yay x