Pick Me Up Cards! – Sewing Project
Everyone needs a little pick me up from time to time and these fabric cards are the perfect way to lift anyone’s spirits.
As we will show you in this project, you can make them in any size to fit any occasion. From cards to mail to a friend to gift tags that make your package just a little more special, these fabric cards are the perfect keepsake. We even show you an option for making a holder for those gift cards that we all love so much. Oh… and don’t look past these as a great way to spread a little amoré around… these fabric cards are leaps and bounds better than those store-bought greeting cards for sending a special message.
And don’t be afraid to dive into this project even if you’re not an expert sewist. Basically, if you can turn on your sewing machine and sew a straight line, you’re good to go! Experienced sewists will find this a refreshing exercise for a palette cleanser from more complex projects. We love playing with the colors and widths of the strips and have used them for their intended purposes as well as a bonus we’ll tell you in the project instructions.
So, grab your scrap fabric, cut some strips, and spread some good vibes with our Pick Me Up Cards!
Watch the video tutorial:
Or scroll down for written instructions.
What you’ll need:
Notions and Tools
- Triangle Tailor’s Chalk – Art. No 432
- Wonder Fuse – Art. No 4090
- OR Iron-On Stabilizer – we’re using the lightweight version of Fast2Fuse Interfacing
- Rotary Cutter or Scissors – Clover has a great selection!
Fabric
- 2 pieces of muslin or cotton fabric
- 1 Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabric “Mops”
- or various strips of fabric cut 1/2” to 3” wide
We love using Cherrywood “Mops” for this project. The suede effect of their dying process makes the finished project so… yummy. Yup… we said what we said… yummy!
Remember: If you want to mail your cards, the US Post Office states that post cards are at least 3-1/2 inches high x 5 inches long but no more than 4-1/4 inches high x 6 inches long. Because of the construction of these cards, they are thicker than a normal post card and they count as letters. This means you can easily mail one that is up to 6-1/8″ x 11-1/2″ x 1/4″ thick! Bottom line: be sure to check with your post office for rates before mailing.
Instructions
Step 1: Cuts
- Mark and cut 2 pieces of muslin to the size you want your finished card to be.
- *In the video we cut ours 4.25” x 6”, but you do you. Squares, rectangles, triangles, circles… it’s all good.
- Mark and cut the Wonder Fuse or stabilizer the same dimensions as the muslin.
- Wonder Fuse makes a base that is softer and more flexible, but still easy to sew.
- The Fast2Fuse stabilizer makes a base that is more rigid. This is great if you plan on doing machine applique or heavy stitching on your card.
Step 2: Make the Base
- If using Wonder Fuse:
- Place the Wonder Fuse rough side down on the Wrong side of one piece of muslin.
- Iron to secure the Wonder Fuse.
- Wait for it to cool completely, then peel off the paper backing.
- Place the second piece of muslin on the newly exposed side of the Wonder Fuse.
- Iron once again to secure the Wonder Fuse making sure your fabric/Wonder Fuse sandwich is squared up.
- If using Fast2Fuse Stabilizer:
- Place the iron-on stabilizer between the two muslin pieces.
- Iron both sides to secure making sure your fabric/stabilizer sandwich is squared up.
Step 3: Sew the Strips to the Base
- Place one strip diagonally across your base roughly from one corner to the other Right Side down. It is not important that you line these strips up perfectly. A bit of unevenness gives them more character and looks very cool… just sayin’…
- Trim the ends of the strip to about 1” from the Base if necessary.
- Sew the strip down using a 1/4” to 1/8” seam allowance. We like to keep this seam allowance tight to cut down on the bulk behind the fabric strips.
- Flip the strip right side up, finger press, then iron flat.
- Place another strip on the first, Right sides facing with long edges matching(ish) and repeat steps 2-4.
Tip: You can adjust the width of the strips by not placing the long edges together but placing the next strip (step 5) closer to the preceding strip’s center, sewing it down, and trimming the excess of the preceding strip to give you a 1/4” to 1/8” seam allowance. Using this method, you can also adjust the angles of each strip… play with it and see what you can create!
- Keep adding strips in this manner working toward the point, until you have one half of the base covered. When you have covered one half of the base, start again at the center and work out to the opposite point of your base. You are finished when you have covered the whole base with strips.
Step 4: Trim
- Turn the base upside down.
- Use a rotary cutter and quilting ruler to cut the excess fabric from the base. This will square up your edges making them look nice and neat.
- Save your ends for another project!
Step 5: Sew the Edges
- Use a wide zig-zag stitch to secure all sides.
- The zig-zag should just catch the edge of each side of the card.
Tip: A satin stitch looks great along the edge, so if your machine does one try it and see if you like it. You can also hand sew the edges using a blanket stitch. Make a few and try all of the options.
BONUS!!
If you stop at this step, you have a perfect mug rug or mini quilt. Yeah… it’s that easy. Make a set for a gift, tie them together in a stack with your extra fabric strips, then add a small version as a tag for that gift! Whoah… meta…
Step 6: Cut and Attach the Card Backing
- Lay your fabric card on a sheet of 67# card stock and draw around the outside edge of the fabric
- Using a pair of paper or craft scissors, cut along the inside of your drawn line to make your card just a teeny tiny bit smaller than the fabric base.
- Tip: You can also use a commercial post card or photograph instead of card stock for a special keepsake.
- Tip: You can also use a commercial post card or photograph instead of card stock for a special keepsake.
- Place the card stock Right side out on the back of your card and, using a straight stitch, sew along the inside of all 4 edges of the zig-zag stitching to attach.
BONUS #2 (is this a bonus bonus then??)
You can sew a straight stitch around just 3 sides of your project leaving an opening on one of the short sides. The result is a one-of-a-kind case you can use for notes, gifts, cash, or gift cards.
DONE!
You can write a note on the back or draw a picture or add an address and mail your Pick Me Up Card to your favorite person (check with your local post office for postage rates). Who do you know that could use a Pick Me Up?
We feel like we must warn you; these cards are so easy and fun to make you’ll be making them for every event and holiday coming up! We make them and put them on the fridge and use the mug rug versions all over the house… just sayin’…
STITCH ON!
Watch the video tutorial:
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