Stormtrooper Cut-Out Shirt

Just before our university vacation, I thought about making a Star Wars cut-out shirt of some sort - I wasn't sure what I wanted, but I thought that doing a Darth Vader cut-out on a black shirt and a Stormtrooper cut-out on a white shirt would be pretty cool. I didn't get around to the idea straight away because I had to finish my exams, and I had so many other crafty endeavours to pursue that is got a bit lost in my messy mind. I also didn't have any nice t-shirts I wanted to cut up, so I decided to leave the whole project for another time.

Now, my dad doesn't live in the same city as I do, but he always calls on the last day of my school or university holidays and asks if I'm ready and the general parent-y questionings. And somehow, every time, when he asks what I've been up to over my break, my usual answer is, "Well, not much for the last <length of entire holiday>, but today I started making-" and I proceed to ramble on about some craft or another that I've just fallen in love with. Over the last few holidays, I've tried my best to keep busy from the beginning, and although I did pretty well at crafting right from the beginning of my holiday this time, I knew I couldn't let the vac slip away before I'd finished this shirt I had stuck in my head.

I rifled through my craft cupboard (which is actually my normal cupboard, but it's just filled with craft supplies instead of things that would usually occupy a cupboard, such as clothing and sanity and such) and found an oversized t-shirt I'd bought forever ago with some craft or another in mind but never got around to using. I cut up the shirt a bit, removing the sleeves and neck to make it more comfortable. I stitched down the raw edges and used that as my shirt to do my Stormtrooper cut-out on.

What you need to make your own:

• A white t-shirt
• A pair of scissors
• A printer or a good eye for drawing 

How to make it:

1. Print out the template you want to use. I printed mine on two pieces and sellotaped them together. You can find the one I used here (though I take no credit for creating it - I just found it online).
2. Cut the template to A4 size if necessary, and laminate it. Cut out the parts of the template that will be cut out on the shirt.
3. Tape your laminated cut-out onto your shirt, and trace the cut-out areas with a tailor's pen.
4. Cut out the traced template on the shirt.

And you're done! I found that I had to be very careful with which areas I cut out, so make sure the gaps you leave aren't too massive, or the soft t-shirting fabric will sag down when you wear it. 

This is a very simple but effective project, and I'd love to see if you make one of your own! Please leave a comment below and send me a picture if you do!

LDP 

x

Sheldon the Dinosaur Plush DIY

For about a year now, my friends and I have adored the Sheldon the Dinosaur comic by Amburgered. Sheldon is a tiny dinosaur who thinks that he is a turtle, and uses an acorn for a shell. Whenever I know one of my very close friends, Abi, is feeling down, I make a point of finding a recent Sheldon comic and sending it to her to cheer her up.

I decided that, because of this love Abi and I share for Sheldon, I ought to make Abi a little Sheldon of her own.

If you want to make your own, here's how to do it:

1. Download the pattern here.
2. Sew your four leg pieces to the leg holes on the inside body.
3. Sew the dart at the back of the inside body.
4. Sew the two outside body pieces to either side of the inside body piece.
5. Sew around the neck and head area and at the back, bottom area, making sure to leave a space for turning and stuffing.
6. Turn the body right-side out. Put the safety eyes in on the face and stuff. Close your stuffing hole.
7. Cut out your upper shell pattern.
8. Hand-stitch your shell (right sides together) as close to the edge as possible. Add in a small scrap of felt in the centre of the shell as the acorn stalk.
9. Stitch the upper shell to the shell base and stuff it.
10. Paint small Xs onto the shell.
11. Stitch the complete shell to the back of the body.
12. Take your own little Sheldon on adventures with you! 

I'd love to know if you also read the Sheldon comics, or see if you make a Sheldon of your own, so please leave your comments below!

Thanks for reading!

LDP x

Humans vs Zombies Sock Bandolier

My university is hosting a game of Humans vs Zombies in August, and since I'm only in first year, this will be my first time playing the game. I'm resigned to the fact that I'm not athletic enough to survive very long, and our game won't be using guns, so balls of socks are the only way to ward off the zombies. I decided that the best way for me to survive would be to ensure that I have socks within reaching distance at all times for protection, so I figured that the best way to do that would be to make a sock bandolier.

Want to make your own? Here's how I did it:

What you'll need:

• Nylon-like strap 
• Elastic (mine was 2cm wide)

What to do:

1. Start by deciding how long you want the strap to be by wrapping it around your body as you will wear it. Cut the strap and use a candle to burn the ends to stop fraying.
2. Sellotape the two ends of your strap together.
3. Stitch ends together and remove sellotape.
4. Stitch ends together and remove sellotape.
5. Mark along your strap and elastic where it will be stitched down. I marked my strap into 8cm spaces, with 1cm in between each space, and my elastic into 11cm spaces, also with 1cm between each space.
6. Stitch down the elastic to the strap at each 1cm gap, forming loops for socks with the elastic.
7. Stitch down a 13cm strip of elastic to the bottom of the strap in the centre of each 8cm space.
8. Flip each strip up over the main elastic and stitch it into the centre.

Fill it up with socks and be prepared for the impending zombie apocalypse! 

I'm simultaneously nervous and overwhelmingly excited for this game of HvZ - as I said, it's my first time playing, but I've no doubt it will be awesome.

Let me know if you make your own sock bandolier, and if you've ever played HvZ before and if you have any tips for my first game!

Thanks for reading.LDP x