DIY: Doctor Who Tardis Sneakers

I remember never understanding the Doctor Who obsession so many seemed to harbour. I remember being unphased by blue Police telephone boxes and not knowing why bowties were cool. I remember being able to walk past statues without casting a second glance, as opposed to carefully staring at them, reluctant to blink.
That was before I actually got around to watching Doctor Who.

At some point during the course of last year, I ended up binge-watching the entirety of the new Doctor Who (I admit that classic Who remains too vast for me to watch all of it). After watching the series, I was besotted, and I am now eagerly anticipation the release of season 8. To celebrate my new-found addiction, I made myself a pair of Ten-esque Chucks, decorating the sides with tiny painted Tardises.

What you'll need to make your own:

• A pair of Converse (or the cheaper, knock-off kind, like I used)
• Small scraps of leather or leather-look vinyl 
• Acrylic paints
• Podge
• Some fabric glue (I use Tacky Glue) and thread for attaching the Tardises to the sneakers

1. Cut out your basic Tardis shape from your leather/imitation leather
2. If your leather is a dark colour, start by painting a light colour as a base coat. 
3. Build up various shades of blue until you are happy with the colour of your Tardis.
4. Using a darker blue, paint on a grid to show the panels of the Tardis door, and use black to paint a rectangle at the top to create the "Police Box" sign.
5. Use white paint to create tiny blocks in the top two panels of the door, on both visible sides, as well as the notice on the door, and the words "Police Box". I used a toothpick and pin to do this painting.
6. Use a layer Podge to seal and protect the paint.
7. Glue the tiny Tardises onto the sneakers using fabric glue, and then stitch around the edges to secure them.

I also added the words "Don't Blink" at the back, using acrylic paint, however this started chipping off of the rubber soles - though it still looked cool for a while. :)

Do you watch Doctor Who? Are you as obsessed with the show as I now am? Who was your favourite Doctor? I'm very excited to see what Capaldi brings in August!

Thanks for reading,

LDP 

Tardis Kindle Cover

I'll start with a confession: I am not a Doctor Who fan.

Now, before you throw the "fake nerd girl" accusation, it is probably worth taking into account that other than about 3 episodes of 4th Doctor, I haven't actually watched Doctor Who (though I do intend to, as soon as I can get a hold of any more recent episodes).

Although not a Doctor Who fan, however, I am an absolute sucker for a challenge. For the last few months/years, and essentially my total time on craft sites, I have seen loads of projects related to this popular show. I know some of the basic story line, and I must admit, this craft-fandom has been slowly but surely dragging me in. So, while I was in a particularly inspirationless state, when a friend suggested I make a Doctor Who-related Kindle cover, I couldn't resist the challenge.

Although I was reasonably happy with how this project eventually turned out, making it was a little bit of a disaster. I initially tried to do the "Police Box" sign and note on the door with a paper-to-fabric transfer stuff on leather, which failed miserably (twice). I eventually resorted to simply Modge Podging the paper onto the vinyl that I made the case out of. On the top right corner of the case, there are a series of puncture marks from where I tried (unsuccessfully) to sew the hem down about three different times before my double needle eventually gave up, and was reduced to four pieces of one double needle. During my first attempt at sewing the hem, I also ended up backstitching over the button, shattering the side of it. So, not my most successful tale of crafting.

Mishaps aside, I've put together a tutorial on how to make your own Tardis Kindle cover.

Here's what you'll need:

• Blue vinyl (it's that faux leather-type stuff)
• Lining fabric
• A print out of the signs
• Modge Podge
• A button
• Elastic
• Some white leather scraps

What to do:

1. Cut out the basic shape of your cover (this will be determined by the size of your gadget). Cut out your signs and Modge Podge them onto some vinyl scraps. Leave to dry, then cut out, leaving a thin border.
2. Cut out 5 squares from the vinyl for the door panels (the 6th will be formed by the sign you Modge Podged) and stick them on, then sew down to secure.
3. Cut out 12 tiny rectangles from white leather scraps, then glue and stitch them down. Also stitch down your "Police Box" sign.
4. Add a thin strip of vinyl down the middle, and sew down to secure.
   
5. Pin your two cover pieces front-to-front and sew them together. Repeat this with your lining fabric.
6. Turn the cover right-side-out.
7. Add the button to the top front, and a piece of elastic to the top back.
8. Insert your lining, and then fold down a hem at the top. Sew down to secure the lining.

And you're done!

(In this photo, you can see on the top right how my needle savaged the vinyl... Eek.)

If you want, you can also find this tutorial over here on Cut Out + Keep.

I have also been making some cushions for my university residence room, but I'll be making a university update post soon!

Thanks for reading!