I post sewing and crafting tutorials here at the Mermaid’s Den. I love making things and sharing them with you, so you can make them, too.
All in Free Tutorial
Last year, I did a post reviewing my top posts from 2017, so I thought I’d continue that tradition for 2018. Sometimes I know that a post is going to do well, and sometimes I’m surprised by how well something is received. Every time I think I have it figured out, my readers surprise me!
In this post, I’ll show you how to make some super easy embroidered ornaments. I used some of the fancy stitches on my sewing machine and some pretty rayon and metallic threads to embroider these felt ornaments. This post contains a free pdf pattern and a full tutorial for making these ornaments.
In this post, I’ll show you how to make your own reusable handmade produce bags or vegetable storage bags. These are an easy and quick DIY project that even a beginner can make. This will help you reduce your use of disposable plastic bags at the grocery store and adopt a zero waste lifestyle. I adapted this pattern from the drawstring lingerie bags I recently made to help wash delicate items in the laundry. These produce bags are also washable, in case you ever need to clean them.
In this post, I’ll show you how to make a lingerie bag in which to wash delicate or easily damaged items. I bought one of these, and it fell apart after a couple of washes—it just disintegrated and the zipper ripped out. So I decided to sew a sturdier one, while still making it pretty, of course! I made this one out of lace fabric, cord, and a drawstring toggle, since the zipper on the store-bought one caused problems. Read on for the free tutorial and pattern.
In this post, I’ll show you how to refashion a thrifted prom dress to make your own petticoat or crinoline. If you have a circle skirt or a full skirt with lots of fabric, a petticoat is helpful to give it some shape. This is a quick and easy project, and most thrift stores have a selection of old prom dresses, so it’s easy to find the materials. I bought a dress that was several sizes too small for me, but the tulle part of the skirt, which started further down from the waist, was just right for my petticoat. You could also buy a dress that was too big and just gather the tulle fabric more or cut out some of the excess fabric.
In this post, I’ll show you how to make your own poodle skirt using materials you likely have around the house or can find at a thrift shop. You can make a more traditional poodle skirt, or create a silhouette of your own dog to use instead! All this takes is a tablecloth, elastic, and some felt. You could easily finish it in an evening and wear it the next day. This is great for a last minute Halloween costume or just for fun!
In this post, I'll show you how to make a padded carry case with dividers to hold reusable glass straws. Everyone has been trying to get away from un-recyclable, disposable plastics lately, and glass straws are an eco-friendly solution to using plastic straws. I wanted to make sure that my glass straws were well-protected when carrying them in my purse, so I made this cute case out of a couple of fat quarters and some fusible foam.
In this post, I'll show you how to make an easy envelope pillow sham out of silk sari pieces (or scarves). I post projects on Hometalk, and they have weekly challenges and trendy topics for bloggers. This week, the topic is West Elm knock-offs. I was scrolling through Pinterest to find ideas, and I came across some stunning silk sari pillows that inspired this project. This post contains an easy beginner sewing pattern and tutorial for these pillow cases.
In this post, I'll show you how to make some cute and sparkly Art Nouveau themed sewing kits out of old Altoids tins, paper, washi tape, felt, and metal stampings. You can use these to store small sewing and embroidery projects or just as trinket boxes. I've included a free pdf pattern in the body of the post with templates for the top, bottom, and inside of the Altoids tin.
In this post, I'll show you how to easily make your own silk flowers using pretty fabric and an existing bunch of fake flowers. This is a quick, no sew project that will help you use up some fabric scraps and make a beautiful and unique centerpiece. I used a die cutter to cut out my flower pieces, but you can also use free templates online to cut out your flowers. Let's make some pretty flowers!
In this post, I'll show you how to make a patchwork velvet infinity scarf. Scarves are one of my favorite things to sew because you can finish one in an evening and have it to wear the next day! This scarf pattern goes together quickly and easily, and it's super soft around your neck.
In this post, I'll show you how to make earrings out of vintage tins from a thrift shop. Vintage tins have all sorts of fun patterns and designs, so they're perfect to use for jewelry-making, and they're much cheaper than buying patterned or enameled sheet metal.
