Spring is edging closer and closer. Before you know it, rain will be abundant along with wellies and umbrellas! Yes... a see of boring umbrellas. Or not? How about you follow along and see how to make your own prettied up ruffled umbrella! PS, it cost me only $2.25 to make this. Thank you dollar store!
Get your self two umbrellas. I bought two identical ones from the dollar store (Dollar Tree) so my ruffles would match the umbrella exactly. But you could use two different coloured umbrellas, or recycle a few you already have.
Carefully remove the fabric from the umbrella frame of the one you want to use for the ruffles. Snip all the little threads, the nubbies from the ends of the spokes and cut it away from the top of the umbrella frame. If the frame is in good shape, stick it in the craft cupboard for another day.
Cut the fabric with sharp scissors into a giant spiral. Just free hand it. You will end up with one long coiled strip. I cut mine to be about 2 inches wide.
Bust out the sewing machine. Load it up with some coordinating thread. Again, just free hand it. There is no need for pinning and such. Along one side, about half an inch in, sew along the coil of fabric bunching it up with your fingers as you go as shown above.
When you are done, it should look something like this. Trim off any loose threads or jagged areas on the fabric.
Warm up the glue gun and open up the other umbrella. Before you start gluing, make sure your ruffle is long enough to go all the way around the edge of the umbrella. I had only two inches extra! Start gluing the ruffles you made onto the edge of the intact umbrella. Keep going all the way around with the glue a bit at a time. Trim off any excess ruffle and you are done!
I made this one for myself for day to day so I went pretty neutral with navy blue. But, I think it would be super fun to do some bright contrasting colours too!
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I had to pin this for my to-do list - these would be such great gifts!! Thanks for the detailed how-to - I can hear the dollar store calling my name :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking a look Cameron!
DeleteI adore this!! what a great idea! thank you. I hate boring umbrellas!
ReplyDeletehttp://munchtalk.blogspot.com/
What a cute idea! It adds so much to a boring umbrella. Thanks for linking up at Giggles, Glitz & Glam!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea. My daughters would love this.
ReplyDeletereally cute
ReplyDeleteI love it!! Actually, my youngest sister would love this... I'm thinking quick and easy birthday present!
ReplyDeleteLOVE IT!!! Seriously, now I wish I lived where it rains more!
ReplyDeleteYou should join me for Handmade 52!
http://raisingoranges.blogspot.com/
This is such a great idea.. and it looks soo pretty! I love it! Thanks so much for sharing with the Pink Hippo party.. can't wait to see what you share next!
ReplyDeleteI am also following you via linky!
This is so very cute! I live in Costa Rica, and for a few months it rains nearly every afternoon.(I love it!)My last umbrella broke in December, so this is definitely a possibility! Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis is SO cute! Definitely pinning this. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is so fun!! Thanks for linking up to my Show-It-Off Thursdays party!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to spruce up an ordinary umbrella! Thank you for sharing at Taking A Timeout Thursday!
ReplyDeleteIf I didn't already own a cute umbrella this would be it! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteVery cool, thank you for sharing the tutorial.
ReplyDeleteI linked it in a serie I'm writing for my blog (http://rock-n-roll-stops-the-traffic.blogspot.it/2012/04/diy-from-head-to-toe-7.html), hope you don't mind :)
cool idea!!! Thanks :)
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