TWENTY-TWO THINGS TO DO WITH A SIMPLE PATTERN

Dear Crafty People,

You are the superior folk who like to do things and are creative. Your brain is especially agile in seeing possibilities. It is to you that I dedicate this article.  Go forth and Create with blessings upon you!

TWENTY-TWO THINGS TO DO WITH A SIMPLE PATTERN.

1. Take something simple like the picture of an apple from a magazine or even ad copy.  Enlarge ti to coaster size and make say six copies.  Layer them with construction paper to thicken them up or make cut outs from cardboard.  Laminate the stack and trim around the apple motif. Now make a copy of your favorite apple dish recipe and this makes a great gift to someone you can mail for thrifty money and with the personal touch. Friends and relatives will see you cared enough to expend energy and time on them because they are important to you.

2. Do it one better, and make coasters of cloth apples or whatever pattern you are using, and make two opposing apples that you can fill  with a thick batting to absorb moisture.  Stitch the pattern pieces right sides together, turn, slip the batting in.  The batting is cut 1/4 th in smaller to fit, of course, and finish by hand.  Make leaves of felt to finish the effect. Stitch on for security.  Include the recipe or not with a gift this nifty. And this gift is washable to reuse and still look nice.

3. Enlarge the pattern to make a trivet using the same instructions as in the second example. Make sure the batting is thick enough to pad the table from a heat mark from a really hot dish.  

4. For ease of working with it, enlarge half of the pattern you are using to make a piece large enough to make a cat or dog lounge pad.  Place it on the fold of appropriate cloth and cut. Cut two patterns, front and a backing piece. Cut padding and insert into the piece as in the second example.  Stitch up as before, and you have a place to catch cat or dog hairs besides the furniture.   
5. Make single pieces from the pattern to make appliques for garments or quilt blocks.

6. Make construction paper invitations from the pattern.

7. Make place markers from your pattern (whatever is appropriate for the occasion)  for your next event. Decorate at will.

8. Make a paper bookmark and laminate it.  You could even add a quote or affirmation before it is laminated. Add glitters to make it dazzle.

9. Cut out of pretty paper the pattern you are using and add a child’s photo for the family tree.  This is where the apple is a good pattern to use.  Make the Tree out of felt easy enough if you don’t already have a family tree to display.

10.  Make a copy of the pattern small enough to glue onto flower pots for gifts or yourself.  You deserve elegance too.  It might be a good idea to spray a craft sealant on to protect it from harm.

11. Trace the pattern on a transparency found in office supply stores.   Use glass paints and liquid leading to fill in the details to make a suncatcher for your window.  Hang or use glue stick to attach it to the window.  

12.  The idea used in number eleven can be expanded to make a mosaic of the pattern for a different look.

13.  Use the pattern over a cement mold for a stepping stone with either mosaic or simple details.  Grace your yard with colorful stepping stone of a unique nature.

14.  Decorate a cake with the pattern made out of colored frosting, sparkles or colored candies.  This idea can be expanded to use the pattern to make decals, for want of a better name, out of candy. Make up the recipe for candy fillings of sugar and butter, coloring added as needed.  Roll flat and shape the pattern either by simply cutting the shape or piecing together a more complicated pattern.  Apply the finished pattern to the cake over the frosting.  What kid of any age wouldn’t like the fancy touch that you did at home!   If you are really good, a whole scene of candy shapes can make the cake a delight.  Does the phrase, “paying hobby” come to mind?  The bakery gets big bucks for doing this with plastic or wax figures.  Your creation is edible and non-toxic.

15.  Make a stamp out of the pattern.  Cut a potato in half and remove all but the pattern for a half inch down around the pattern to make a quick stamp.  Food coloring will make a good ink to put the pattern on food.  Squares of cheese on a casserole for the quilter’s brunch can be stamped like a quilt block for a fancy touch.  Peal the potato afterwards, cut off the stamp and have spuds for your own dinner.  Waste not: want not.

16. Make a rubber stamp out of the pattern with supplies from the craft store of your choice.  Stamp everything from stationary to a dull wall space, plates, cabinet doors, your table, holiday decorations on the windows with glass wax, Etc.

17.  Use the pattern directly on the window with an grease pencil for easy removal and fill in with glass wax details.  Any holiday or event or just ‘cuz, is good enough reason.  And you get clean windows for the next occasion that needs a window decoration when you clean off the old art. .  

18.  Cut out the shape of your pattern from a half inch thick piece of rolled out polymer clay, bought or even salt dough made at home.  Cut out an oval, square or circle in the middle to display a photograph.  Make a small hole in the top to hang with ribbon or chord. Bake it or let it dry, as needs be.  Paint it if necessary and attach the photo to the back to look out fo the pattern your chose.

19.  Use the pattern on a grid large enough to reproduce it for a flower bed and fill in the pieces with the appropriate colors of flowers (or vegetables, in this economy).  Even silk or plastic flowers can be used to reduce water usage.  (Aren’t you using gray water to water the flower beds?)

20.  Use an enlarged pattern to make a pattern of colored rocks for your landscape.  Potted plants could punctuate the pattern you intend.

21.  Reproduce  your pattern for a mural on a wall that needs sparkle.  

22.  You deserve a break, bake some sugar cookies and cut the shapes from your pattern over the flattened dough.

This started out to be fourteen uses for a pattern but the creative muses spoke to me.  Enjoy.