How to Make Crafts With Rexlace
Rexlace is plastic lace that comes in a wide variety of bright and bold colors. Rexlace is also known as gimp, a name that many adults may recognize from their own childhood crafting projects. Both adults and children can use Rexlace to make many useful and attractive items. Rexlace is inexpensive, easy to work with and readily available at crafting and discount stores.
Things You'll Need
- Saucepan
- Bowl
- Ice
- Wooden dowel (1/4-inch to 1/2-inch diameter)
- Duct tape
- Scissors
Instructions
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Make Rexlace Curls
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1
Curl lengths of Rexlace to use in various crafting projects. Fill saucepan three-quarters full with water and bring the water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water.
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2
Wind a length of Rexlace onto the wooden dowel starting at one end of the dowel. Begin the wrapping so that the tail of the Rexlace is held in place by the subsequent wraps.
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3
Keep the wraps close to each other along the dowel and wrap until the Rexlace curl is the desired size.
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4
Fasten the other end of the Rexlace to the other end of the dowel with a small piece of duct tape . Clip any excess Rexlace.
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5
Insert the end of the dowel into the boiling water and hold it there for 20 seconds.
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6
Remove the dowel from the boiling water and immediately insert it into the ice water in the bowl. Hold it in the ice water for 20 seconds.
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7
Remove the dowel from the water and carefully remove the duct tape to remove the curl from the dowel. Handle the curl carefully.
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8
Trim off any excess Rexlace if desired. Use the Rexlace curl to decorate items such as barrettes or bookmarks.
Loop Stitch
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9
Weave Rexlace into a versatile loop stitch to use for a variety of projects. Fold a 20-inch length of Rexlace in half.
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10
Begin the stitch by using the fold point of the Rexlace as a loop. Bring a Rexlace strand around the loop as if you were going to tie a knot, but stop after you have wrapped it around the loop.
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11
Make a loop with the wrapped strand of Rexlace and push this loop through the loop made in Step 2 approximately 1/2 inch.
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12
Pull the Rexlace strand used to make the first loop tightly around the loop pushed through in Step 3.
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13
Use the strand pulled to tighten in Step 4 to make another 1/2-inch size loop and push this through the existing loop.
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14
Pull the other Rexlace strand to tighten the loop around the loop just pushed through.
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15
Continue making new loops, inserting them into the existing loops, and pulling the last strand tight around the new loop to make a Rexlace loop stitch. You will be alternating the strands used to make the loops and the strands pulled tightly around the loops each time. This stitch can be used to make keychains, zipper pulls and decorations for barrettes.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Be very careful when working with boiling water to curl the Rexlace. An adult should perform these steps.
