How to Make Fusible Appliques

Fusible appliques are often used on quilts.

Fusible appliques offer a simple way to enhance the design and texture of a craft project. "Applique" is a French word meaning "to put on," and fusible means to fuse or bond by melting with heat. An applique is most commonly made from fabric and fused to another piece of fabric. There are other uses also, fusing fabric to paper and a paper design to another piece of paper are all possible. Craft projects include quilting, pillows, T-shirts, felt crafts and handmade greeting cards.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Fusible iron-on adhesive
• Fabric or paper
• Iron

Design

1. If you're not good at drawing, free applique patterns are available online. pencil and paper image by Anita P Peppers from Fotolia.com

   Design what the applique will look like by sketching it on a piece of paper. Decide how many different fabrics you will use to make the complete applique. An applique can be simple and made of one fabric or more complex and made of layered fabrics. For example, you can create a pumpkin from just one layer of orange fabric or you can add dimension and layer leaves cut from green fabric on top of the orange fabric pumpkin.

2. Cut the iron-on fusible adhesive to the size of each shape of your design; cutting out squares and rectangles works best. For example, for a pumpkin you will need a square piece of iron-on adhesive cut to the size you want your pumpkin to be.

3. Initials are commonly appliqued to the front of children's T-shirts. Letter R in leopard fur image by Pete Linforth from Fotolia.com

   Draw the designs with pen or pencil on the paper side of the cut iron-on adhesive; one side of the fusible adhesive is paper and one side is glue, which will feel rough like sandpaper. Remember, this is a reverse of your image because it will be ironed on, paper side up, to the wrong side of your fabric.

   If you are doing a letter or number, it will either have to be drawn on the paper as a mirror image or you will have to trace the shape of the letter onto the front side of the fabric and cut the shape out inside the drawn pen lines.

Iron-on Adhesive Application

1. Don't use fabric softener. laundry image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com

   Pre-wash any fabrics you choose to use for the applique.

2. Make sure the sole plate of the iron is clean. iron image by Goran Bogicevic from Fotolia.com

   Pre-heat the iron according to the package directions of the iron-on adhesive; this is usually the wool, or low setting, without steam.

3. The wrong side of the fabric is the back. bolts of fabric image by Scott Williams from Fotolia.com

   Place the piece of adhesive, which you have drawn the image on, paper side up on the wrong side of the fabric.

4. Overheating the fabric will weaken the bond. iron bottom image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com

   Place and hold the iron on the paper side of the adhesive for about two seconds, or as long as the instructions direct. Use a dry pressing cloth if you are using delicate fabric such as felt. Glide the iron and press for the allotted time until the entire shape is covered and bonded.

5. Use sharp scissors to avoid fraying fabric. scissors image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com

   Let the fabric cool and then cut the shape from the fabric--you have now fused the adhesive to the back of your fabric. When you are ready to apply the applique, simply peel off the paper backing and follow the package instructions for applying the applique on another piece of fabric.

Tips & Warnings

• There are different iron-on adhesives available in regard to "weight." A lite adhesive is a good choice if you will be also sewing on your applique. An ultra, or heavy adhesive, is best for applications that will not be sewn.

• Experiment using iron-on adhesive with paper projects. You will have to use a pressing cloth to protect the paper. It works just like glue, but without all of the mess.

References

• Merriam-Webster Dictionary: Applique
• New Mexico State University: Sewing Machine Applique

Resources

• Free Applique: Applique Patterns
• The Applique Society