How to Make a 3D Jar Lid Insert From a Plastic Canvas
Plastic canvas, also known as vinyl weave, is a medium well-suited for three-dimensional crafts. Since the material is stiff, it does not need starch, interfacing or other stiffeners added to create the desired effect. Plastic canvas can be used to make a jar lid insert. Smaller pieces of canvas can be used to create a strawberry plant, with the leaves, flowers and berries providing the third dimension. Supplies can be found at craft and hobby stores, and one lid insert can be made in less than a day.
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Things You'll Need
- Mason jar with lid and ring band
- Plastic canvas
- Scissors
- Needle
- Yarn: brown, green, red, white and yellow
- Hot glue or craft glue
Instructions
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Place the lid ring upside down on a piece of plastic canvas. Trace around the inside of the ring onto the plastic. The plastic canvas piece should be only as large as the opening on the ring so that it does not interfere with the lid when the ring band is put on. Cut out the traced circle.
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Cut nine leaf, six flower and two strawberry shapes from the plastic canvas. Leaves measure seven holes by eight holes. Flowers measure five holes by five holes. Strawberries measure five holes by six holes.
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Use the brown yarn to cover the circle cut from the plastic canvas. This is the base that will hold the three-dimensional pieces on top of it. Whipstitch the edges first, then fill in the center with a variety of long and short stitches, as desired. This area will not be easily seen, so the variety of stitches add another textural element.
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Make the leaves. Hold the leaf square so that the rows of seven squares are at the top and bottom. Find the center square on the bottom row. Bring the needle up one square to the left of center on the bottom of the cutout. Stitch over one empty square, diagonally up and to the left. The next stitch is in the center square of the bottom row to the right of the first stitch, and crosses two empty squares, also up to the left. Bring the needle up in the square directly above where the last stitch started, and cross one empty square, also up and to the left. Repeat this stitch again, in the next square up. The last part of the leaf on the left side begins in the next square up, and only crosses into the next empty square. Repeat this stitch one more time. Do the same stitches on the right-hand side of the leaf. Start one square to the right of center, with stitches going diagonally up and to the right. The center square is shared with the right and left sides of the leaf, so stitches radiate diagonally from the center. Whipstitch all edges, and trim away unused canvas. Repeat for the remaining eight leaves.
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Make the strawberries. Hold the plastic canvas so that the rows with five squares are horizontal. Using the red yarn, begin stitching in the square that is one to the right of center on the bottom. Make a single stitch, crossing into the next open square at a diagonal up and to the right. Make the next stitch in the next square to the left of the first stitch, and cross over one open square up and to the right. Bring the needle back up in the next square to the left from where the last stitch began, and make another diagonal stitch up and to the right that crosses over two open squares. Bring the needle up in the next square to the left from where the last stitch began, and make a stitch that crosses over three open squares, also up and to the right. The next stitch begins in the square directly above where the last stitch began, and crosses over two open squares, also up and to the right. Do this stitch again in the next square up. The final stitch crosses over a single open square and begins in the next square up from where the last one began. Whipstitch edges and trim. Make two.
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Make the flowers. Use the yellow yarn to make a cross stitch in the center of the flower piece. Use the white to make single stitches at each of the four corners of the center stitch. The bottom right stitch is a diagonal up and to the right, while the bottom left is up and to the left. The top right stitch is diagonal down and to the right, while the top left stitch is down and to the left. Use the scissors to snip the canvas weave between the white stitches. This makes the petals of the flower. To give the flower added dimension, whipstitch the edges together around the outside. This creates a little cup-like flower.
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Assemble the lid. Glue the brown circle onto the jar lid so that it is centered. Place the flowers, strawberries and leaves on the lid in a way that is attractive to you. These are the 3-D elements of the jar lid, and will be higher than the lid itself. The flowers will stick up the highest since they are cup shaped. Glue pieces into place. Let dry completely before using or giving.
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Tips & Warnings
Draw the stitching patterns onto graph paper first, if desired. This can be a reference to look at while stitching.
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
