Craft Ideas Using Bandanas
Bandannas aren't just for cowboys anymore. Along with the traditional red and deep blue, they're now available in yellow, pink, pale blue and lavender, in new print patterns and with photographic images. Use all one color and design, or mix them up. Go for traditional uses, or craft some home-decor items from the sturdy squares.
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Make a Quilt
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Fold a bandanna in half to form two large triangles or fold it again to form four smaller triangles. Cut the fabric along the folds. You can use the triangles in a flying geese, star or any other pattern that uses triangle shapes. Fold the bandanna into squares and cut along the folds for any pattern that uses square shapes.
Use all red bandannas for a redwork quilt. Use blue bandannas on a white background for a Dresden-look quilt. Mix blocks cut from pastel bandannas for a garden or flower quilt. Use varied patterns of bandannas for a crazy quilt. Or buy picture-print bandannas and make a themed quilt.
Make a Curtain or Valance
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You'll be using the bandannas with the points up, down, left and right, in a diamond shape.
Fold a bandanna into a triangle and measure across the widest point. Measure the width of your window to determine how many bandannas you'll need. Be sure to include seam allowances. Next, measure the bandanna from the point to the middle of the fold. Measure the length of your window to determine how many bandannas you'll need. You'll be using half-bandannas for the top and the sides to create straight edges.
Fold all the bandannas into triangles and press. Cut some of them in half for the top and sides of the curtain or valance, according to your measurements.
Sew half-bandannas to the upper left and right halves of full bandannas until you have enough for the width. Each piece will have three half-triangles on top and one half-triangle ( the bottom half of a full bandanna) on the bottom. Sew the pieces together, fitting the half-triangles together at the top.
For the next row, sew a half-triangle to the bottom left half of the first bandanna. Sew a full bandanna to the bottom right half. Continue adding full bandannas until you reach the end, and add another half-bandanna.
Repeat this step as many times as needed to reach the length you need. The last row will be the bottom halves of full bandannas, which will give you a pointed edging.
Make a rod pocket and header by sewing a 6-inch-wide piece of matching or contrasting fabric to the top, right sides together, then turning it, pressing it in half, pressing under a half-inch on the raw edge and sewing it to the top of the piece along the seam line you just made. Sew a seam about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches up for the rod pocket; this will also create a header.
Make a Tablecloth
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You can sew bandannas together to create an all-bandanna tablecloth, or applique individual bandannas to an existing tablecloth. You can cut shapes from the bandannas by using quilting templates, tracing around cookie cutters or making patterns from coloring books or magazine pictures.
Make a tablecloth for a boy's birthday party by cutting cowboy-hat and neckerchief shapes from red bandannas. Make a cloth for a girl's party by cutting pastel bandannas into ballet-slipper, doll, purse and tiara shapes. Or buy bandannas printed with pictures and cut out the images. Applique them using matching or contrasting thread, or use fusible interfacing.
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