My favorite kinds of DIY projects are the ones when you find an unexpected way to reuse something-- preventing it from an eternity in a landfill and making a unique and special keepsake in the process. After my kids grew out of the toddler stage, I found myself with some teeny tiny cute jeans... but without anyone to wear them. My idea-- upcycle the jean pockets into a banner for Thanksgiving. You and your family can tuck little messages in the pockets and share what you're Thankful for on turkey day.
Supplies: 4 pairs of toddler-size jeans, large letter stamps, StazOn ink, light colored fabric. Not pictured: Crop-a-dile, 16 eyelets, string, twine or ribbon (I used kitchen string), a circle template or glass to trace, sharp scissors, pinking shears, craft glue (I use Crafter's Pick). Optional: sewing machine and random embellishments.
Cut out 8 pockets using your sharp scissors. Leave about an inch around the two side and the bottom. For the top, leave as much room as possible.
Using a circle template or a glass, trace and 8 circles on your fabric. Grab the letter stamps and StayzOn and stamp a letter (Grateful) in the center of each circle.
Line up the pockets and trip the tops to make them even-ish while leaving enough room for eyelets.
This next step is totally optional. I chose to use my sewing machine to make a circle border around each letter before I glued them on the pockets.
Use the handy Crop-o-dile to set two eyelets in each pocket. That's where the string with go through.
Use the string/ribbon/twine to "string" the banner
Go through your stash of ribbons and craft supplies and grab anything in the color scheme you are using and glue it on.
Cut eight 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 squares out of cardstock or construction paper to tuck in the pockets. Have everyone write down what they are thankful for on a square.
The best part is sharing each other's cards out loud during your turkey dinner. Wishing you all a happy and crafty Thanksgiving!
