January | 2013 | Two Striped Cats

Monthly Archives: January 2013

January 26, 2013 · 5:48 pm

Upcycling: Pretty Fabric Bangles

I made these cute fabric-covered bangles for my little girl the other day. I’d been meaning to make some since I saw a lovely bunch of them at the local handmade markets. Rather than buying new materials for craft projects, I like to up-cycle old stuff that’s destined for the bin. I’d already bought a couple of preloved hard plastic bangles complete with bright pink and bright blue animal prints from a charity store – fabric-covering the solution to these being fashionable again. They will have to be covered another time because Miss L found some used glow sticks on our recent camping trip and insisted on bringing them home…Mummy took them aside when Miss L was sleeping and turned them into something much prettier. Miss L agreed they were lovely with the nice fabric.

Covering the bangles with fabric is a very quick and simple process. Simply cut a length of fabric (I used a vintage fabric remnants from a charity store) around 25mm wide and up to a metre long – I used 80cm lengths for these bangles as they are small. Fold in one side of the strip to the centre, running along it’s entire length and ironing in place as you go. Do the same with the other side, so that you end up with a long length of fabric with neat folded edges on either side. Then start wrapping!

I found that I didn’t need to glue the fabric in place at the start, but if you find it’s wanting to slip away then feel free to add a small dab of glue to secure the fabric to the bangle. You need to be quite firm with the wrapping, keeping a hold on the free fabric strip as you go.

Keep wrapping until the bangle’s covered and you reach the end of the strip. Then simply glue the end in place (I used PVA) inconspicuously on the inner side of the bangle.

You can whip up…or wrap up…a bundle of these in no time. They ‘d make great gifts for little girls…or big girls if you use regular size bangles.

Do you have some old, ugly bangles from the 80’s or 90’s you could cover? Or are you wondering what you could do with some expired glow sticks that your kids have acquired? Then give bangle-covering a go!

Summer Holiday

My family of four spent a week camping on the shores of Myall Lake a couple of weeks ago. What a special and ideal place to holiday with young kids! We had a prime camping spot just metres from a little lakeside beach (with white sand!!) and we were welcomed within minutes of arriving by some friendly resident wildlife. It was not surprising that the animals were so keen to make our acquaintance…after we ate our first meal! We quickly became very familiar with several cheeky black ducks, a large nonchalant goanna, some noisy noisy miners and the tamest blue-faced honeyeaters I’ve ever encountered.

The lake was a perfect swimming spot for young kids, being only waist high, very calm and brackish (so not inclined to sting and clear the sinuses like the salt water at the beach, but also not inclined to be smelly and murky, like some freshwater lakes) and no nasties like sharks (apparently…though unless the water is only ankle high and miles upstream from the ocean I always imagine there might be that one adventurous shark waiting to catch me unawares). My four-year-old daughter increased her swimming confidence dramatically over one week because of no fear and basically not getting out of the water much at all. Which worked well with those recent hot days that the whole of Australia experienced.

I always enjoy a good camping trip. It awakens some very fond childhood memories. It reminds me that there are certain things we have or do in life that really aren’t that important…and others that are super important and special (like just hanging out with my family). It helps me connect with nature and the outdoors. And it gives me a chance to slacken off a bit with housework…though I was slightly uncomfortable with my husband’s decision that feet didn’t require de-sanding before entering the annexe, and consequently found myself sweeping it out several times a day.

We will definitely be returning to this camping spot…for more swimming, kayaking, sailing, sandcastle constructing, eating yummy camp food, sitting back watching nature, making new friends, and hopefully reuniting with the friends (animals included) we made this summer.

Do you like to go camping? Or do you loathe it?! Where is your fave camping spot? Maybe you haven’t been since you were a kid. I’d love to hear your camping stories.