How to make a Burlap Rose–Part 1

How to prepare burlap for die cutting
How to Die Cut Burlap – Part 2 
My Journey trying to cut burlap on my Pazzles – Part 3

I think, I am late in the game of Burlap!  Funny, loosely woven burlap has traditionally been used for sacks.  I am going to guess that not many years ago, my ancestors used burlap for clothing, or at least that was the stories told along with no shoes to walk in the snow to school.

If you follow my blog, you know that I am a CASE’D crafter!  “Copy and Share Everything”  My burlap flower was inspired by Lorinda’s video.  My Burlap Rose just made this weeks favorite on Splitcoaststampers for the week ending July 20, 2014. 

So, enough rambling, I will grab another cup of coffee and tell you what I learned!

Lorinda’s video will teach you how to create the rose.  If you have never cut burlap before, you are going to be in for a surprise…not a good surprise, but a surprise…the dern stuff is so crooked on the edges…it’s impossible to cut straight.  Take a look at this and come right back.  I will go get another cup of coffee.

Ok, now that you have an idea how to cut the burlap these are the tools you will need.

• Sizzix’s Flower Layers #5
  • Sizzix is out of stock, however I did find mine on ebay.
• Burlap
  • Wallmart, Joannes, Michaels sells this at about 2.99 to 1.99 a yard.  A yard will make a lot of flowers!    You will need three 3.25” Square’s. If you only want to make a few 1/8 of a yard will do.  You can click on the photo and it will take you to this calculator.

 

• Mod Podge
  • Any kind will do…Elmer’s would do.  I even used Liquitex Matte Gell.  What ever you choose to use mix it 1:1 with water. I used a plastic shoe box to mix and dip in.
• Clothes Pins
• Clothes Hanger
• Sicissors
• Pokie tool thing (this is what I use, you can use a paper clip opened up or a needle)  hum, pokie tool thing?  I guess it’s a dentist probe…not liking the sound of that, I will keep it at Pokie tool thing.

Ok now that you have gathered all your things, it’s time to cut your burlap.  Make sure you take a peek at this, if you have never cut burlap before.

Since you are going to be cutting the large image three times, no need to waste your burlap.  I pulled a thread every 3.25 or 3.5 inches across the short side of the fabric. 

Once you have your strips it’s time to mix up your glue.  You don’t have to be exact…just eyeball it and mix it with 50% water in your plastic shoe box.

Take your strips and dip them in their…oh WAIT…..I had to do this outside, close to my garbage can because it’s going to drip like crazy. 

Really wishing I had a clothes line at this point…Now, the card I posted above, I did that bunch of burlap by dipping into the glue and squeezing it out and then hanging it…oh my gosh….yes, it worked, yes, it dried faster, yes, I used way less glue but holy heck Batman, I had to iron it, and iron it again with steam…it was 106 that day and I swore I would NEVER do that again!  Glue is cheep…Air Conditioning not so…

Notice how straight my burlap is….  no ironing this way!

I pour my glue back into the glue container and use it again .

Ok this next step you can do or not…I prep my burlap before I need it, and it would not surprise me if I had a bit of OCD going on.  I trim up my edges.  This makes the next step way easier, if you are concerned with saving burlap, because you can see the edges clearly.

Ah, come on now, aren’t you impressed with how that burlap feels?  Wait until you cut it girlfriend!

That’s all for today folks!  Get your burlap ready and I will see you on the next blog post – Topic – Cutting stiffened burlap on a big shot.  Oh and after that, God Willing, how to cut burlap on an electronic die cutter….

….pssssst….if you took the time to read this and I took the time to write this, please leave me a comment!  It’s the only way I know, if anyone reads them.  It encourages me to write again.  Let me know if you enjoy/or not, my postings.