Frog Applique
You’ll need to buy a backpack for your kid sooner or later, right? I don’t know what how you feel about the popular spiderman, bob-the-builder- and similar disney-like stuff, but let me show you a nice and easy way to personalize an ordinary (=not pricey!) backpack: a frog applique.
This cost me only 4 eur for the backpack (can you believe it!) and half an hour of stitching.
How-To Add a Frog Applique:
- get a piece of cotton fabric (single color, it helps if it is thicker)
- draw a frog head on it – you can use my idea or draw your own design
- cut it out and put it on a piece of paper (to make sewing easier) – this will make it easier to sew around it as the paper does not stretch.
- start sewing (with paper placed under it) trace all lines using a very short zigzag stitch (satin stitch):
- length should be between 0.5 and zero, just long enough to move forward…
- width should be set to 4 or even 5, feel free to adjust it to your liking
- remove paper and handstitch “the frog” to the backpack using the same thread as before. I did so, but you can use fusible interfacing and simply iron it on if the backpack is not heat sensitive. In this case you will have fused it before sewing and will not need the paper.
If you are a beginner, the stitches won’t be totally straight, but don’t worry – kids don’t mind squiggly lines and you can say it’s because it’s unique 😉
There are tons of additional options: trace something from a coloring book, search the internet for simple drawing ideas, or use your imagination – it’s best you use something with simple lines, not very demanding. At least if you have just a regular sewing machine like me.
If you want a proper how-to add applique using fusible web, check out this tutorial (it has a free template, too)
Our toddler will enter kindergarten after the summer is over and this backpack will accompany him there. If your kids like critters, make a fun spider – no sewing, but a lot of crafty fun for all!
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