Burlap Is The New Black

Last month at the thrift store I came across some burlap and have been exploring it as a medium ever since. It started with a little burlap bag makeover.



25 cent bag, 35 cent fabric scrap.



My new 60 cent bag. I love it.



Especially the side pockets just the right size for water bottles.

Next came a little burlap birdie. No surprise to most of you that I made yet another bird.



But this is my first bird with eyes (made of cloves),





and legs (made of sticks). This was the easiest and fastest bird yet. I left the raw edges of the burlap exposed to create a fringe.

Then there were the little gift bags I whipped up.



A plain little 5 inch square drawstring bag, just the right size to hold several acorn necklaces.



And a pretty little bag for Avery's friend, embellished with leaves made from a felted sweater and a pink button for a blossom.

Perhaps my favorite project made from burlap is this pear.



I used the pear template from UK Lass in US; I enlarged the pattern by an 1/8 of an inch around the top, and a 1/4 inch around the bottom to make the pear plump.



My favorite part of the pear is the leaf, which I crocheted from copper wire. Come back tomorrow and I'll show you how to crochet your own metal leaves. Such a fun project with so many possibilities.

Of course, I'm not the only blogger playing with burlap right now. My friend Maya*Made has been creating beautiful and useful objects from burlap. Check out her blog and etsy store if you haven't already.

Here's some music to craft by - Madeleine Peyroux and friends have been keeping me company. Enjoy!