Monday, July 23, 2012

DIY Boutique Wipes Case (a tutorial)

Have you seen boutique baby wipes cases? They're adorable but so darn expensive!! I wanted one to put in Maia''s bag, but the voice of reason inside my head stopped me.

Seriously?? $25 for a wipes case? No, thank you!

But then I heard the voice of my mom saying, "You could make that!" and I decided I'd try.

I found out they definitely do not cost $25 to make. And they don't take a lot of time either. Want to see how to make one for yourself?

What you need:

A Huggies travel wipes case (which you can find pretty much anywhere they sell diapers and wipes)
A piece of fabric (I used a Fat Quarter*)
A piece of medium weight batting (about 8 1/2" by 10 1/2")
1/2" Gimp** in coordinating color
Mod Podge
A hot glue gun

*My fabric was a "Fat Quarter" which is typically used for quilting. They are pre-cut and the perfect size for this project. Plus, they generally cost about $2, making this a relatively cheap project! You can buy both fabric and batting at a local sewing store, Hobby Lobby, JoAnn's, and online at Fabric.com.

**I bought black Gimp through Fabric.com. I'm sure you can also find it at your local craft store!

Ok, ready?

Start by ironing your fabric. There's nothing worse than working with fabric that's all wrinkled!!

Then, using your rotary cutter and mat (or scissors!) cut your fabric to size. It should be about 9" by 11".

Also cut your batting to about 8 1/2" by 10 1/2".

Using a thin layer of Mod Podge, glue the batting to the case.

If you're like me, you'll end up spilling it at some point or another during this project!

Once the batting is on, open the case and leave it upside down (batting side up) to dry. While it was drying, I was worried about the Mod Podge also drying and ruining my foam brush. I wrapped it in plastic wrap! This is such a great little trick that you can also use when you're painting. Now you don't have to wash the brush and start over or risk it drying out!

Once it's dry, Mod Podge the fabric to the case. I put it directly on the fabric so I could see how much I was using. You want to use very little!! It will seep through the fabric if you glob it on!

Again, open the case and let it dry.

You're almost done!

Now, tuck in the edges as shown in the picture below. Use your hot glue gun to carefully glue the gimp to the case. Be sure to tuck the edge under like you see below!!

Go all the way around the case until you can cut and tuck the edge under on the other side. (You should use clear nail polish on each cut end of the gimp to keep it from fraying out of control.)