How to print onto fabric using your printer!!

When I find a new craft idea, I seem to go overboard and try it every which way, and I can't stop myself from telling everyone about it.....apologises to my husband!!  I've looked through my 'pins' and can't find the link, so sorry to whoever came up with the idea, I will link you in when I get time to hunt it down, promise :)

Equipment
Freezer paper
Lightweight fabric
Printer (I've got an ink jet/top-loading one)
Iron

First cut your freezer paper to the right size to fit in your printer (for me that was A4 size) and iron it to the back of your chosen light weight fabric....if it's too thick it will get stuck in your printer, so far I've used calico and patchwork material and they have both been fine in mine.

Then trim your fabric down to the same size as your freezer paper on the back making sure to trim off any dangling loose threads, otherwise these could jam your printer too.

Then print onto the fabric as you would a piece of paper (you might want to practice on a piece of paper first just to check which way to load the fabric). Once printed, peel off the freezer paper (if you need to) and that's it!!?!...I can't wait to show you some projects I've been working on for Christmas pressies, but unfortunately I won't be able to show you till the New Year otherwise some of my family will know what they are getting.

Hope you have as much fun with this as I have...I have literally been squealing and clapping my hands in delight when my fabric has come out the other end of the printer, and I'm not joking either, love it!!

Christmas Pouches

Another idea that originated from Pinterest, wahoooo, I'm actually making something that I've pinned!!!!!  Below is the original idea.....mmmm, me thinks, I need to invest in a new camera and some photography classes very soon, lol :) 

picture source

I thought I'd make this gift more religious as the candy cane can represent the shepherds staff.  So I used Microsoft word to do a template, I changed the page format to landscape, and divided the page into 4 columns, typed out the words and added the graphics below.  I used the candy cane as a guide to the size up both the white and red pieces of paper/card. 

I then lined them up and sewed along the edge of the white front, remembering to reverse over the beginning and the end of the stitching to hold them firmly in place, trim the loose threads, slide in a candy cane....and it's done :)  These work out really cheap, but make great gifts for neighbours, friends, teachers, postman etc.

I also made another type of 'pouch' using vellum for the front so that the chocolate gold coins could be seen inside.  I then use a hole punch to  make a hole at the top and threaded through some gold ribbon...this one works out a bit more expensive, but is sooo cute (I know I'm biased!!)

You could make these pouches in all different shapes and sizes and fill them with lots of different and exciting things, the possibilities are endless!!!

Movie Night Gift

 I made these movie night bags for my children's teachers one year and they loved them, my children helped to choose and pack the goodies to go in the bag.

I made a foam stamp for the paper bag (click HERE for tutorial) and got stamping!! :)  You could just as easily print something off the web, draw it on etc.  We filled the bags with an assortment of goodies...a can of pop, sweets, microwave popcorn, nuts, chocolate, and of course, we had to have a few 'samples' along the way, nom nom!!

I then cut out a star and wrote on the words 'because even 'stars' need a night off'.....you could do 'because you're a star', or whatever takes your fancy.  We've also used this idea for a family gift too and included a dvd with it.