Category: Sewing

Soda Tab Flower

How to Crochet with Pop-Tops

Over the past few years we have received numerous emails from crafters who want to know how to crochet with pull-tabs. This DIY Tutorial will teach you how to make a pull-tab flower. The flower can be made into a Christmas tree ornament, a brooch or incorporated into a bigger project.

Step 1: Materials & Tools

6 pull-tabs
Crochet thread (1 or 2 colors). We recommend a strong synthetic fiber that is resistant to abrasion
Lighter
Scissors
Wire cutters
No 3 crochet needle

Step 2: Prepare Your Pull-Tabs

Choose tabs that are in good condition. Wash them until they are clean and shiny. Use the wire cutters to remove any sharp edges.

Step 3: Start Crocheting

Begin crocheting the center of the flower using a single stitch to cover the ‘thin side’ of the tab (top figure) (the side that’s pulled when a can is opened). Repeat this step, joining all 6 pull-tabs in a line. (bottom figure).

Step 4: Connect the Circle

Pull the line of tabs into a circle and crochet them together (top figure). Fill in the middle space with single stitches until it forms the center of the flower (bottom figure). Cut the thread leaving a small tail. Burn the thread’s end with the lighter to prevent the thread from fraying.

Step 5: Add Color to the ‘Petals’

Cover the outer ring of the pull-tab using a double stitch with different colored thread. There are 22 double stitches per tab.

Step 6: Cover and Connect

Cover all tabs in this same manner, connecting each of the petals together.

Step 7: Finish the Flower

When the last tab is covered, join it to the first one with a single stitch. Finish it off by burning the end of the thread to prevent fraying. You’re done!

Some ideas for your finished flower:

Sew or hot glue a pin on the back to create a brooch
Attach a loop of thread to create a snowflake holiday ornament
Crochet many flowers together to form a wall hanging or a scarf.

Crocheted Pumpkins

Used stitches:
Slip stitch (ST)
Half double crochet (HDC)
Double crochet (DC)

You need:
Orange yarn
Green or brown yarn
Matching crochet hook
Filling
Stitch marker or safety pin

(I used Rico Creative Cotton and a 4 mm hook)

Before you start: place your marker in the first stitch of every tour, this will save you loads of trouble (trust me!)

Pumpkin
In orange:

Round 1. Create a ‘magic circle’ or chain 2 and work in the second stitch from the hook. 8 SC in the ring.
Round 2. *1 SC in the sc of the last round and 2 SC in the next*, repeat till the end of the round (12 SC)
Round 3. *1 SC in the sc of the last round and 2 SC in the next*, repeat till the end of the round (18 SC)
Round 4. *1 SC in the two SCs of the last tour and 2 SCs in the 3rd *, repeat till the end of the round (24 SC)
Round 5. *1 SC in the next 2 SCs of the last tour and 2 SCs in the 3rd*, repeat until end of the round (32 SC)
Round 6. *1 SC in the next 3 SCs of last round and 2 SC in the 4th*, repeat until round (40 SC)
Round 7 and 8. 1 SC in every SC of last tour (40 SC)
Round 9. *1 SC in the next 3 SCs of last tour and SC 4th and 5th together (decrease)*, repeat until the end of the round (32 SC)
Round 10. *1 SC in the next 2 SCs of the last round and SC the 3rd and 4th together (decrease)*, repeat until end of round (24 SC)
Round 11. *1 SC in the next 2 SCs of last tour and SC the 3rd and 4th together*, repeat until the end of the round (18 SC)
Round 12. *1 SC in the first SC and SC the 2nd and 3rd together*, repeat until the end of the tour (12 SC)
Start filling your pumpkin!
Round 13. *1 SC in the first SC and SC the 2nd en 3rd together*, repeat till the end of the round (8 SC)

The pumpkin is now almost closed. Keep decreasing until it’s entirely closed. Finish and leave a long piece of thread at the end. Pull this thread 6 or 8 times through the heart of the pumpkin. Make it nice and tight to create that real pumpking ‘effect’.

If you’d like a bigger pumpkin, just keep increasing after round 6 untill you think your pumpkin is big enough.

Leaves
With green or brown

Chain 7
SC in the 2nd chain from the hook. Then: 2 SC, 2 DC, 1 HDC and 2 SC. On the other side of the chain you hook: 2 SC, 1 HDC, 2 DC en 2 SC.

Finish one of the two threads on each leaf and use the other thread to attach the leaves to the pumpkin. I made two leaves, but if you’ve made a bigger pumpkin you can of course make more leaves.

via

Imperfecto Toys

Use scraps of fabrics and stuffing to create cute toys like these. I love the one with the mustache. Cute crafts like this prove that everything doesnt have to be perfect, especially for an amateur seamstress like me.