No-Sew Appliques

I completed two projects in the last two weeks that I will be giving as gifts. I am going to list part of the directions now, so they will be listed here as a reference point. Then over the next week, I will show and share the specific projects after I've given them, just in case they are reading this :)

Objective: to cut shapes out of fabric that will later be attached to another surface without involving any sewing, and without the edges fraying. (I want them to look nice and crisp.)

Materials: paper, drawing supplies, scissors, fabric, Mod Podge glue, sponge brush

Procedure: (this is sounding like a middle school science experiment)

1. Draw and cut patterns out of typing paper for the shapes you want. Letters, pictures, etc. You need a separate pattern for each different piece of fabric that you plan to use. For example, I made a dump truck. The cab was to be red, the bed was to be blue, and the tires were to be black. I drew the entire truck, and then cut out each of those parts separately since they were each going to be attached to different pieces of fabric. *Hint: the less different pieces of fabric you plan to use, the simpler your project will be.*

2. Iron and starch the fabric.

3. Using the sponge brush, apply Mod Podge glue to the front side of a piece of pattern. Apply the pattern face-down onto the back side of the corresponding fabric.

4. Turn the pattern/fabric over so you are looking at the right side of the fabric. Apply glue liberally (but with smooth strokes) onto the front of the fabric, covering all the areas where the pattern is behind, and extending a little bit outwards.

5. Turn the entire piece over again so that you can see the pattern again. (I put a cloth underneath now so it didn't stick to the counter.) Apply glue to this side now, covering the pattern and surrounding areas. Basically, you are coating everything with the glue.

6. Hang the entire piece up to dry.

7. Repeat steps 3-6 for each little pattern piece.

8. When dry, the pieces should feel crisp. Quickly iron the frontsides if necessary (it might have curled a little while drying if the fabric is lightweight). Be careful not to remelt the glue.

9. Carefully cut out your letters, pictures, shapes, etc. The patterns will stay attached to the backsides. That's ok, you do not need to remove them. Since all of the pieces were coated with the Mod Podge glue and it has now dried clear, nothing should fray.

Ok, good job. Now gather everything together, you are ready for the next step...

(You could also use fusible webbing such as Wonder Under for a project like this, and the fabric should stay soft and washable. I'd like to try that sometime. In this case, though, I just wanted to use what I already had on hand...)