No-Sew Primitive Americana Fabric Stars
No sew primitive fabric stars finished with buttons, rusty bells and stamped tags add charming Americana style to your home decor!
Have you been enjoying my
Patriotic Series? I have shared 5 new ideas so far and I have a couple more coming! If you're
loving these Americana vintage style crafts, please let me know! Your sweet
comments keep me motivated!
Today's craft combines fabric with coffee to get that primitive vibe. This is a no-sew project YAY, and it's easy but I do have a few tips and tricks to share to ensure you get the best results. You'll find those below.
Here's the thing...I like old items and primitive decor, but if I'm being totally honest, I find stained items cringy and don't really want to bring someone else's dirt into my home! My primitive crafts are designed to give the look without the actual grime! If that sounds about right to you, be sure to check out all my faux grungy crafts and DIY projects!
How to make no-sew primitive Americana fabric stars
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There is something very satisfying about turning a few fabric scraps into a
beautiful piece of decor that looks as though it's been around for decades!
If you don't love vintage, you can just modify this tutorial to leave out
the grungy bits lol!
Supplies needed:
- coffee stained fabric (I used drop cloth, muslin and red ticking - be sure to use a sturdy cotton fabric)
- star template (make your own from cardboard or shop Dollar Tree for the 10" star I used)
- pen
- hot glue
- polyester stuffing
- rusty bells, cheesecloth, rusty pins, stamps and ink pad for embellishments
Step 1 - coffee stain fabrics
If you love the grungy, primitive look, you'll want to stain your fabrics to get that primitive look. You can do a tea stain or follow this coffee stain recipe below (this comes from my Tracey of My Sweet Home Living).Coffee Stain Recipe
In a mason jar, combine the following:
- 1 cup hot water
- 1/2 cup instant coffee granules
- 2 Tbsp vanilla
- 2 Tbsp cinnamon
Shake to combine. You can store any unused stain in the fridge and it will keep for several weeks.
Tip: if you are staining just a small piece, you can insert the
fabric into the jar of stain, as I did with
these primitive flags. For larger pieces of fabric, I added the whole jar of coffee stain to my
sink with an additional cup or so of water. I soaked three different fabrics
at the same time. The drop cloth and muslin really took the stain, while the
red ticking fabric could have been left in longer. Washing your fabrics
first will remove any sizing and allow it to soak up the stain.
How long to soak fabric in coffee stain?
The length of time you soak the fabrics depends on your personal preference.
Remember that the color will lighten as the fabric dries. I only left mine in
for about 5 minutes.
Step 2 - bake fabrics
Haha, I know what you're thinking - what?? Yes, I did say bake! And I
know you're also thinking WHY? Baking will slowly dry the fabrics, stiffening
it a little bit while also retaining the crumpled look you will get from
pressing out the excess coffee stain. So HOW do you bake your faux primitive
fabrics?
How to bake fabric
- first squeeze out excess liquid from the fabrics
- the trick is to set your oven at the lowest temperature, which will be around 170°
- lay fabric out on a baking sheet (it's okay to overlap the edges a little bit)
- set timer for 15 minutes, then turn fabrics over
- bake in additional 5 minute increments to prevent scorching
- once dry (or nearly dry), remove from oven and let cool
Step 3 - trace and cut out stars
I used a 10" MDF star from the dollar store to trace (see similar
HERE).
You will need 2 fabric star cutouts for each star.
Step 3 - glue stars
Use your hot glue gun to attach the fabric stars together, leaving one end
open. Try to glue an even line around the fabric, creating the look of a hem.
Step 4 - stuff stars
Use small handfuls of stuffing to fill the stars. A small bit in the tips is
easier to work with than a large handful. I stuffed my stars so they're nice
and firm, the end of a paintbrush or pencil can be helpful to really pack the
stuffing in there firmly. Once it's tightly packed and stuffed (check both
sides for lumps and work those out with your finger), hot glue the star
closed.
Step 5 - fray edges
Primitive fabric stars should look slightly tattered and frayed! Use your
fingernail to scrape the edges of the fabric to loosen the threads and fray
it. Cut any long threads but leave the fray.
Step 6 - embellish
You could be finished, but if you want to add a few Americana style details to
your fabric stars, here are a few ideas and the products I used to get this
look.
- stamp small patches using this ink and clear alphabet stamps (use a clear acrylic block to help with placement)
- use rusty safety pins to adhere patches to stars
- tear coffee stained strips of muslin to create bows
- attach a rusty bell or star or a few buttons
Primitive fabric stars make great shelf sitters, you can tuck them into a
tiered tray, basket or even use them in your hutch to add a little distressed
decor.
I hope you use this tutorial as inspiration to inspire your own creativity!
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Looking for more Americana crafts?
bringing beauty to the ordinary,
I am thoroughly enjoying these patroitic posts, diys and how to style! I have gotten all my supplies to help my home feel the history of long ago. Thank you for your ideas and sharing the how to do.
ReplyDeleteThanks Holly, I appreciate your feedback! Glad you're enjoying the series 😉
DeleteYou had me at no sew! These are so cute. I need to get to the fabric store. I haven't been in so long and miss it! Happy summer Cindy.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
Delete