Crafty Reads: Simply Sublime Gifts

Our writer tries out an easy no-sew makeup bag from Jody Kahn's new easy-to-follow book

By Caroline McKenzie
Published: September 15th, 2010 | 10:50am

I love craft books. The pretty pictures and cute projects seduce me every time. Crafting itself is another story. I have a good eye, but the dexterity required—tying bows, free-hand lettering, cutting a straight line, etc.—fall outside my skill set. So, in my house, craft books usually exist more as coffee table art than instruction manuals. I decided to change the status quo, however, when I came across Simply Sublime Gifts: High-Style, Low-Sew Projects to Make in a Snap from Jody Kahn, author of 2008’s popular Simply Sublime Bags.

The book features an easy-to-follow ranking system with icons appearing at the start of each project to give a sense of the time and difficulty involved. The five-scale system ranges from Level 1 (“Projects that require very little time or materials.”) to Level 5 (“Your family won’t be able to use the dining room table for a while, but it’ll be worth it!”) Kahn also provides quick-reference icons to find out if a project requires sewing (and differentiates between hand-stitching and machine sewing). Simply Sublime Gifts also divides the projects by occasion and recipient, ranging from hostesses and girlfriends to guys and kids.

I have a tween niece with a birthday just around the corner, so I decided to try out the Kahn's Washcloth Bag, a cute cosmetic pouch. With Level 2 and No-Sew rankings, plus a supply list comprised of stuff I already have lying around my house (a washcloth, duct tape, and staples), this project seemed too good to be true. But, if it went according to plan, I might just take crafting from spectator sport to actual hobby.

Since I planned to give the bag as a gift, I thought it best to start with a brand-new washcloth. The book calls for 13" x 13", but those proved difficult to find. Instead, I purchased a cheery 12" x 12" and forged ahead.

The new washcloth was wrinkly, so I gave it a once-over with an iron to get it nice and flat. Kahn doesn’t call for this step, but the duct tape required to line the bag seemed to adhere much more neatly as a result.

Next, I needed to trim the washcloth down to a width of 9 1/2 inches. Given previous disasters with attempting to cut straight lines, this step had me anxious; however, the duct tape backing provided the perfect surface for drawing a guide to stay on track.

To my surprise, stapling the seams caused the most difficulty. Kahn’s supply list doesn’t call for a heavy-duty stapler, but that’s really what you need to create strong, tidy seams. My little ten-sheet variety worked well enough, but I skipped the step that added bottom seams to each side. The bag looked fine without them and doing so made the pouch roomier.

Last step: add grommets. I’d never used these nifty little rings before, but they were super-easy to insert. Just make sure to place some padding between the two sets used in this project before you hammer them into place. Otherwise, you may ding them like I did on one side.

And that’s it. Not bad for a project that cost less than $10 and took about half an hour to complete. Simply Sublime Gifts may make a crafter out of me yet.

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Simply Sublime Gifts: High-Style, Low-Sew Projects to Make in a Snap

by Jody Kahn

Potter Craft, August 2010

128 pages