Fat Quarter Friday Tutorial - Shoe Fresheners
Welcome to this week's Fat Quarter Friday tutorial. Please feel free to use this tutorial to make your own shoe fresheners to use or give as a gift, but please do not make them to sell without my permission. If you pass this tutorial on please link back to this blog. And if you make one, I'd LOVE to see it.
Natural shoe freshener (no chemicals!)
This week's is a really quick and easy one. Of course, if you make it as a gift you're kind of saying that your recipient has smelly feet but then, as Mr Marmadaisy says, if you have smelly feet you probably already know it!
We all love a good cuppa, and I know that I can't sew without at least one. But not many people realise that tea has been used as a natural deodorant for centuries. You can use black or green tea, but I find that black tea works best. Obviously, tea can leave nasty stains so don't use these in light coloured shoes, or shoes that are wet.
You will need:
4 pieces of fabric 10cm x 16 cm
Approx 100g Fair Trade loose leaf tea (you could also dry used tea bags and use the loose leaves)
To put it together:
Sew two pieces of fabric, right sides together around the two long sides and one of the short sides. Back stitch at the corners.
Trim the seams and corners.
Turn right side out and press.
Using a funnel, fill each sack to just over half way.
Shake gently to settle the contents to the bottom of the sack.
Turn the top edge in 1cm, and pin sides together to close the gap.
Sew the gap closed, being sure to take your stitches over the edges to completely close off the bottom.
You can top stitch all around the sides for extra strength (and to make it look nice).
Pop the sacks into your trainers/ wellies or whatever when storing and this should help them to stay fresh.
These ones were tested most rigorously on Mr Marmadaisy's slippers and let me tell you, they cope remarkably well.
11 comments:
Fab idea ..if you don't buy tea will coffee work as well?bet it would.x
I think it's something to do with the tannin.
WoW, those are great ... i guess you could do it with Bicarb of Soda too. Did you use your shiney new camera for those pics?? Have a great weekend!
I am totally going to make these! Waeing my flats in the snaow and rain without stockings has left them quite stinky! Fantastic! I was just complaining about my situation!
I need to make these for my daughter who loves to wear shoes without socks (whew! they get to stinking in a hurry).
What a great idea! I only wish I had smelly feet.......ahem.......
I've always wondered what to do with a fat quarter (I'm not much of a seamstress), I've seen some beautiful one's for sale on Etsy.
Love this idea! I have tons of fat quarters, and a husband with very stinky shoes. Perfect combo for this project.
What a great idea, I must try this as soon as I've gathered enough used teabags!
BTW it was strange to see "me" on the bar on the left, - I thought" strange someone else from here is reading this... but then I realised...how does it know where I'm coming from? Spooky!
This is fabulous. I soak my feet and my son's (supremely stinky) feet in a tea bath....so this makes perfect sense. Thanks so much!!!
i love that link you have given for uses of green tea. I may have to buy that book. i have forwarded it to my friend who has a cat (gentle hint on the cat litter front)
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