Make a Wet Bag Using a Vinyl Tablecloth

I’ve been in love with the “wet bag” concept ever since I saw my first one. A wet bag is a waterproof bag used mostly by mothers who use cloth diapers as a convenient and safe way to transport soiled diapers while they’re out and about. However, the uses don’t end there. Even if you don’t cloth diaper you could always use a waterproof bag to carry around soiled outfits and really anything else that’s been dowsed with fluids from either end of a baby.

My kids are well past the baby stage (Thank the Lord!) but wet bags are also great for toting around wet swimsuits after a day at the pool or the beach. No more leaking plastic Wal-Mart and Target bags for me!

My first instinct was to purchase one already made from one of many lovely sellers on Etsy. Then I decided I could easily make one myself. However, finding PUL (polyurethane laminated fabric) in any of my local craft stores was like trying to find a carnival worker with all of his/her teeth. I could have ordered it online but well, I’m just really cheap. So I brainstormed and decided to use an inexpensive vinyl tablecloth instead and it worked like a charm.

See the tutorial below for all the details. Keep in mind that a vinyl tablecloth is not as sturdy nor will it probably be as long lasting as a well made wet bag made with PUL. If you’re planning on using your bag often for soiled baby things, I would definitely suggest either using PUL or purchasing one made with PUL. However, since I knew my use of it would be limited to a few trips to the pool every summer, I wanted a quicker, cheaper option and after several wet swimsuit trips it’s held up remarkably well and it only cost me about $5 (3 for the tablecloth, 2 for the zipper and I’m counting the fabric as free since it was leftover from another project).

Want to make your own? Here's how:

Supplies:

- Vinyl tablecloth - the kind with the white felt stuff on the back – any size will do)

- Zipper – I used a 16 inch zipper. Choose a longer or shorter zipper based on the size of bag you want to make.

- Fabric – I used about ½ yard of home decorator fabric I had on hand (home dec fabric is a little thicker and sturdier than cotton but a good cotton will work just as well)

- General sewing supplies; sewing machine, scissors, thread, etc.

Step 1 - cut your fabric and vinyl

I wanted to have as few seams in my vinyl as possible in order for it to be as water tight as possible. Therefore I cut one large rectangle 34” by 14” (if you have a longer zipper then you can make your bag wider). Cut the same from your fabric (if you’re using scraps and don’t have pieces long enough you could always cut two pieces 17” by 14” and piece them together).
Cut a 1 ½ ” by 16” strip from your fabric – this will become your loop/handle.

Step 2 - attach the zipper

Place the lining (tablecloth) and the fabric wrong sides together (as shown above). Lay the zipper face down along the top edge of the lining and pin in place. Sew the zipper to the top edge of the bag.

Then turn the bag so you’re seeing the right side of the zipper and the bag and top stitch along the edge of the seam. Repeat for the other side of the zipper. It should look like this when you are done. Now (since we have no bottom seam) we have a big loop of fabric attached together by a zipper.

Step 3 - the handle

Fold the strip of fabric for the handle right sides together and sew with a ¼” seam allowance to form a tube. Turn the tube right side out, press flat and top stitch the edges. Fold the handle in half and pin to the side of your bag as shown below.

Step 4 - the French seam (ooh la la)

I adore French seams because they are neat and tidy and professional and I always talk with a really bad French accent when I’m sewing them and it drives my husband insane. Now the professional look of it is not really needed here because we easily could have hidden the raw edges between the lining and the outside of the bag, but I chose the French seam for this bag because it’s basically a double seam and therefore will make for a much tighter, more water proof seam than if we just sewed it once.

Transfer your bag with right sides facing you to your sewing machine. Be sure your zipper is open halfway since we’ll be turning the bag through that opening. Sew a ¼ inch seam allowance down each side of the bag.

Trim your seam as close to the stitching as possible, then turn your bag inside out through the zipper opening. Be sure to push out your corners with a blunt point.

Now sew a ½” seam along each side of the lining. Essentially you are now encasing your raw edges within another seam; making for a more waterproof seal and still keeping the outside of the bag looking flawless.

Step 5 - get wet

Now simply turn your bag right side out and you’re ready to hit the water.

See how nice and contained our seam is - and since it's doubled it is extra leakage resistant.

I like to store the kid’s dry clothes in it when we’re on our way to the pool - that way they stay dry even if the bag gets splashed. Then once we’ve changed I just toss their wet suits in it for the trip home. As always, if you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments or email me at pinandpaper@q.com.

It's a fine line, you tell me if I've crossed it

You know that saying "it's so ugly it's cute"? I like to pride myself on easily being able to distinguish whether something is ugly/quirky cute or if it's just plain ugly.

However, I worry that my judgement on such things tends to lose some of its objectivity when it comes to things I've made myself. So I'm going to rely on you, dear readers.

Don't sugar coat it. What do you think of this little guy? Ugly? Weird? or ugly weird cute?

He's got a little zipper mouth as you can see and he can hold things inside him. He's a little puppy and his ears have wire inside them so they're poseable. The ribbon coming out of the top of his head is for a metal clasp or keychain so he can be hung on a backpack or a bag. He's about 4 inches tall - not including his ears.

Would you take him home or leave him in the pound and pray that some blind little old lady comes and takes him home because no one with proper eyesight would dare?

Patriotic Project

Summer is in full swing and I've been busy with a lot of activities with the kids. I did however manage to whip out a quick project this past weekend just in time for the 4th of July.


I've had this flag fabric in my stash for years and all the cool banners I've been seeing recently inspired me. Two packages of bias tape later and I had a fabulous patriotic banner.


I had planned on putting it on the front porch but since it's not really outdoor fabric I worried about fading from the sun and rain, so I decided to spruce up the gazebo on our back deck instead. Add some alcohol and some food on the grill and we're set for a party!

In other good news, the container gardening is looking up. My teeny tiny squash seedlings have blossomed! I think they just wanted to live up to the fabulousness of their marker.

Have a Happy 4th of July everyone!

Recycled Can Lid Plant Markers

I'm trying my hand at some container gardening this year and so far things are not looking all that impressive. I think my downfall might lie in the fact that I'm starting things from seed. I really should buy them at the nursery after someone with some skill has ensured that they survived the sensitive seedling stage. I'm not exactly renowned for my green thumb.

(Yes, I know this is not a zucchini but it makes for a much prettier picture than my sad little seedlings do.)

I realized the other day that I would need some plant markers so that I could remember what was what. Sure I could have just used a sharpie and a popsicle stick but where's the fun in that?

(This isn't really butternut squash either but that antique chicken is neat right?)

In the end I came up with a plant marker that made use of some recyclables so that I could be a friend to the planet and lessen my guilt for the untimely death of all the plants that are sure to perish in my care this summer.

Want to make your own? Here's what you need:

Can lids (I have a can opener that takes off the lids without leaving sharp edges. This is a definite must. You could also use frozen juice lids)
Forks (new, used or antique)
Hammer
Pliers
masking tape (optional)
Permanent Sharpie marker and a baby wipe
Stamping set (I used the 1/8" set and I got it from Harbor Freight. They have other sizes available so you could use a larger set if desired.)

Place your can lid on a stable surface. I just worked on my crafting table as it's seen a lot of wear and tear and is really sturdy, but you're going to be smacking this thing pretty hard so think about that before you choose a work surface.

I used a strip of masking tape as a guide so that I could keep my letters fairly straight. This is optional if you have a good eye for making things straight, or if you like the look of random letter placement.

Then you just grab a letter stamp and start whacking away.

You might want to practice on a spare can lid before jumping in with your stamps. It takes a little experimentation to find out how many hits you'll need to make to achieve optimum results.

Once you're done, remove the tape and admire your work. You could leave it as is, or use the Sharpie method to add a little more dimension.

First off, make sure you have a baby wipe handy. Then, take a permanent black sharpie pen and color over your stamped letters. Really get the ink down into the grooves. Before the ink has a chance to dry, wipe across the letters with the baby wipe. This will remove all of the markers except for what is trapped in the indentations and will give your letters more definition.

Now it's onto the fork. I found some at Goodwill, but if you've got some extra ones lying around the house, or one that's been mangled in the dishwasher then this is the perfect use for it.


Take your pliers and bend the two middle tines back and away from the rest of the fork. Then bend the tips of them back up. You'll probably have to play with it to get it in the shape you want.

There just needs to be enough gap for the can lid to fit snugly. You might also have to bend/adjust the angle of the fork handle as well so that your plant marker will stand up nice and straight and tall.

And there you have it. A cute and quick recycle project for the garden!

She's a Maniac, Maniac on the Floor

Finally - I've got a new item in the shop!

Isn't she just adorable? She's made from the Sammie the Sock Monster pattern from Danger Crafts but I thought instead of socks she could rock out some awesome leg warmers instead.

I am a child of the 80's you know and her little leg warmers remind me of the heyday of legwarmers - and my introduction to them in the movie Flashdance. Every time I look at her it's like I'm reliving scenes from the movie all over again. Except of course that she's not a welder supplementing her income by choreographing and performing elaborate shower scenes at a local strip club all while harboring dreams of enrolling at Julliard.

She's just a sweet little monster with long cold legs that need some covering. Maybe I should have fashioned her a little sweatshirt with the collar cut out so one shoulder would be exposed. Nah, that would have been overkill.

Craptastic Inspiration

I’ve mentioned previously that I’m currently searching for crafting inspiration. Life is hectic right now. It’s spring and that means my mind is a jumble of home beautification and improvement projects. Also my son is in T-ball and that means weekly practices and games. So between work, kids, and the house I’m pretty much too pooped to come up with any fresh, steaming craft products for the shop.

Sure I could just whip out some re-digested version of something that’s been done before but I want something of quality. Something unique, something fantastic that will show the true fiber of my talent!

I’ve been struggling with this crafty constipation for months but I felt confident that inspiration was about to explode somewhere, perhaps just beneath my shoe or on my front lawn and then I found it!

Yes, that is an entire shelving unit covered in fake poop. I came across it while browsing my local flea market. The umm, items, are made with dyed concrete. Note the attention to detail and the varied shades, textures and consistencies that this artisan has captured.

It had a profound effect on me. You see, the moment I saw this display I realized that no matter what I came up with it was bound to be better than a shelf full of concrete feces. And well, if that’s not inspirational I don’t know what is.

(In case you were wondering: yes, this entire post was just an excuse to weave in as many feces related references as possible. I really had to strain to work in “constipation”. I mean how often do you come across such a display of concrete poop? Well okay once is really more often than necessary, but still I had to share.)

Happy Crapping - I mean Crafting everyone.

Trophy Pincushion

While I'm waiting for inspiration to strike for some new Etsy shop items, I've been making some small things for around the house. Things like a wallet for my son's allowance money and some little cloth diapers for my daughter's baby dolls.

I decided that it was time to make something useful for myself as well. I'd been needing a second pincushion for my craft area. I keep one by my sewing machine but often do my pinning on my work table and transporting it back and forth was just annoying. So I grabbed a vintage quilt block from my stash, a garage sale milk-glass piece and the trophy pincushion was born.

It's been named the "Trophy Pincushion" by my daughter who ceremoniously presents it to me everytime she sees it and says "Here's your trophy Momma!". I suppose it does look a bit like a trophy, though to me it's more reminiscent of an ice cream sundae.

I used the container because I wanted it to be large enough that I wouldn't misplace it, and I didn't want it to be rolling all over my workplace either.

If that milk glass looks vaguely familiar that's because it previously held some fantastic moss, but alas my greenery didn't make it through the winter. Now I've got to add moss to the list of things I can't keep alive. I'll put it right below ivy, cactus and the will to follow a low carb diet.