Sweet Tute Tuesday-Wipes Band

Every Tuesday will be Sweet Tute Tuesday here on Love Sweet Love, where I will share a new tutorial with you! This week I wanted to share with you a project I was working on last week; a wipes band I made for my sister who will be having a sweet baby girl in TWO weeks! The baby's nursery will be black and pink so I found some fun fabrics in those colors and went to it!



You might remember I also made THIS one for my sweet neighbor:

but I didn't post a tutorial with it so this time I thought I would!

The original idea came from the awesome talent of Ellie G who blogs at Less Cake More Frosting (you can find her on my side bar too!) and I kinda love these so much I can't stop making them! If you invite me to your shower, guaranteed this is what your gettin'! Want to make one too??? OK-I'll help you! I know, I'm a really great person, you should totally meet me IRL.

First gather some supplies:

• sewing machine
• Wipes holder (we use huggies for my little love...who needs to be potty trained I know, don't push me.)
• measuring tape
• scissors
• safety pin
• straight pins
  
• 3" elastic-I bought mine at JoAnns
• 1/4 yd. of fabric for the band (mine is from the H.L.)
  
• scraps of coordinating fabric for the flowers (also H.L.-and if you don't know what that stands for I'm not sure we can be friends cause that place is pretty much my BF)
  

There's a cost breakdown at the end of this post if you're interested (hint-it's less than $5! Am I cheap? Perhaps, but I prefer thrifty! :) ) Let's get started!

First measure the circumference of your box.


Subtract about 2 inches from that number and that's how much elastic you will need because you want your band to fit nice and snug around the wipes.


If you use 3" elastic you will need double that much fabric (b/c it's getting folded around the elastic), plus about an inch and a half (to give you some seam allowance). So I cut my fabric at 7 1/2 inches wide by the entire length of the fabric (which was 44 inches-if you have 1/4 of a yard you will have enough)


Next, fold your fabric (hot dog style-wow I miss elementary school) with the wrong side facing out and the right sides facing each other. Pin it in place down the length of the fabric so you sew in a (semi) straight line.


Sew down the length of the fabric with about a 1/4 inch seam.


Turn it right side out and you should have a nice little tube!


Next, place your safety pin on the end of your elastic and insert it into one side of the open tube.


Use the pin to pull your elastic all the way through to the opposite opening in the tube. Remove pin and make sure your seam is at the top of your tube. (if it got twisted while pulling the elastic through.)


Make sure the elastic is lined neatly up with the end of your tube and sew it shut-being sure to sew the fabric and elastic together-that's what I was trying to show you in the picture; don't actually sew it pulled back like that :).


One end done!


Now pull your fabric back towards the sewn end of your tube till the elastic inside is poking out the only remaining opening. It will be all bunched up-that's correct, just make sure the seam is still on top!


To get a nice finish on this end, curve a little bit of the fabric around the elastic like so:


Put a couple pins in there if you want a straight line and sew her closed! (making sure again to sew the fabric and elastic together!)


Now you should have a tube, with elastic inside, sewn closed on both ends. Yes? Wonderful! Now bring the 2 sides together and, with your pretty finished end overlap the other end by about 1/2 an inch and sew together.


And you have a wipes band! Sorta. That seam down the middle just doesn't work for me so what's our remedy to any uncuteness?


Embellishments! I made a couple different types of flowers to show my band some Sweet Love! 2 rolled flowers, and a fabric yo-yo. (The princess crown button on the yo-yo I already had and hot glued to the center-purchased probably 6 mo. ago from the H.L.)


NOW, we are finished. Cuteness saved.


The pink rolled flower ended up being a little big so I just moved the band over to the left a little and you can still open and close the lid to the case easily without smashing or bending the flower. Yum Yum, I hope she loves it! (the baby I mean, cause she will totally care where the ice-cold wipes that make her scream come out of.)


I can't wait to gobble up every inch of that newborn baby! Here's the total cost breakdown:
*Wipes case-already had
*24 inches of 3" elastic-$1.30 (from JoAnns)
*1/4 yd. zebra print fabric-$1.22 (on sale for $4.89/yd at HL)
*1/4 yd. pink fabric-$.50 (on sale for $2.09/yd at HL. Also I only used about 1/16 of the 1/4 so I still have some left over)
*1/4 yd. black/pink fabric-$1.22 (on sale for $4.89/yd at HL. I only used about 1/32 of the fabric so I have a LOT left over)
Total project-$4.24. I don't mind buying a little extra fabric (especially when it's on sale) when I'm doing projects like this, so that I can slowly start to build up a fabric stash. I'm a brand new sewer so I gotta start somewhere!

Thank you a million times over for checking out what I got goin' on over here! It SO makes my day every time I see you here visiting, you're the greatest! Check back soon for an easy, cute accessory to accompany our wipes band!


*Linking to the parties in the tab above as well as: