Get ready for school and upgrade your old pencil case by painting palm leaves on it! This will add a tropical flair to any bag with multi-surface paint. You can even paint palm leaves onto your note books so all your stationery items match.
Palm Leaf Pencil Pouch Supplies:
- Black or mostly blank pencil case
- Green and white fabric paint
- Contact paper
- Craft Knife
- Brushes
- Needle
- Scissors
- Leaf template
- Embroidery thread
Instructions:
Step One
Take the leaf template and use it to draw a silhouette onto the contact paper. Cut a 5×5 cm square around the leaf silhouette. Using a craft knife, cut out the leaf from the square so that you have a leaf stencil.
Step Two
Place the leaf stencil where you want it on your pencil case and paint the inside of the leaf stencil green. Use your brush to bring the paint over the edge of the stencil and onto the fabric rather than to push it towards the edge of the stencil. This will help to keep the paint from bleeding underneath the contact paper. When you are done painting the leaf, use the end of your brush to add contrasting polka dots all over the leaf by dipping the back of your brush in white paint and dabble it on the leaf. Finally, remove the stencil, and set it aside to dry before moving on to your next leaf. Repeat the process for as many leaves as you like!
Step Three
The last step is optional, but highly recommended – add a tassel to the zipper. Start by wrapping embroidery string around three of your fingers several times. When you have the fullness you want, clip off the excess thread. Thread a new piece of embroidery floss through your loop and tie around one end. Cut the other end of the loop open. Tie another new piece of embroidery floss around the tassel about 1.5cm – 2.5 cm below the tied end. Trim the tassel to the desired length. Repeat this process twice so you have three small tassels of the same size. Thread the top strings of one tassel onto a needle and pull it up through the centre of a second tassel. Repeat this until all through tassels are strung together. Finally, tie the stacked tassel onto the zipper pull.