No Sew Applique Aprons

My Kindergartner's teacher plans to "cook" once a week in class. I thought it might be nice to give the class some aprons and then at the end of the year they can take these aprons (and maybe their new skills) home for the summer. Plus I would like to salvage the outfits my baby wears to school - and I don't just want to send in aprons for the kids to decorate because I prefer her not to wear anything with a hand print. I don't have time to sew this week, but whipping these out was no big deal...really, I'm serious!! Just watch...

Now, this is a NO SEW applique project. If you want to applique a shirt or something that will be worn or actually washed often then I do recommend you sew/stitch around the applique once you've finished. This does 2 things - it helps reinforce the fabric from fraying and it helps the sucker stay on. But you don't have to. No one can make you. But you could ask a friend, maybe call her up, ask for Beenah...I'm just saying.

First things first, to make these adorable suckers drive yourself to Hobby Lobby NOW because they have canvas kid aprons in many colors 50% OFF (which makes them a $1.50 a apron) or you can wait 2 weeks and I'm sure they'll be on sale again. Then push your cart over to the fabric section. Now if you don't sew, don't panic. Just ask the nice lady behind the counter where the Heat N Bond is and then choose some coordinating fabric that's 30% off this week for your applique and ask the same nice lady to cut you a 1/2 of a yard. She doesn't have to know you don't sew, just act like you know what you're doing. Smile, tell her you love her hairstyle (from 1987), she'll think you're a pro...well maybe not, but anyway...

Meet your best friend when it comes to no sew applique - Heat N Bond. Buy it, READ THE DIRECTIONS, use it, love it....you can pick it up at Walmart, Hobby Lobby, any craft store. I'm so glad I've introduced you two - you'll make great friends, I just KNOW it!!

You take it out of the package, unfold it, and draw (or in my case trace) the image you plan to applique on the smooth side.
You then iron the Heat N Bond onto the wrong side (or back side) of the fabric you are using to applique.
Let it cool down, make sure that the whole piece of Heat N Bond is fused to the fabric, then cut out the applique. See how cute it already is:)
Peel the paper off the back of applique. Just go around the edges and pick it off. You will see that the back side is now sticky (see the shine below). Stick your applique on the apron, shirt, purse, whatever you are making and ensure it is straight and flat. Iron the applique on:) Once it cools, if you find that an edge has come loose just iron it again until it bonds with the fabric.
And then stand back and admire how crafty you are!!
Now would be when you want to sew or stitch around the applique (if you choose to do so), but, as in this case, a little bit of magic below will work to keep your edges from fraying. Just follow the directions on the bottle and DON'T PANIC (it will dry clear just give it time). I panic every time, I do, even though I'm telling you not to panic, I panic...and darn if that stuff doesn't dry clear, it does, it really, really does.
Now if you decide to applique letters, just make sure that you write the letters backwards on the Heat N Bond. To do this print the letters from your computer with the mirror option on. Or you could do like I did and print them out, realize you forgot to turn the mirror option on and you are too lazy to do the whole thing over again, so you just flip the page over trace the outline of the letters so that you have a mirror image or backwards letter to then trace again onto the Heat N Bond. You know, whatever works...
That way when you cut them out and stick them onto your project the letters will be correct and super cute!!!
Now, if for some insane reason you discover that there are FOUR girls with C names and you find that at this point your applique skills rock but you still can't sew, don't panic. Just use different color combinations and ribbon to help the girls distinguish their aprons. See below...I just used the FrayCheck on the edges of the ribbon to keep it from fraying and then tied the ribbon to the middle part of the neck loop. That way when they wear the aprons it looks like it's tied in the back.

And then if you find you have FOUR, yes FOUR boys with G names and TWO with J names you can use different fabric and different color combinations to help them distinguish. Although who are we kidding, what boy is going to pay attention to their tie pattern and initial color. Well, at least I tried;)