DIY Sewing Cards from Recycled Plastic Lids

I recently had the crazy idea that I could make a set of reusable sewing cards from recycled takeaway lids. My crazy ideas don’t always turn out in reality how I think they might but this time it worked!

DIY sewing cards from recycled takeaway lids

How to Make Your Own Sewing Cards

DIY Sharpie sewing cards from recycled takeaway lids

You will need:

  • Plastic takeaway container lids (I may or may not love Indian takeway!)
  • Sharpie markers
  • Scissors
  • Hole punch
  • Wool/yarn
  • Clear Sticky Tape

To make:

1. Cut the raised edges from the edges of each lid so that you have a flat piece of plastic to work with. If your lid has a embossed lettering on it, turn the piece over and draw on the smoother side.

DIY Sharpie sewing cards from recycled takeaway lids

2. Draw simple shapes and motifs with your Sharpie markers. I googled some cute animal images and then drew an owl, a tiger and a butterfly freehand, combining features of many of the cute images found. If you are not confident to draw your shapes freehand, you can print out some free clip art images and place your page under your plastic to trace an outline for each shape.

When drawing be careful not to smudge the ink before it dries. Some colours will need two layers of colouring to create a bolder brighter colour. If you are concerned about the colour rubbing off with use (we used Sharpies and ours were fine but I know there are differences even within the Sharpies brand), cover your drawing with a layer of clear, self adhesive book covering.

DIY Sharpie sewing cards from recycled takeaway lids

3. Cut around each shape you have drawn, leaving a 1/4-1/2cm edge. I made sure to curve any points so they weren’t sharp.

4. Use a hole punch to punch holes around the perimeter of each shape.

DIY Sharpie sewing cards from recycled takeaway lids

5. Attach a piece of wool (yarn) to each shape, either by tying it on at the edge or using clear sticky tape to secure it to the back of your sewing card. I also wrapped a small piece of sticky tape to the end of the wool to form a sewing ‘needle’ that would thread more easily through the punched holes. You can of course use a blunt nosed metal or plastic needle if you prefer.

6. Show your child how to sew with an under-over stitch or an over-over stitch using the holes around the perimeter of the sewing card.

DIY Sharpie sewing cards from recycled takeaway lids

This post is part of the fabulous 60 Days of Junk Play blog series hosted by Best Toys 4 Toddlers. Click through for a wonderful collection of ideas for playful fun using all sorts of recycled materials.

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2 Comments

  1. What a great idea to make your own sewing cards. I think my 4 year old daughter will love looking for images we can copy or maybe draw her own. (She quite possibly has a thing for butterflies!) Fun times ahead!

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