........ a wonderful way to celebrate decorating "holiday performance sets" with Glee! Yippee!
As an elementary school music teacher, the holiday season brings lots of activities, festive programs, and sharing of personal creativity. With those fun sharings bring the preparation of costumes and set design and a bit of stress, for everything to go off without a glitch. Of course, we all want everything to come together quickly and look fabulous, so sometimes we just have to think outside the box when it comes to a quick costume/set design. This year, as was last year, my Helmar Liquid 450 Stainless Steel Adhesive, was my "Go To Tool" of the season. I think Helmar's Premium Craft Glue is a cure all fix for any fabric situation.
For my most desperate seasonal fix, I created a chair cover for our Beauty and the Beast musical. I wanted our Beast's chair to resemble a throne, but not at a throne's price. I found a chair cover that I had in my theater stash and purchased some clearance seasonal trim before I started my transformation. Once I had the look pictured in my head, I knew all I would need would be my Helmar Premium Craft Glue to finish the join within the hour. Yes, I did say an hour, my friends. The holidays are all about finding the time to create from the heart, while the heart keeps itself beating at a normal rate. Right?
Here is the quick fix, which I use with about any kind of scenery prep, whether it be a furniture cover type of piece or a lamb's vest for a manger scene. (Mom's hint: Kids hate staples, the don't fuss over glue.) Assemble your materials to create the creative piece and clear a nice sized work space. You will need to be able to adhere your various embellishment pieces quickly.
1) Assemble needed materials: Fabric or chair cover, trimmings, Scissors, and Helmar's Premium Craft Glue.
2) Lay fabric out flat on table and begin to line the edge of your piece. My chair cover already had a pre-crimped edge, making it easy to follow for my clear adhesive. Allow for a nice smooth flow and ample amount of adhesive for the weight of trim you are using. My trim was not only heavy, but held dangling beads to the tips of each tassel. I allowed for a nice thick flow.
2) Allow glue line to cover entire edge. Take beginning of trim and lie flat along glue line.
3) Helmar's premium Craft Glue allows for movement prior to final drying. Find final placement and gently move down the trim line.
4) Pinch edge of trim to fabric for final glue position.
5) Allow for about 15 minutes of drying on the first side, then continue around to the next edge. The initial first edge will not be completely dried at this point, but I was slim on time and carefully arranged the trim as to not pull away from my original position.
6) I then assembled my work in progress onto a chair to allow for a drying position on all sides of the base. Once positioned, I also added a 2nd style of trim on top of the 1st beaded trim. I used the same quick process. Thin line of Craft Glue, lay trim along adhesive line, pinch into position and let dry. Because the glue dries clearly, there is no worry if your adhesive touches your trim. It will look the same as it started when you are done.
7) Complete additional trimming needs as desired and let dry. Trim edges when complete and adhere to base with adhesive. Completion in less than an hour. Allow for overnight once complete. I do suggest letting the project dry on the actual chair, as it will allow the trim to form more effectively.
My Beauty and the Beast Holiday Chair Cover. A chair fit for a King, especially one in the 4th grade.
I hope this fun project can inspire you to take some of your favorite products and use them in unconventional ways. I tend to forget that my scrapbooking products are wonderful "fix it tools" for everyday use.
Hmmmm...I wonder if Helmar's Premium Craft Glue would hold sports glasses together?
Have a great one and Happy holidays!
Beth Root
Helmar Design Team Member
