How to Make an Applique

I don't know why, but the word applique just sounds so old fashioned to me, but really appliques are a great way to personalize or embellish an item. I used this process to make this shirt, but thought I'd show you a tutorial on how to make one. The possibilities are endless with appliques and they're pretty simple!

Find a design you like, (letter, shape, etc) and decide how big you want it to be. Now, you can either print it on your printer and cut it out. Then, trace it onto your fabric OR use a cutting machine like the Silhouette Portrait.

Cut a square of fabric that your design will fit on.

Cut the same size square of Heat N Bond (sewable). You'll want to lay the Heat N Bond down paper side down, then, lay the fabric wrong side down on top.

Heat your iron to the Wool setting and no steam. Iron for about 10 seconds, making sure to cover the whole piece.

Peel off the paper. Place it on your item where you want it to stay and iron it on. You can use the steam setting for this part, if you wish.

 

Now, you can either reinforce the edges by sewing close the edge or leave it. It really depends on how much wear and washing it will get. If it's an article of clothing or a hand towel, I suggest reinforcing it with sewing.

I added some embroidery to mine to dress it up a little, but you can do anything you wish! That's the beauty of creating things!

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a great weekend!!