I'm super excited to be part of Happy Harry Potter - Wizarding Wonderfulness over at Raegun Ramblings today! The celebration will be going on for the next two weeks in honor of Harry Potter's birthday coming up on July 31st. And there's an awesome giveaway toward the bottom of this post, so be sure to scroll all the way down and check it out.
Harry Potter themed fun has been an ongoing theme on my blog for a couple years now, and I've got some fun stuff planned here as well.
Today, I've got a pattern for an Accio Books bag for you...perfect to carrying your favorite Harry Potter books around...
...and a trip with Hermione to the library.
And if you don't feel up to making your own, I now offer Accio Books bags for sale in my Etsy Shop here.
To pull this off, all you need are a few basic supplies: Some freezer paper, metallic fabric paint, razor blade or scalple, plain tote bag, and an iron.
I like to print my design directly onto freezer paper. I use an ink-jet printer. I DON'T think it's a good idea to put freezer paper through a laser jet printer. If all you've got is a laser jet, you'll want to print the design onto regular paper and trace it onto your freezer paper. Freezer paper doesn't go through my printer very well, so I tape the leading edge of my freezer paper to a piece of cardstock to help it feed properly.
I also print on super-ink-saver mode because that's a lot of black ink to use up. Because the freezer paper is often a bit wrinkled it tends to pick up some extra ink smudges going through the printer, but those won't matter.
In order to print, copy the image below into Word and resize. I adjusted mine until it filled the page, but you could make it smaller to fit a smaller bag.
And because I think these would make awesome trick-or-treating bags, I've also made an Accio Candy version.
Make sure you're working on a protected surface (I use my self-healing cutting mat that I use for sewing.) Use a razor blade or a scalpel.
Be sure to save all the white pieces that you cut out from the inside of the letters (from the A, B, and o). This is what you should have left after you've cut it all out and removed the tape and cardstock from the back.
Iron your freezer paper stencil securely onto your tote bag with the SHINY SIDE DOWN and dull papery side up!! You want all the edges sealed well, so paint doesn't leak under.
Paint with metallic fabric paint. I've had great results with both silver and gold. Be sure to use a blotting action and/or to brush from the paper onto the fabric to avoid paint leaking under.
I generally use two coats of paint to get the best coverage.
Once the paint is dry, peal off the freezer paper.
If small bits rip off and stay stuck to your bag, you can use tweezers or your fingers to work them off.
And in the event that a little paint did sneak under, one of the advantages of using a black bag is that you can touch it up with a bit of black paint.
And once your bag is finished and completely dry, you're ready to fill it with some books...perhaps a quiet afternoon reading in the park is your thing...
...with a friend...
More details on the quilts coming in a few days.
And we really couldn't have a big Harry Potter celebration without an awesome giveaway to go with it...so I've teamed up with lots of other bloggers and Etsy shops to offer one giant giveaway....some seriously awesome stuff. I think I need to go order one of those pillows right now for my 7-year-old's birthday.
One lucky winner will get a fantastic Harry Potter prize pack including a Make Love Not Horcruxes shirt and Hogwarts House Tie Necklace from Rae Gun, A Geeky Pillow from Heart Felt Designs, Death Eater Stamp from Viky, A pair of Harry Potter Shoes from Hogswarts Unlimited, An Accio Book Bag and Potter Necklace from Pieces by Polly, a Mischief Managed Thought Bubble from Green Girl Art, and a 50$ Amazon.com gift card! Also 4 others will get a Death Eater stamp.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
See these links for more details about other Harry Potter themed crafts we've done...and be sure to check back because I'll be adding more as I get them written up.
Gryffindor Deathly Hallows Quilt
Hufflepuff Golden Snitch Quilt
Accio Book Tote Tutorial - Freezer Paper Stencil
Harry Potter Party Overview
Printable Hogwarts Acceptance Letter/Party Invites
Hedwig Necklace
Harry Potter Potions Ornaments
Harry Potter Shirt - Freezer Paper Stencil
Easy Harry Potter Wands
Printable Hogwarts Library Book Plates
Printable Harry Potter Valentines
Easy Harry Potter (Hogwarts) House Scarves
Golden Snitch Necklace
Golden Snitch Cupcakes
Ron Weasley "I'm a Keeper" Shirt - Freezer Paper Stencil
Ginny Weasley's Golden Snitch Skirt
DIY Quidditch Association Shirt - Freezer Paper Stencil (Boy Version)
DIY Quidditch Association Shirt - Freezer Paper Stencil (Girl Version)
Harry Potter Wizard Robe in 15 Minutes from a T-shirt
Harry Potter Family Themed Costumes
Harry Potter Inspired Charm Ornaments
Harry Potter Printable Spell Books
Harry Potter Printable Dementor Themed Chocolate Bar Wrappers Books
The Hermione Skirt
Dementor's Kiss-Away Free Printable Party Favor or Valentine
DIY Hogwarts Robe for 18-inch Doll
Hermione in the Library - CraftingCon Post
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Batman Signals - Quilt Sandwich Fabrics
Superman News - Quilt Sandwich Fabrics
Anatomical Heart Pendant from Boutique Academia
Hedwig Necklace from Pieces by Polly
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