Google+ House Revivals: How to Make a Lace Owl Applique

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

How to Make a Lace Owl Applique

For this project, I thought I would combine the popular lace trend and the popular owl trend, to create a pretty clothing applique. I thought it would be subtle, but stunning to add a lace owl applique to a vintage lace dress.  Adding it to the vintage dress makes it feel a little bit romantic and a little bit spooky.


This applique would look just as good (maybe better!) if applied to a tee-shirt or even a canvas bag.
Let your imagination take you where it leads.


To create your own lace applique, you will need:

Assorted lace scraps.
Tape.
Sheets of paper.
Scissors.
Clear document cover or sheet protector.
Fabric glue (or needle and thread, if you would prefer to stitch your applique together).
Piece of tulle slightly larger than your finished applique.


To start, you will need to create a pattern. This is easier than it seems, since owls are symmetrical.  I simply folded a sheet of office paper in half, and drew half the owl in outline, then cut it out and lightly sketched in some detail. I kept it simple: round eyes, triangle nose, and wing feathers on the side. You will use your sketch as a gluing reference guide. In addition, trace your owl onto another sheet of paper.


Now, place your outline in the sheet protector, or tape it to the back of a document cover, so that the outline is visible through the plastic.

Layer your tulle piece on top of the sheet protector and tape in place if desired.

Now the fun part starts!  Sift through your scraps of lace and begin gluing the lace pieces to the tulle, following your outline, and using your sketch as a guide. Try to find lace pieces with patterns that will look like feathers or eyes, etc. Be creative and have fun with it.


When you're done, let the glue dry then trim away any excess tulle. Your applique is ready to glue or stitch to a dress or top or bag -- or frame it and use it for a one-of-a-kind piece of wall art!

For another easy "no-sew" project, click here to learn how to upcycle an old skirt in an adorable apron.

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