When the holidays begin inching closer and closer… it’s officially the Festival of the Last Minute. We’re right there with you and have put together a set of five nearly-no-sew projects that use Dritz hardware and tools to make the steps easy and the results outstanding. We worked with two layers of craft weight glitter vinyl to fashion a journal pencil pouch, tasseled bookmark, wrist loop key fob, and two sizes of cord wraps. As we put together the set, we’ve been referring to them in-house as: Sparkly Things… and really, that’s exactly what they are. Truth be told, we can all use a bit more sparkle in our lives – dontcha think?! 

One of the things we love about working with Dritz products is how well thought out they are. There are specialized tools so you can be sure your rivet, snap, eyelet, etc. is going to install smoothly and with a professional finish. If you have a few bits of hardware leftover from previous projects, this is a great way to use them up. If you decided to buy new packages, no worries… you can never go wrong with extra hardware in your stash.

These Sparkly Things are all on the smallish size, so rather than cause you fits trying to measure and cut out teensy pieces, we offer templates for all five items. Simply trace and slice. We do recommend working with a rotary cutter and X-Acto knife to get the cleanest cuts. Additional tips are included below regarding layering, cutting, and marking.

Our Journal Pencil Pouch, is meant to slip over a notebook to hold writing tools as well as to hold your place within the journal. The sparkly Dritz Metallic Elastic loop at the back is fed through two Dritz ¼” 2-Part Eyelets and stretches to fit booklets from 5½” to 8½” tall. The front flap snaps in place with a Dritz Heavy Duty Snap.

The Tasseled Bookmark is as easy as they come. A line of edgestitching stabilizes the front and back layers and accents the pretty points of the banner style tail. A single Dritz ¼” 2-Part Eyelet secures a pretty, DIY floss tassel. Slip the bookmark inside the pages and let the tassel hang on the outside.

A Wrist Loop Key Fob is always a welcome gift. Jazz it up with a row of nine Dritz ¼” 2-Part Eyelets down the center. Our downloadable template includes handy positioning marks for the eyelets. The Dritz Key Fob hardware includes both the 1” end clamp as well as the split ring. You could easily shorten the loop for a grab-and-go mini fob or lengthen it to wear around your neck.

We designed two Cord Wrap shapes to hold small items like ear buds or slightly larger items like USB cords. The smaller angled wrap has two top slits that can help hold the end of the cord so it’s easy to find. A mini hole punch and X-Acto knife are the best ways to get a clean cut. Both wraps feature a pretty Dritz 12mm Pearl Snap to hold them closed.

To get a similar look to ours, you’ll want to look for 1mm glitter craft vinyl. We show you how to pre-adhere the two layers front to back so they can be cut together. This is a lifesaver when it comes to cutting out small elements like these. Doing the front and back one at a time and getting them to match up perfectly is nearly impossible. Of course, you are welcome to use other substrates, such as a stiff wool felt. Simply keep in mind that you need a substrate that does not easily ravel… unless, of course, you’re going for a “rustic” look.

Our Journal Pencil Pouch finishes at approximately 2½” wide x 9½” high when open with a 5¼” deep pocket and 2½” x 6½” when closed. The Tasseled Bookmark finishes at approximately 1” x 9” with a 3” tassel. The Wrist Loop Key Fob is a 9½” loop at 1″ wide. The small Angled Cord Wrap is approximately 1½” x 5” when open, 1½” x 2½” when closed. The large Heart Cord Wrap is approximately 2½” x 5″ when open, 2½” x 2½” when closed.

Sewing Tools You Need

• Sewing machine and standard presser foot
• Walking or Even Feed foot; or use your machine’s built-in fabric feeding system, such as the great AcuFeed™ Flex system we use on our Janome models – this is optional, but we found it to be the best option when working with slick surfaces
• NEW needle (always important, but especially so when working with specialty substrates); we recommend a Microtex or Sharp needle style

Fabric and Other Supplies

JOURNAL PENCIL POUCH

• ONE Dritz ⅝” Heavy Duty Snaps; we used nickel
• Dritz Setting Pliers for the Heavy Duty Snaps
• TWO Dritz ¼” 2-Part Eyelets; we used nickel
• Dritz Setting Pliers for the Eyelets
• ½ yard of Dritz ¼” Metallic Elastic

TASSELED BOOKMARK

• ONE Dritz ¼” 2-Part Eyelet; we used nickel
• Dritz Setting Pliers for the Eyelets
• ONE skein of pearl cotton floss in a color to match one of the glitter vinyl colors

WRIST LOOP KEY FOB

• ONE 1” Dritz  Key Fob Hardware Set
• NINE Dritz ¼” 2-Part Eyelets; we used nickel
• Dritz Setting Pliers for the Eyelets

TWO SIZES OF CORD WRAPS

• TWO Dritz 12mm Pearl Snaps
• Dritz Setting Pliers for the Pearl Snaps
• X-Acto Knife for cutting the center diamond on the large wrap and the slits on the small wrap
• Mini hole punch for making the tiny holes in the small cord wrap; you could also use an awl but the holes won’t be quite as perfect

ALL THE SPARKLY THINGS

• ONE apx. 8” x 17” Sheet in EACH of TWO coordinating colors of 1mm glitter craft vinyl or similar – this is enough vinyl for all five elements – you could go a bit thinner than 1mm but we wouldn’t recommend going much thicker or you might have trouble inserting the hardware.
  NOTE: The glitter vinyl we came as an 8″ x 53″ sheet, which would be more than enough to do all five elements in the SAME color front and back; a definite options. However, it’s a relatively inexpensive substate, so with two sheets in different colors, you could set up your own Sparkly Things Workshop to rival Santa!
• Permanent spray adhesive for paper/fabric
  NOTE: Make sure you also have some scrap newspaper or similar to cover your work surface prior to spraying, and work in a well-ventilated area.
• Dritz Rivet Tools to pre-cut all holes; optional, an awl is another choice
• All-purpose thread to match both colors of vinyl
• See-through ruler
• Fabric pen or pencil
• Iron and ironing board
• Scissors
• Rotary cutter and mat
• Seam gauge
• Seam ripper
• Clips
• Transparent tape to hold pattern templates in place
• Dritz Fray Check seam sealant for the cut sides; we applied with a cotton swab
• Heavy metal, stone or wooden block to use as a cutting surface; we like to use a small granite block

Getting Started and Pattern Downloads

1. Download and print the TWO pattern sheets that have been bundled into one PDF to make the download easier. These two sheets contain pattern templates for all five pieces.
   IMPORTANT: This pattern download is TWO 8½” x 11″ sheets. You must print the PDF file at 100%. DO NOT SCALE to fit the page. There is a guide line on each page so you can confirm your final printout is to scale.
2. Cut out each pattern template along the solid line. The Pencil Pouch is made up of two pieces. Butt together these two pieces following the arrows on the pattern; do not overlap. Tape in place to create the full pattern template.
3. Cover your work surface with newspaper or similar. Make sure you are working in a well ventilated area. Place all the vinyl sheets wrong side up on the paper.
4. Lightly spray each sheet with a thin layer of the permanent spray adhesive.
5. Place the two sheets (one of each color) wrong sides together. The adhesive will stay tacky for a little bit, but work quickly. Make sure both layers are smooth and flat and all edges are flush. Press to adhere and let dry.
6. When fully dry, place each pattern onto the vinyl. You can place the patterns on either the front or back; it doesn’t matter. We suggest working with the lighter of your two colors.
   
7. Tape all the pieces in place with a standard transparent tape.
8. Using your see-through ruler and rotary cutter, slice right along the pattern template.
   
9. This is easy for all the longer straight edges as the tape holds the template in place and the slices are long ones.
   
10. For the more intricate cuts, such as the cord wraps, it’s best to first slice the longer sides with a rotary cutter…
    
11. … then use a pair of sharp scissors for the details, such as the outer triangles and inner diamond on the Heart Cord Wrap.
    
12. An X-Acto knife is also a good option for this detail work. You’d first cut out the “window,” then use the knife to cut out the diamond shape.
    
13. For the Angled Cord Wrap, we recommend using a mini hole punch for the four top holes.
    
14. Then use the X-Acto knife to slice a vertical slit between each two holes.
    

At Your Sewing Machine & Ironing Board

1. For all the cut-out pieces, the first step is to edgestitch around the perimeter of the shape.
2. Thread the machine with different color thread in the top and bobbin to best match your vinyl layers. You can edgestitch with either side facing up.
   
3. As mentioned above, we recommend a Walking or Even Feed foot; or you could use your machine’s built-in fabric feeding system, such as the great AcuFeed™ Flex system we use on our Janome models. This is optional, but we found it to be the best option when working with slick surfaces
   
4. This type of vinyl can fray just a little bit with repetitive use, so we suggest coating the raw edges of each layered piece with Dritz Fray Check seam sealant.
   
5. We used a cotton swab to control the application.
   

JOURNAL PENCIL POUCH

1. With the main panel cut, edgestitched, and sealed, the first step is to cut a small hole for each half of the Heavy Duty Snap as well as for each eyelet position.
2. Replace the pattern template and use the printed marks as a guide. You can use a Dritz Rivet Tool (one of our favorites for cutting holes), an awl or a mini hole punch.
   
3. The cap half of the Heavy Duty Snap goes at the angled end.
   
4. Insert the snap half through the panel from front to back.
5. Place the back of this snap half in place over the stud.
   
   NOTE: Remember that on our Sparkly Things, we consider the Aqua Glitter Vinyl to be the front and the Steel Glitter Vinyl to be the back.
6. Using the Dritz Snap Pliers, set the snap half.
   
7. Insert the opposite half of the snap at the straight cut end of the panel. Remember, for this half, insert from back to front so the two halves properly align.
   
8. Seal the two sides together using the pliers.
   
9. The Dritz 2-Part Eyelets are set in a very similar fashion. You should have already pre-cut starter holes at each marked point, using the pattern template.
10. Insert the one part through the hole. We think both sides of these Dritz 2-Part eyelets are quite nice looking and either side can be the “right” side. The smooth side is a bit more low-profile and so for these Sparkly Things, we felt that smooth side was best on the inside of the various elements. The choice is really up to you, but whatever you decide, insert the the back half stud through the vinyl from back to front.
    
11. Then seal the two halves with the Dritz Eyelet Pliers.
    
12. Find the length of Dritz Metallic Elastic. Trim it down to 12”.
13. Insert the elastic through the eyelets.
    
14. Pull all the way through and align the raw ends. Pin the ends together, forming a loop.
    
15. Stitch the ends together, going back and forth across them to firmly secure.
    
16. Trim away the excess elastic.
    
17. Using the fold line on the pattern template as a guide, fold up the bottom of the panel to create the pocket. Clip in place along both sides.
    
18. Re-thread the machine with thread to best match the front vinyl in the top and bobbin.
19. Edgestitch along both sides, running the seam right on top of the previous edgestitching.
    
20. Rotate the elastic loop as needed so the joint disappears on the inside of the pocket.

TASSELED BOOKMARK

1. With the main panel cut, edgestitched, and sealed, the other steps are the eyelet and the tassel. The Dritz 2-Part Eyelet is inserted in the same manner as above. The glitter vinyl is hard to mark on; as a slick surface, most marks just want to rub off. It’s easiest to leave the paper template in place for the insertion.
   
   
2. We created an approximate 3” tassel from pearl cotton floss.
   
3. If you are brand new to this technique, we have a full step-by-step tutorial on DYI tassels. Of course, you could also buy a tassel.
   
4. Thread the tassel’s hanger ties through the eyelet and tie off the ends.
   

WRIST LOOP KEY FOB

1. With the main panel cut, edgestitched, and sealed, the other steps are inserting the nine eyelets and attaching the key fob.
2. As above with the other elements, it’s easiest to leave the template tape in place to cut the holes and insert the Dritz 2-Part Eyelets. This guarantees the most accurate placement.
   
3. You can certainly make the key fob loop shorter or longer, just remember to keep your rivet spacing even and leave extra room at each end for inserting into the Dritz Key Fob Hardware.
4. Fold the length in half so the raw ends are flush. Slip both ends all the way into the key fob clamp.
   
5. Lay the project flat and finger press the clamp closed.
   
6. Cover the metal with a cloth and use a hammer to further close the clamp. Take just a couple soft blows with the hammer; you don’t want to damage the metal.

TWO SIZES OF CORD WRAPS

1. With the main panels cut (including the holes, slits, and center diamond), edgestitched, and sealed, the other step is simply insert one Dritz 12mm Pearl Snap.
2. Cut out the large circles marked on both of the pattern templates to give you a clear window through which to insert both halves of the snap.
   
3. Collect the Angled Cord Wrap panel and the pairs that make up both halves of the snap.
   
4. Set up the Dritz Snap Pliers to insert the pearl cap half.
   
5. Re-set the Dritz Snap Pliers to insert the stud half at the opposite end.
   
6. The Heart Cord Wrap snap is set in the same manner.
   
7. It is especially important with the more delicate surface of the pearl snap that you use the proper tools.
   

We received compensation from Dritz® for this project, and some of the materials featured here or used in this project were provided free of charge by Dritz®.  All opinions are our own

Project Design: Alicia Thommas
Sample Creation and Instructional Outline: Debbie Guild