DIY: VW Bug Stencil

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I promised I’d share my VW Bug stencil and directions for painting on fabric using freezer paper. Here they are (click below):

VW Bug Stencil and Instructions

Freezer paper stencils are easy and satisfying–the lazy girl’s way to silkscreen. Freezer paper has a shiny side that irons nicely onto fabric and then peels away easily, leaving a crisp, clean image on your fabric. Freezer paper is available at many grocery stores. Leave a comment if you use this VW Bug stencil and please send a pic–I’d love to see your results.

Next, I’ll share the pattern for sewing the VW Bug pillow (complete with groovy pompom trim)!

 

VW Beetle Pillow Progress!

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It ain’t done yet! This is an anticipatory photo in which I revel in possibilities without actually completing the sewing. Those same possibilities stall me: orange pom poms or green? Orange wouldn’t provide much contrast with the orange-y fabric but it would offer consistency with the VW bus pillow–also orange is available at my local fabric store. Green pom poms require a car drive into the Dreaded Land of Strip Malls. Magenta pom poms are another possibility (available locally, too). Zeke and his friend Rowan agreed that magenta would be OK. But Rowan has green hair, so can we trust him?

See what I mean by stalling?

 

 

VW Bug Pillow

Tell the truth: are you focusing on the VW bug pillow or are you coveting the vinyl chair held together with lime green duct tape? Sorry, but it’s a one-of-a-kind treasure that only the luckiest few can possess.

Summertime may not be optimal for freezer paper stencils–using an iron in 90-degree heat can be a wilting experience. But well worth it, of course. (Here are step-by-step instructions.) This VW bug pillow follows the VW bus pillowcases I made earlier this year in a series I’m now calling Vehicles I Have Known and Loved.

For the VW bug pillow, I used a pattern for an envelope enclosure. Beige linen in the front, groovy cotton print in the back, and orange piping.

Next up for the vehicle stencil series is the true love of my childhood . . . the 1974 mini Winnie (that’s Winnebago, for the uninitiated). Long before I grew up to own a vinyl chair, I longed for this camper.

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