Shoebox: Jean Shower Curtain, CD Tin Paper Dolls

There were two absolutely terrific ideas in the Shoebox today! The first contribution came from Brenda Kandel of Mt. Vernon, Ohio, who made a shower curtain from old blue jeans! Had Brenda not taken some wonderful photographs, I might have doubted the success of such an item, but it looks really cute hanging in her boys’ bathroom. Brenda not only sent a photograph of the finished item but took excellent step-by-step photos as well starting with a picture of some of the 120 six-inch squares she cut. She then stitched together 11 rows of 10 blocks each and laid them on the floor to get the color variations she liked. After they passed inspection and she had the arrangement that pleased her, she sewed the rows together and numbered every row so they would stay that way. She then sewed on several pockets using actual pockets from the jeans (she let her boys select the pockets they wanted), and when everything was stitched together, she lined it with a twin bed sheet. She used blue jean thread to knot each corner of every square and added heart buttons along the top row. She hung the curtain from a tension rod using café hooks. Obviously Brenda must have had a certain amount of confidence that this would turn out, because she has made many items using old blue jeans, including rag rugs, pot holders, toaster covers, and a toilet seat cover!

Very different was the item Bonnie Willey of Chappel, Neb., sent in and it, too, was very ingenious. Bonnie used the flat metal tin that came in the mail holding a CD and painted it with two coats of white spray paint. Using her computer, the American Greeting Crafts program CD, glossy sticker paper, and magnet sheets, all of which were made for using with a computer, she printed everything off on the correct paper. What she printed was a very sweet little paper doll and an entire wardrobe including ribbons for the dolls' hair. Bonnie then cut everything out and put it in the tin. A traveling set for her six-year-old granddaughter! It's a wonderful playtime activity for anyplace and time, but especially perfect for taking along on a trip. With everything magnetized, the chances of losing pieces are greatly diminished.