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Sharp Dressed Gift Bag

SEASON 1, EPISODE 4

Tools: needle, thread, 2 pre-made gift bags with bottles, 1 sparkling

All you’ll need are the sleeves of a dress shirt and a necktie. You can pick them up at a thrift store, or better yet, go shopping in your man’s closet and pull out pieces he doesn’t want anymore.

First, lay down the bottle you’re going to gift on the sleeve to determine where to cut.

You want to be sure that the neck of the bottle will show above the cuff once it’s folded over like a collar.

Cut along the bottom of your bottle (middle of sleeve) keeping a ½ inch allowance for a seam. Now we’re ready to make this into a handsome gift bag.

Turn the sleeve inside out. Fold over the corners abut 2” so the bag is not too slouchy.

Take a needle and thread and stitch the bottom edge closed.

Turn your sleeve right-side-out and slip a bottle of sparkling water into your cute bag.

Now the necktie: Take a fabric cutting scissors and cut about halfway up from the narrow end. (Save the wider side of the tie for our next project). Then just tie it around your bottleneck in standard Windsor knot fashion. Use the folded over cuff as your collar and voila – a dashing bottle of sparkling water

 
 

Necktie Coffee Cup Sleeve

SEASON 1, EPISODE 4

Tools: remainder ties, coffee cups with covers (2 pre-made), Velcro, scissors, inslul fabric, needle and thread, ruler, buttons)

So here’s where we are going to use the rest of the necktie. We’re making cute coffee cup sleeves.

You’ll need:

  • Insulated batting fabric (found at craft stores)

  • Fabric cutting scissors

  • Needle and thread

  • Cute buttons

Based on the average coffee-to-go cup, measure out 13 inches from the wide end and cut off the rest.

Measure a strip of the insulted fabric and slide and insert through the narrow end of tie-up until it stops at the stitch. This will help make keep your java warm and your hands cool.

Snip off another ½” of the inner core of the tie. Then fold the outer ends over and stitch across to seal.

OPTIONAL (Velcro about 2” of “softer loops” half to the FRONT of the narrower straight edge side, and about 2” of the “scratchier hooks” to the BACK of the wider, pointy edge side. Stitch in place.)

Add some extra pizazz and stitch a button on top and you’ve got yourself a fancy cup of Joe. Now the next time your buying coffee for your pal, slip on one of these sleeves.