Ideas for Using Velcro in Arts and Crafts – eg. Chokers

The Power of Velcro

You may like the idea of the DIY ethic but not have gotten the hang of sewing yet. That’s where velcro comes in. Everyone probably knows what velcro is. It’s two strips of nylon which have tiny little hooks and loops, so they don’t stick to anything else, but do stick to each other.

You’ve seen velcro on trainers, sofa covers, clothing – the list is endless. It is a great way to quickly open and close something, and although it has an industrial look there are all sorts of ways to get crafty with velcro if you want to make your own clothes and jewellery.

Where to get velcro

You can find velcro in craft shops, haberdashers or dress shops, department stores and online.

How much does it cost?

It’s pretty cheap to buy considering how useful it is. You will probably use an inch every time you make something new with velcro, and you can expect to pay about fifteen dollars for fifteen inches of velcro strip.

How to make your own ‘moulin rouge’ choker using velcro

Get a length of velvet ribbon from any sewing store or online.

If you have a really thin velvet ribbon, about 5 cm or less in width, you can just tie it at the back of your neck (with either short ends or really long ends hanging right down your back for full wildchild effect).

If you get a lovely thick velvet ribbon (from 1 inch to 3 inches across) you can cut it to a size that fits round your neck, making sure you have enough room to breathe but the choker won’t slip, and leave about an inch overlap.

Velcro the two ends and voila! Moulin rouge chocker. It’s the best for nights out, it suits any occasion and shape, and it’s instantly impressive – if you wear it for a bit of daytime shopping in the supermarket, men will offer to carry your bags and the world will be your oyster.

Ways to customise your choker:

• Superglue on sequins (especially if it’s a nice thin choker, to create a delicate princess look)
• Thread on a small teardrop bead so it hangs down in the middle
• Attach a huge victorian or day-glo broach
• Hang a key on a keyring (and never explain to anyone what the key is for)
• Hang a bell from a cat-collar if you’re feeling particularly feline

How to make your own wristbands using velcro

Choose the material of your choice, whatever you like. Some suggestions might be:

• leather (if you’re willing to wear leather)
• bubble-wrapped plastic, so you can pick at your wristband when you’re bored
• cardboard from a cereal packet, cut to size and sealed with nail polish
• denim scraps from the hems of your old jeans
• leftovers from cut-up pair of old fishnet tights

Cut the material so it goes round your wrist. You may want to hem the edges so they don’t fray – if you really can’t sew, you can always fold the edges in under the side of your wristband that will be next to your wrist and won’t show, and superglue those edges down so your wristband doesn’t unravel over time. Leave an inch or two of overlap.

Cut an inch or two of velcro. Sew or superglue the bit with the hooks to one end of your wristband and the bit with the loops to the other. Voila! A fantastic DIY wristband, heap big kudos, no clever sewing required!

Wristbands are really easy to make, and great to sell. You can sell them at car boot sales, to your friends, outside gigs if the security will let you – you can even just walk around wearing as many on your arms as possible then do a big sell when people ask you where you got your wonderful wristbands from and can they touch them… If anyone asks to pop the bubbles on your bubblewrap plastic wristbands, don’t allow such intimacy unless it is a bargaining tool to get them to kiss you.

How to make ever-changing customised tees using velcro

Take a t-shirt, jacket or vest top. Superglue on about an inch of velcro wherever you like – on the breast where you would stick a pin or badge, or on the arms. Then velcro up (ie superglue some velcro to) a motley selection of items – little troll dolls, puffy silk hearts, feathers, lighters, chinese coins with holes in – whatever you like that is quite small and light. Love heart sweets are a good idea although you will want to make your pieces of velcro a lot smaller, and remember to seal the sweets with clear nail polish or they will melt and go sticky in the rain. Then stick the attachments to your t-shirt and alternate them whenever you feel like it.

Alternatively, superglue on the velcro in a long strip on the base or on an arm to make your t-shirt more industrial/techno and leave the velcro revealed in all its glory. make sure you do this with the hooky bit of the velcro not the fluffy bit or the velcro will soon look old and manky.

Stick a long strip of velcro on your bedpost or mirror. Now stick inches of velcro to the most important things in your life – photos of your boyfriend, mobile phone, wallet, green party membership card, lighter… and stick them to your mirror/bedpost. You will never lose these wonderful items again. You don’t just get velcro in black, you can get it in bright colours too from