DLTK's Crafts for Kids Ladybug Apron This is a fairly simple sewing project (I'm not much of a seamstress *grin*).   The aprons cost about $1.50 apiece to make and I made one for each of the children who came to Kaitlyn's 6th birthday.  We decorated flower shaped cookies as part of our birthday party fun and the girls were tickled to wear (and take home!) their cool ladybug aprons.

Materials:

• red cotton (or canvas) fabric.  Cotton is a lot less pricey and is what I used.   (20 inch x 15 inch piece)
• black cotton fabric   (about 60 inches long x 5 inches wide)
     OR
          black ribbon or seam binding   (about 50 to 60 inches long and as wide as you like)
• red thread
• black thread
   
• black fabric paint or black acrylic paint (I had acrylic on hand and although it won't last forever in the wash, it will last quite awhile)... it depends on whether you think the apron will be used mainly for dress up or will see heavy duty kitchen use (in which case I'd use fabric paint)
• round sponge paint brush (you can find these at the craft store... they're used for stenciling and are often called "spouncers")
      
• scissors
• sewing machine (or iron on hem adhesive and an iron!)
• printer and paper

Instructions:

Note:  I used a sewing machine and thread, but you could purchase hem adhesive and just iron everything instead of stitching it (that will increase the cost of the project by a fair amount, though)

• Hem around two short sides and one long side of the red fabric.  
  • If you want to be extra "professional" you can fold your hem over and hem a second time so none of the frayed edges showed.  I didn't go this far as I was making 10 aprons and didn't want to stress myself out doing it.
     

Make dots on the right side of the red fabric: cover table with newspaper Pour some fabric paint onto a margarine container lid or paper plate.   Dip the spouncer into the paint and then put it onto the red fabric to make a dot Repeat in a random or organized pattern, whichever you prefer let dry (an hour for acrylic paint, overnight for fabric paint)

• If you're using black fabric instead of ribbon you're going to make your own ribbon:
  • Fold black fabric in half so it's 60 inches (or so) long and 2.5 inches wide
  • With black thread, sew up one of the short sides and down the entire long side (1/4" to 1/2" seam or so).  Leave the last short side open.
  • Use the handle of a long wooden spoon and push on the short side you sewed.  Use the wooden spoon to turn the "snake" of fabric inside out (so the seam is no longer visible).
  • Stitch the open end shut.
     

• Make the ruffled top:
  • With a needle and long piece of thread baste along the top of the apron (the non-hemmed edge)  Basting is just a long stitch (it needs to be lose... about an inch or two apart).  You have to do it with just one thread.
  • When you get to the end of your stitching, scrunch the fabric along the thread to make a ruffle. 
  • Tie off the thread  (to put this all another way, it should take about 3/4 the length of thread as there was fabric (about 40 inches of thread)
  • If the whole ruffle thing is too much work just make a flat apron instead of a ruffle topped one.
     

Attach the tie    Pin the black ribbon (the one you made with fabric or store bought one) to the ruffled apron top   Run the top through the sewing machine to finish off your apron

 

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