Seasonal Door Hanger

Wow, has it really been 3 years since I posted? I really am bad at this ...

Anyway, today I want to introduce you to my new door hanger designs. This project is made with marine vinyl so is really outdoor friendly.  I'm not ready to give up Summer yet - but there are Fall, Winter and Spring sets you can add to the basic Welcome set (with holidays coming soon). The glitter marine vinyl comes from MikriWorld. Their Glitter Canvas is a bit thinner but works well too, which gives you a larger variety of colors to choose from. Just don't use the glitter stuff on the back - it tends to stick to the machine bed. Besides, no one is going to see it so save the pretty stuff for the front, right?

I also want to share some the tools I used to put the door hanger together. They are mostly from KamSnaps. I just love their plastic snaps and they really make this door hanger fun and easy to make. I used #20 plastic, glossy snaps for most of the project, but the flower snaps add a fun touch to summer. The butterflies would look really pretty on the summer and spring banners too.

I use a multi-size leather punch to make the holes for my snaps. I got this one from Harbor Freight, but they sell similar ones at Hobby Lobby. I use the next to the smallest size. It sure is easier on your fingers than using an awl to punch the holes.

I've been using the K2 KamSnap pliers to apply my snaps for the last few years - love my flowered ones.

When it came to how I was going to hang my banner, I decided to give grommets a try. I used 1/4" (7mm) grommets. The design includes placement markers where I think they should be placed, but these can easily be moved using your favorite embroidery software.

I REALLY hate that little tool you have to hit with your hammer to set the grommets so I went looking for something better.

 

I decided my best bet was to invest in the table press from KamSnaps. You can get a variety of dies for setting snaps and rivets, as well as grommets.  I really like the idea of how deep the throat of this thing is.vs the pliers. It will make it easier to place snaps deeper onto my projects (like the center of the oval base - or inside my zipper bags).  Of course, I got the pink one.

I got the 7mm grommet dies and the press in a bundle. I also purchased the 7mm hole punch die after experimenting with a few "cheaper" methods that didn't really work. The "no-change" snap dies are also a great investment with this tool. Be sure to watch all the instructional videos on using the tools on the KamSnaps website and follow their recommendation on the parts you need to purchase.

And if you don't want to set ANY grommets, you can use the optional satin stitched circles that are included in the design . All you have to do is punch the holes,

So this is my door hanger hung with medium weight jutte. I used an 18" piece, and simply inserted it from the back side through the grommets and tied a single knot in both ends. I used a Command Strip hook on my door to hang it. You can also tie a knot in the middle to make a hanging loop.

Lynn Kramer attended the Pegboard Crafts lake retreat a few weeks ago - hosted by Beth Meyers. All 5 students got to test sew the door hanger. It was a big hit - they actually finished all 4 seasons in a single day and were all experts with KamSnaps by the time they left. Lynn hung hers using a pretty green ribbon.

Chris owns a quilt store and has her  new door hanger displayed in the shop. Talk about a simple hanging method - a few nails and its up! Give Chris a big hand - this is her very first in-the-hoop project and she finished as quickly as everyone else at the retreat.

You could also use KamSnaps to snap a ribbon onto the Welcome sign to hold it. Use the grommet placement circles to place the snaps.  I'm really hoping you'll share pictures of YOUR door hangers once you've finished them to give us additional ideas. Can't wait to see them!

You can find this project on the Pegboard Crafts website.