Special Accent: Padded Hangers

Level: Easy

After all the sewing projects for decorating your home are finished and you think there are no more new ways to use that beautiful fabric you have left over, then one more idea comes to your imagination. How about making covered and padded hangers for that special occasion dress? And they make great gifts, too. Padded hangers are especially nice covered in satin for a wedding gift or from matching fabric for the bridesmaids, done in elegant fabric to coordinate with the dresses. There is no end to fun sewing ideas if you keep looking for them.

Supplies:
1/4 yd. print or satin fabric
Scrap quilt batting or loose Fiberfil
thread
hanger - wooden or wire
1 yd. -in. wide ribbon

Step-by Steps:
1. Find a plain old wooden hanger to use as the base. A wire hanger can also be used but needs to be bent and shaped before covering it. Shape the wire hanger by squeezing the wire hanger together to form a narrow shaped hanger so that the open center part is flattened and close together.

2. Using any type of quilt batting, cut about 3 in. wide strips and wrap these strips around the hanger from the hook in the center to the end of the hanger and back again until the whole hanger is evenly covered in a layer of soft batting. Wrap the batting with sewing thread to hold it in place and secure it to the hanger.

3. Cut two narrow strips of fabric measuring 3 1/4 in. by 15 1/2 in. and two more strips that measure 3 1/4 in. by 9 in. Round off one end of each of these four strips.

4. Sew a gathering row of stitches around the two sides and the rounded end of the longer two strips of fabric about 1/4 in. from the outside edge.

5. Pull up the gathers to fit the shorter two strips of fabric.

6. Sew the two pieces together after distributing the gathers evenly along the length of the strips with the right side of the strips facing each other using a -in. seam allowance. Leave one end of each strip open to slip over the padded hanger. The two tubes you have created will meet in the middle around the hook of the hanger.

7. Carefully thread the gathered tube over the batting-covered hanger and adjust so that the gathered side is facing up toward the hook of the hanger.

8. With a needle and thread sew these two sleeves together in the middle or just under the hook of the hanger.

9. Now cover the area where the two sides have come together with a -in. ribbon in a coordinating color. This ribbon is woven in a figure eight pattern around the hook and then around the bottom of the fabric tubes with enough ribbon left to tie a small bow around the base of the hook of the hanger.

10. One additional step is to create a small sachet bag to hang around the hook to add that special hand made touch. Use a small rectangle of fabric and sew around three sides to make a pouch to hold a small amount of fragrant, sweet smelling potpourri. Gather and tie a ribbon securely around the top edge of the pouch and attach it to the hanger around the base of the hook.

11. To customize the sachet for a special occasion such as a wedding, embroider the initials and date on the sachet bag before filling it with potpourri.