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Colorful knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame from craft book author & designer Heidi Gustad.

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How-to: Dotted Parasol Makeover

July 8, 2013 2 Comments

How-to: Dotted Parasol Makeover - HandsOccupied.com

Paper parasols are an excellent surface for decoupage projects, so when I spotted a very torn paper parasol for $3 at a craft store, I knew I had to snatch it up and Mod Podge it back into shape. As you might have noticed in pictures of me, I’m one of the palest humans on earth. For me, parasols are also a great beach party companion when I need more than several applications of SPF 50 a day to keep safe from sunburn.

Supplies

tissue paper
differently sized circular objects
scissors
pencil
Outdoor Mod Podge
sponge brush
parasol

How-to: Dotted Parasol Makeover - HandsOccupied.com

Directions

Here’s the sorry state my blue parasol was in at the time I bought it:

How-to: Dotted Parasol Makeover - HandsOccupied.com

Since that one tear is so massive, I needed to find a circle-shaped object slightly larger than the tear to trace onto tissue paper. My kitchen plates and a drinking glass worked perfectly. If your parasol isn’t torn, you can get creative and use object of any size to stencil your circles onto some tissue paper.

How-to: Dotted Parasol Makeover - HandsOccupied.com

Next, cut out all of your circles and sort them into piles by size.

How-to: Dotted Parasol Makeover - HandsOccupied.com

It’s easy in this next step to make the tear larger in your parasol since the moisture of the ‘Podge can weaken the structure of the paper parasol, so be careful. If your parasol is damaged, carefully apply a layer of Outdoor Mod Podge around the largest tear to start. Apply the ‘Podge to an area about the same size as the circle you’ll be decoupaging onto the parasol. Pat a large paper circle onto the Mod Podge.

How-to: Dotted Parasol Makeover - HandsOccupied.com

Covering a tear? Also apply a layer of Mod Podge onto the inside of the parasol to seal the back of the tear.

How-to: Dotted Parasol Makeover - HandsOccupied.com

Back on the outside of the parasol, paint a final layer of Mod Podge over the dry side of the circle. Keep applying circles to your parasol in any pattern you like: evenly spaced polka dots, overlapping dots, you name it. If they are covering a tear, follow the steps outlined above. Otherwise, simply apply Mod Podge, smooth on a paper circle, and paint over the outside with Mod Podge. No need to paint the backside if the circle isn’t covering a tear.

How-to: Dotted Parasol Makeover - HandsOccupied.com

When all of the Mod Podge dries, paint a last layer of Outdoor Mod Podge over the entire parasol and let dry for a couple days. Not only does the Outdoor Mod Podge seal the parasol, but it makes it better for outdoor use than in its original, plain paper form.

How-to: Dotted Parasol Makeover - HandsOccupied.com

I first posted this project at Mod Podge Rocks. I write a monthly tutorial for Mod Podge Rocks, which you should check out on Facebook, Pinterest & Twitter for tons of decoupage craft project instructions. 

Filed Under: Decoupage, How-to, My Work Elsewhere, Summer Tagged With: beach, crafts, decoupage, diy, kids crafts, mod podge, paper, parasol, recycled crafts, summer

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. Pam

    January 31, 2014 at 11:31 pm

    Hi! What a great tutorial! Do you know if the results will be as awesome on a silk parasol?

    Reply
    • Heidi

      February 2, 2014 at 11:03 am

      Hmm, I’ve never tried Mod Podge on silk. My only concern with Mod Podge on silk is the fact that MP is water based, and water and silk don’t always work well together. :(

      Reply

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

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handsoccupied

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Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
If only knitting a whole project took 39 seconds… 😮‍💨 
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In this video, you can see how the Intarsia Flower Pillow pattern knits up - two flat panels, one with intarsia, both are blocked, and then they’re seamed. Find the pattern on @hi.ravelry & my website, just search Intarsia Flower Pillow. 🌸 
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P.S. I’m really smiling in this video while seaming the pillow, so I guess I’m proving last week’s claim that I truly enjoy that sometimes-dreaded task. 😆🫣
In knitting, a Left Lifted Increase (LLI) lets you In knitting, a Left Lifted Increase (LLI) lets you add a stitch in between two columns of stitches that leans to the left. Similar to an M1L, LLIs allow you to increase nearly invisibly.
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To learn more about lifted increases, including when to use them and how they differ from Make 1s, head to the 🔗 in my profle. 
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Have you ever used lifted increases? I used M1’s almost exclusively for a long time when I needed to inc between stitches, but when I designed the Intarsia Flower Pillow pattern, I needed something that would allow me to increase a lot near my cast on, and M1’s resulted in edge curling. The more you know! 🌈 
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Yarn: @lionbrandyarn Wool Ease from my Stash / Neddles: @boyeyarncrafts - Just remembered these are the needles I learned to knit on at age 8. 😂
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#handsoccupied #knitting #learntoknit #howtoknit #sweaterknitting #knitinspiration #knittersofinstagram #liftedincreases
Last week I got to hang out with my family & helpe Last week I got to hang out with my family & helped babysit my red-headed niece and nephew. So here’s some plane knitting, and a couple pictures (shared with permission) of my babysitting adventures.
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Lessons learned: 1️⃣ Trying to knit around 2 toddlers, 2 cats & 2 large dogs is pretty hard. 2️⃣ I learned during water color time that pink and black make “colorful black.” 🩷🖤 3️⃣ Toddlers do NOT care about your rainbow sorting of their toys. 4️⃣ Toddlers are very good at finding mischief in a very short amount of time, what a surprise. 😂
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#handsoccupied #knitting #placesyoucanknit #knitters #knitinpublic #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration
Weaving in ends & seaming with mattress stitch are Weaving in ends & seaming with mattress stitch are both so useful for garment knitting! But for me, weaving in ends can feel like a chore while the latter feels like I’ve successfully done magic. 🧙🏻‍♀️ Does anybody else run into this phenomenon? Are you the opposite? Any theories as to why they feel different? 
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In this video, I’m finishing my brand new Intarsia Flower Pillow. 🌸 I’m working with @universal_yarn Uni Merino & the pattern is available at the 🔗 in my b1o. 
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#handsoccupied #intarsiaflowerpillow #intarsia #intarsiaknitting #knitting #colorwork #knitpillow #knittinginspiration #knittersofinstagram
I independently released a knitting pattern today, I independently released a knitting pattern today, my first in 5 years! The Intarsia Flower Pillow is a 16” (40cm) round pillow knit with an intentional combination of intarsia, stockinette, garter and seed stitch. This pillow has everything you need to level up your intarsia technique while also knitting something you can use. 
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This pillow allows you to practice knitting intarsia while simultaneously increasing and decreasing. The Intarsia Flower Pillow pattern was designed to be a little knit-nerdy for learning and a little cute, arming you with many of the skills you'd need to knit an intarsia sweater. 
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Intarsia Flower Pillow is available in the Hands Occupied Sh0p and on @hi.ravelry . You can read more about the pattern on the bl0g, the🔗 are where you’d think.
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YARN: @universal_yarn Uni Merino in Antiquity, Fjord and Conch / NEEDLES: US 2 (2.75 mm) / PATTERN: Intarsia Flower Pillow by Heidi Gustad
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