Extreeme Makeover: Stroller Addition

I have never been more excited to write a blog post!

 

My family is planning a trip to an ammusment park and I was trying to think of ways to make our stroller stand out so it will be easy to find.  I've heard all the tips about tying a scarf or whatever to the handle, but i really wanted a GREAT way for it to be MINE.

So i searched online for people who have done a makeover on their stroller.  Surly there would be *something* on pinterest.  

 

NOPE.

There were people with much more time and energy and brain power than i who actually took all the fabric pieces off and made new ones with cute fabric but there was no way that was going to happen.  And i saw a few people who used fabric spray paint to touch up their sun faded stroller.  And I saw one woman who painted a design on a cheap umbrella stroller.

But i wanted more. I  wanted a completely new stroller.

SO i decided to just go for it!  The stroller only cost me $14 so i really did not have anything to loose.  

So i picked out a color scheme and went shopping for paint.

Then i removed the cover (washed it) and taped off any part i did not want painted (including on the cover, like the clear parts). 

 

Then i set to work.  I painted all the plastic parts with a plastic spray paint.  The hardest part about this was being patient and letting it set for the 48 hours before putting on the clear top coat!  SO hard to wait, but i wanted to do it right!!  After the 48 hours i covered everything with a protective clear coat (used the whole can).  Then i let that dry.

 

Next i mixed up my fabric paint using Textile Medium.  You can find it in the paint section.  (side note, i ran out of mine (i've had the same bottle for 7 years now) and had to get more for this project and it was HARD to find.  Micheals, walmart and joanns all did not have it here.  Hobby lobby had a small bottle that wasn't enough for me, but i finally found a large bottle for $10 at Craft Warehouse)  You mix the textile medium with your acrilyc paint to make it a fabric paint.  The ratio is 2 parts paint to 1 part medium.
I saw a DIY where you could make your own fabric spray paint so i tried that first.

well, it didn't work that great.  It wasn't a fine mist and so i had to use a paint brush to apply.  So i didn't even bother trying to spray the fabric.  Now, if your plan was to do your stroller in 1 color only, you might have been able to get it to work (or use the commercial kind).  But that was not my plan.  So painting i did.

A tip, it would probably be easier to do this if you chose similar tone colors.  Trying to do a light color over dark meant a lot of coats of paint (3-4). 

But in the end i thought it looked pretty good.  It actually looks a lot like leather!

Then i set to work painting the rest of it.  I'm sorry at this point i stopped taking pictures. I was too absorbed in what i was doing!  But i painted under the canopy next (make sure you cover what you just painted so you don't get drips!! learned that quickly) Then once that was dry i did the outside in tan (very tricky since i had it on the frame, but i was silly and had removed the tape from the frame protecting it).  Then i painted the outside of the canopy which actually took quite a bit of paint.

NOW, my big plan was i wanted to paint a chevron pattern onto the main body (seat part) of the stroller.  Well, when i was out and about trying to find the Textile Medium i found almost a yard of teal chevron fabric in the remnants section for less than $4!  SCORE!  So i had a change of plans and instead sewed up a stroller pad (got the idea here). 

The pad was pretty easy.  I laid some brown paper in the stroller to make my pattern.  I made the pad with 2 different fabrics to give different looks if i wanted.  I then marked where the buckles woudl go through and did a zig zag stick (very thick) all around the place i would cut (like a button hole).  Only mistake i made was i had removed the bukles from the straps so my holes are too small to use with the buckles on!  OOPS!

I then also made a new 'saddle bag' since the one it came with didn't paint well and i didn't like.  It was a little tricky but i was able to make it work.

So now we come to come completed stroller!  Sure, it's not perfect (really hard to do fine detail painting, and the trim was hard to paint, it kept soaking it all up!) but i really love how it turned out!

 

The lovely Rainbow modeling her new stroller
(remember i do not use real names on this blog)

Detail shots

 

 

 

The fold is a little stiffer now from the paint but still works.  It will fold smaller but i forgot to lift the basket out of the way.

And the finer details where things were not so perfect

the trim was tricky.

As i said, the trim didn't turn out great.

It was really tricky to pain the straps.

I noticed after the base coat dried completely that i had a little bit of cracking on the tray.  I was out of the paint color though so i just clear coated the heck out of it.

I was trying not to pain this black trim, but that didn't happen. 

 So there you have it!  You don't have to live with a boring stroller if you do not want to!  I will make updates as i start using her and let you know how she wears :)  (i just finished yesterday!)  If you have questions, just leave a comment below and I'll try to get to them as quickly as i can :)

Personally, i think she's lovely!  Now to just come up with a name!

A side safety note.  Do NOT ever makeover your car seat.  Doing so is a danger to the function of the seat and will void your warranty.  No aftermarket products allowed.  Changing the fabric, adding pads (strap covers or bundle mes included) are all not allowed.  They are not made to manufacture specifications (like fire retardancy which is very important in an accident, just read this mom's story and see her pictures) and not crash tested (do *not* believe the things you read on the packages in the store.  There is NO standard for them to test them).  And there is no guarantee that the harness slots on a new cover are in the correct position.  Even being off a 1/2 inch could change the harness fit on your child.  Graco once recalled a line of seats because they found that the padding on the covers was 1/4" too thick.  That is how important it is.  Please do not alter your car seat.

Tutorial: How to save your toilet paper from your toddler!

 

So i have an almost 23 month old.   If you have one of these around then you are probably in the same boat as me.  They find the toilet paper FASCINATING.  When they are going potty they have to use 1/2 the roll to wipe and when they are bored it always brings entertainment.  For my daughter it probably does not help that her grandma bought her the Curious George movie for Easter and in it is a scene where he fills the entire bathroom with toilet paper.  Monkey see monkey do lol!

Anyways, i'm fed up with the toilet paper waste (it would be one thing if she just unraveled it but most times she shreds it as well) so i started thinking of a plan.  I had this idea in my head for a while (i don't know if in the past i saw a picture of something like this or what), but i just haven't found the time yet to do it.  Well, this last weekend i've been working on re-decorating my bathroom and i figured that now it was time.  I had the sewing machine out, i had left over fabric from another project in the bathroom, there was nothing stopping me.

So i popped a movie in the my daughter and got to work.
(this is my first ever tutorial so sorry if it's not the best)

Materials needed:
Fabric
elastic
buttons (3 or 4)
Thread and needle (to sew on buttons)
Sewing machine (although you could do this by hand)
Ribbon

The fabric i had to work with.  I found it for $4 a yard at a local store and bought it to starch to the wall behind my shelves.  Part of my bathroom re-do.  I also painted the shelves and got the new shower curtain ;)

Cut your fabric out.  I don't know what size you'll need cause i wasn't smart enough to measure it LOL!  I just happened to have the EXACT amount of fabric left over to do this project.  Didn't have to cut or anything.  (Ignore the two strips on the bottom, i didn't end up using them.)

For you to do this project you will want one piece of fabric that will wrap around your roll of toilet paper completely (a new roll) with a little bit to spare (maybe 1/2 an inch) for a seam allowance.  And you want it twice as wide as the roll as you will be folding it in half.

For the 2nd piece you'll want it a little bit bigger.  You will see why in the pictures below. 

fold smaller piece of fabric in half lengthwise and then stitch around

when you get to the end, leave a gap, about 2 inches.

Turn right side out

Use long pointy thing to turn out corners.  Chopsticks work.  Or if you're lazy like me use what you have on the table, like a star on a stick.

If you just happen to have your iron out from other projects you can use it to press your fabric to make the next step easier.  Normally i don't even bother though.

top-stich around

add a loop of elastic at one end and stitch in place

then very precisely figure out where you want your button. 

sew button in place.  Ta da!!

I added 2 more buttons so as the roll gets used up the cover will still fit.  As i put my design to the test i might have to add another button.

cover in action!  on the last button.

NOW, for the next little project.  A holder for your extra roll of toilet paper!  You will need that 2nd piece of fabric and then some ribbon. 

First you want to take your square of fabric and fold it in half right sides together and stitch around like you did before leaving a 2 inch gap (sorry i do not have pictures).  Then you want to turn it right sides out (use your star again for the corners!) and then press.

measure out your ribbon.  You will want extra length past the fabric like shown.

make sure before you sew the ribbon down that you seal the ends by burning them. Once the ends are sealed you want to top-stich around the entire square and by doing so stitch the ribbon down the sides.

Now all you have to do is tie the 'sling' to your toilet paper roll holder bar thing and then slip a roll in! 

And then the best part about the extra roll holder is that when your toilet paper is in use above it will hold your toilet paper cover so it will not fall on the floor :)  Easy-peasy!

And there you have it!  I haven't yet tested this against the toddler but i think it will work!  At least the cover should ;)  The extra holder might not work until she's a little older but we'll see.  But i love it!  So much that i took 1/2 my day (and 2 movies for my daughter) to make this tutorial for you :) Enjoy!  I would love to see your creations as well!  (and comment below and tell me how i did!)