No-Sew RunnersTutorial

I love making no-sew runners. My niece Amy showed me this neat trick last year and I have making them ever since. I like to make the smaller versions so I'm not sure if you would call them runners or  doilies but either way, they are super simple. I thought I would write the steps out for anyone who wants to give it a whirl. You will need material, scissors, iron and a roll of hem tape (otherwise known as heat & bond). I recommend you do not use your best iron unless you use a dish towel to lay over each step when you iron. Otherwise, you could get the hem tape stuck on the iron. I bought a cheap iron for $6.00 at Walmart as my craft iron. It works perfectly. 

First, select a piece of fabric and determine the finish size you want. Add about 1-2 inches on each side to have enough for your finish size. I cut this piece of material at 10 x 14. Your edges don't need to be perfect because you will be turning them under. 

Press your material to remove any wrinkles then turn it with the front side face down. Fold in each side about 1-2 inches and press the fold down on every side. 

Your back side should now look like this. 

Now you will lift each side one at a time and measure out your hem tape. I love this stuff because you can just tear it off when you get the length you need. 

Lay the piece of hem tape inside the fold.

Fold the fabric back over the tape, hiding it inside the fold. 

Set you iron in the middle of the cotton/linen setting on your switch. Due one side of your fabric at a time. Cover the side you are ironing with a soft cloth or dish towel to avoid getting the tape on the iron. Hold it down on sections at a time for 10 seconds. DO NOT run the iron up and down the seam. Simply hold it over a section, count to 10 and move to the next section and repeat until you do the entire side of the fabric.

Repeat this process on all four sides of your fabric.

When you are done, your back should look something like this.  

Next, turn your material so the short width is facing you. Bend the corners in to a triangle shape that makes the fabric come to a point on the end.  

Iron it in place to create a seam.

Open up each side and place tape on each side of the turned in pieces.  

Then gently lay the fabric back down to cover the hem tape.

Hold your iron on each section for 10 seconds, sealing the seams. Repeat on the other end.

If you want, you can use hot glue to put a button or a bow on each of the pointed ends. 

And here is the finished product. 

You can place a candle, a candy dish, a figurine, anything you want. I made this one for my Russian stacking doll and a candy dish. 

This looks like a lot of steps, but it really only takes about 15-30 minutes to make one. The more comfortable you get, the faster you can do them. I can do one in about 12 minutes. Here are a few others I have made this year and last year. I have a vintage reindeer set I may set on this one. 

This is the one for my pencil Santa's to set on.

I made this one last year to set a big snowman on.

I love poinsettias. It is my birth month flower and my mom & mamaw always set out poinsettias every Christmas. So I had to make this when I spotted the material.

Last year, I used it for a little mini poinsettia plant and my Christmas tea for one set. I just loved how it turned out.

But the one I made the other day is my favorite. You can't really tell but the material has glitter built in. It sparkles so pretty. I am going to set a candy dish full of Christmas hard candy on this one beside a little votive candle. 

I am making some for gifts this year. I have 3 made and have about 10-12 more to make. I will probably make them tonight and tomorrow night so they are done and can get marked off my list. I have a lot of material to choose from. My friend does applique work and she gave me a bunch of material this year.

As you can see, I will have a lot of variety for my gift runners.