Kalimba Case. Jean Siu.

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Kalimba Case. Jean Siu."

Kelly Mathews
5 years ago
Views:

Kalimba Case Jean Siu Jeanpsiu@gmail.com Supplies used: Box big enough for the kalimba plus two inches around all the edges of your kalimba, mine came from Hobby Lobby.

1 Kalimba Case Jean Siu Supplies used: Box big enough for the kalimba plus two inches around all the edges of your kalimba, mine came from Hobby Lobby. Paint or Stain Sand paper Modge podge hard coat or varnish Jewelry findings, paper cut outs, fake gems (optional) Fabric Tac glue Approximately a yard of sateen or quilting cotton, I bought extra (just in case!) Quilting cotton is much easier to use than the sateen. You can find it in a very nice batik print. 1 inch deep craft foam Craft knife Paint brushes or sponges Pins Light weight cardboard for making a pattern (back of cereal box may do)

Pencil and sharpie marker 1. My box came from Hobby Lobby and didn t cost very much. It is a light weight balsa wood.

I like to test fit so I then made a pattern out of a piece of paper to see if it fit nicely.

Set this piece aside for now. 4. Trace around the kalimba s bottom to make a pattern on the light weight card board.

2 Pencil and sharpie marker 1. My box came from Hobby Lobby and didn t cost very much. It is a light weight balsa wood. The measurements are approximately 11 ¾ inches by 8 5/8 inches. It is approximately 4 5/8 inches deep. 2. Measure the inside of the box. I like to test fit so I then made a pattern out of a piece of paper to see if it fit nicely. Once I liked the look of the fit, I cut four pieces of foam the same size as the open space 3. One piece is for the inside of the lid. Set this piece aside for now. 4. Trace around the kalimba s bottom to make a pattern on the light weight card board. Cut out the cardboard and place it one of the foam pieces. Making sure the pattern piece is centered on the foam, trace around it. Cut this out using a craft knife. 5. Next place this piece (once you have cut out the opening) on top of a second piece of foam. Carefully trace around the cut out portion on the new piece of foam. You will have two pieces

6. of foam that have the shape of your kalimba and two that are whole. Next stack and glue three pieces together on top of each other.

The goal is to have two layers with a cut out and one solid piece of foam which backs them.

Lay the fourth piece of foam on top of the fabric and carefully cut out the size of the foam plus seven inches extra on the top and the bottom.

3 6. of foam that have the shape of your kalimba and two that are whole. Next stack and glue three pieces together on top of each other. Put a cut piece on top of the whole piece and glue it down. Next put the other cut piece on top of the glued cut piece and glue it down. The goal is to have two layers with a cut out and one solid piece of foam which backs them. The top two pieces of foam are where the kalimba lays when the case is completed.. 7. Lay the fourth piece of foam on top of the fabric and carefully cut out the size of the foam plus seven inches extra on the top and the bottom. My foam was 8 inches by a tad more than 11 inches. My fabric was cut to 15 by 18. This allows the fabric to gently wrap around the foam. 8. The fabric is glued to the back of the foam. Do not put any glue on the top front of the foam! 9. I used pins to hold the fabric in place as it dried.

4 10. This is how the front will look. Do not worry that it doesn t look perfect, it doesn t have to. This is a very forgiving project.

11. Next measure the sides, top, and most of the bottom of the three layered piece of foam and add 10 inches. Cut this out. Mine was approximately 27 by 30. 12.

5 11. Next measure the sides, top, and most of the bottom of the three layered piece of foam and add 10 inches. Cut this out. Mine was approximately 27 by I ironed my fabric down the center the long way. Then I pinned 5 inches out from the fold. You will create a box pleat. This means the material will be flattened out. The arrow is your center where the pins are. Fold the material that is extra flat along the front creating the pleat. If you can t visualize this please google Box Pleat to find some better directions. The front of the fabric piece is the side you can t see the pleat on. You should only see the pinned center seam. I pinned the fabric totally flat. 13. Next I carefully laid it with the pinned seam on top of the three foam blocks going down the long way of the case. You must center the seam. This is what gives you the extra fabric so your kalimba fits nicely. I used my hands to scrunch the fabric inside the opening so I knew my kalimba would fit. Then I pinned the top of the fabric to the foam. Once I did that, I removed the center pins and made sure the Kalimba fit in the space.

14. I then removed the kalimba and glued the fabric to the back of the foam brick.

The fabric on the top and inside the opening are not glued down.

Don t worry, if you have done everything correctly so far, it will all fit when you are

6 14. I then removed the kalimba and glued the fabric to the back of the foam brick. I used pins to hold it in place while it dried. The fabric on the top and inside the opening are not glued down. This allows for a more luxurious look. Don t worry, if you have done everything correctly so far, it will all fit when you are done. 15. You are now ready to finish the case. You should give it a light sanding first. I used paint and hard finish modge podge on mine. The wood is not very strong and adding paint and a finish help strengthen it somewhat.

I actually did some decoupage on my case before I finished it off. You can decorate yours in any way that is pleasing. 17.

7 As you can see, I painted mine on the outside as well as the inside. I was lazy and did not remove the hardware first. You should probably do that. 16. After the paint is dry (or the stain, which ever you decided upon), finish it by either using a varnish or the modge podge. I actually did some decoupage on my case before I finished it off. You can decorate yours in any way that is pleasing. 17. Now you will put your foam inserts in the case. You may have to tease them in, they should fit tightly. You should not have to glue them if you measured correctly. 18. Enjoy your case, you worked hard on it.

I added some new hardware and created a handle out of some silly vinyl trim I found at Joanne s. I made the bumpers inside using the quilting fabric which was so much easier than the sateen.

8 I also made a case for my smaller 8 note kalimba using a cigar box. I did not have to paint it. Cigar boxes are not typically stained on the bottom and varnished; I used a walnut stain on the bottom of the box. I added some new hardware and created a handle out of some silly vinyl trim I found at Joanne s. I made the bumpers inside using the quilting fabric which was so much easier than the sateen. I also added a jewelry finding (the elephant) which I purchased at Hobby Lobby. You can usually find new latches at Hobby Lobby. I did find some nicer metal handles the next week. (I found them in the scrapbooking section.) The cigar box case does not have any foam on the top. I cut three pieces of felt and covered them with fabric and glued them in the lid. I plan on redoing the insert portion of the case. I do not guarantee anything or make any claims. This is how I made the cases for my Kalimbas. If you have any questions, feel free to me and I will try to answer.

Great Escape- Upcycle Cereal Boxes Sue Kohlman September 27, 2015

Great Escape- Upcycle Cereal Boxes Sue Kohlman September 27, 2015 Drawer Organizers http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2013/01/diy-cereal-box-drawerdividers.html Materials Pretty papers, {both wrapping