Have you ever had a moment where you question yourself in whether or not to use paper or piece of fabric for a project that you are making? I know I have, but those times are very few now that I have discovered Smart-Fab. This miracle fabric is exactly what you want and need to use, and best of all, this Smart Fab is extremely economical. The Smart Fab is more durable and flexible than paper, yet it is soft to the touch like material.
As you can see from the picture, I was provided with a roll of dark blue, yellow, green and sky blue Smart-Fab to test for the purpose of this review.
What is Smart-Fab you ask? I know you have seen this product before, but could not put a name to the “material” itself. I don’t immediately recognize where I have seen this before, but know that I have – not knowing the specific name. Perhaps it was in a surgical facility, medical clinic, by a beauty care professional, or in use as a disposable tablecloth.
Smart-Fab is an innovative product with remarkable uses. Smart-Fab is strong, yet flexible. It won’t fray, rip or wear out so it is durable enough for outdoor use. It is water and wear resistant. Smart-Fab is available in a variety of non-fading colors. Since the fabric is cloth like, you can wash Smart-Fab, but the fabric may wrinkle. You can remove the wrinkles by either stretching it out or you can even iron Smart-Fab; however, be extra careful to keep the iron on a very low temperature. To eliminate wrinkles, store your Smart-Fab either rolled or folded.
Educators love working with Smart-Fab as it is perfect for bulletin boards, banners, arts & crafts projects and scenic design. Crafters, as well, love Smart-Fab as it is so versatile. Smart-Fab can be cut with almost any cutting instrument: scissors, handicraft knives, utility knives, and paper cutters and trimmers. You can even use a paper punch on your Smart-Fab, but it is recommended that you place a sheet of construction paper beneath the fabric before doing so. You can even cut between 10 and 15 layers of Smart-Fab simultaneously, but keep the fabric taut while doing so. You can also use this fabric with your die cutting machines. Use Smart-Fab in your 3D projects as it is durable enough to stand up. The possibilities are almost endless. For those crafters who love to create, but are limited in the imagination area, the web site has some projects, as well as lesson plans to get you started.
I had hoped to make the Flower Petal Gift Basket that is listed on the web site; however, I didn’t have a round basket on hand so I merely used what I had.
I wrapped the Smart Fab around a basket that I had on hand, gluing the end pieces after turning them under and making sure that the fabric fit snugly on the inside of the basket.
Following the gluing process of the green Smart Fab, I then took a strip of the yellow Smart Fab and tied it around the basket and then placed some stickers on the tails of the bow. The yellow fabric helps to secure the end pieces of the basket where I glued it. The Smart Fab is safe enough to store food items, so I simply popped in some hard candies for easy access for my family. My basket isn’t nearly as cute as the one on the web site, but I think it turned out pretty nice. I believe that when I use the fabric to decorate another basket, I will either use a double layer of the same color, or use an alternate color as you can see through this basket.
With school beginning soon for most students, the Smart-Fab product is great for making book covers.
I simply cut the fabric in a length long enough to cover both the inside of the front and back sides¸ as well as the outside of the book. I folded over the fabric taking the bottom of the fabric folding it in towards the middle and repeated the process so that the top portion of the fabric met the middle fold. I then draped the fabric around the entire book including the inside of the front and back cover to make somewhat of a pocket. I glued the pieces together where the folds came together. Once dried, I slipped the front and back covers into the pocket. Then I added some lettering (“MATH”) to the front of the book. The entire process took approximately 5 to 10 minutes in total. While my abilities as a crafter leave something to be desired, the book cover is for my personal use, and will not be entered into any type of contest or fair, so it serves my purpose sufficiently.
The uses for Smart-Fab are only limited to your imagination: you can paste it; draw on it with most art media, as well as glue it. There is one limitation that I found with the Smart-Fab and that is the fact that it is not fire proof, so if you use the fabric in making those Halloween costumes, be extra careful.
Smart-Fab is easy to store, in rolls 48 inches wide and 40 foot long. However, the Smart-Fab fabric is also available in other lengths¸ as well as in conveniently cut sheets for those special projects.
Smart-Fab products can be purchased throughout the U.S. and Canada through educational dealers, parent/ teacher stores and online retailers. For a listing of the various locations where you can purchase these products, visit the Smart-Fab website under the “Where to Buy” tab.
Stop by Smart-Fab’s Facebook page to say hello and their Pinterest page for creative ideas for using their products.
This fabric is a “must-have” item for all educators and crafters as well, and for any other persons who love a good bargain. I am so happy with the durability and practicality of this fabric and happy with all the other features that it carries, as well. Available in a rainbow of colors, you won’t have any problems finding the right color you need for your project. Be sure to stop by Smart Fab today.
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