Last month I struggled with trying to make a template to cover miniature washtub. The project was featured on the cover of Stampin' Success, a magazine sent to all demonstrators, and the instructions did not include a template.
So I had to figure it out myself. Now maybe everyone else has already discovered the secret, so this is for the one other person out there, who hasn't. I Googled for templates and the best I could come up with was this site. (Linda, if you right click the link, you can choose "open in new window", and you won't be re-directed). Another site suggested rolling the tub and tracing it, and that didn't work at all; it was impossible to get it to roll in the right circle. So after much determination...I can never let something go once I start, I came up with this method of making a template. And this time I'm showing you my version of a travel tissue holder that I CASE'd from my dollar store!
All you need is a piece of copy paper and your cup, scotch tape, and scissors.
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Now you want to place your cup at one edge in the middle of the paper and roll it up. 
Roll it all the way up, keeping the paper fairly snug against the cup...or whatever you are working with.
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Now you want to tape it up with scotch tape. The edge will likely include a corner so you want to tape all the edges that are within the cup area.
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Next I used my fingers to create a groove where the top and bottom edges of the cup are. Then I took a pencil and drew my lines. I did try to use the pencil first, but my line was really warbly, so the groove really helped to keep it straight.
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Now you will cut the cone open. I like to cut in the area where I taped so I don't have pieces falling away from my future template.
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This is what your opened template looks like. To finish it off, you want to tape or glue any edges that are within the template portion and then cut it out.
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When you are done, your template should look like this! Now you can trace it on to any surface you want. Incidentally, this template does fit within a 8 1/2" x 11" paper.
Wanna see the Travel Tissue Holder?
My dollar store sells these little items, and as you probably guessed they are only $1.00. However, they are all flowery and colourful, and the interior of my car is gray, Basic Grey to be exact!! So I knew if I got the right cup and lid, this little project would be a snap. My Canadian friends will certainly recognize the Ice Cap cup from Tim Hortons! The open lid is crucial to the mechanics of the tissue holder. Any tissue should work as long as it's interfolded, such that another pops up when you pull one out. Just don't put too much in, or it's too tight to pull!
The middle section is Whisper White, and I wheeled the "Kindness" wheel in Basic Grey, and coloured the flowers in with my Pretty in Pink and Regal Rose Markers. I adhered it with Sticky Strip, and would not recommend any other adhesive. To create the top and bottom borders, I traced the top & bottom of my wonderful template onto Basic Grey textured card stock and then sort of eyeballed the width at one inch and cut it out. I scalloped the edges with my corner rounder. Remember to scallop the narrower curve on the top and the wider curve on the bottom and you really don't want to ask why I know this!!
The top of the cup is adorned with our very cool "Love and Happiness" rub ons just because they were there! I just love Rub ons! They are so versatile, and they went on the little lid so easily. I actually used my thumb nail to rub them on, since my finger was the only way to "back" the pressure. The rub on is a section of the black border, and I have another cup, so I will try the white or brown on it!!
So there you go. The finished project isn't as fast as it is fabulous, but making the template is very fast! I don't save them, because each project has different dimensions, and it's so easy I make a new one every time!
I hope you are starting off a great weekend! I can't wait to share my next project..not fast, but totally fabulous! Until then...
