Crafty Cosmetics Caddy Pattern & Tutorial [Pt 1]

Avon's Essential Makeup Holder

About a year ago, I ordered something called the Essential Makeup Holder (shown here) from Avon. I am a loyal Avon customer for certain things, but in this case, I found the actual item to be very much different from what I saw depicted. The material looks like thick polyurethane in the picture but arrived as less than "cheap plastic tarp". I realized that there was no way I could pay ten dollars for the thing, so back it went. (This has been the second time in my experience that Avon has promoted a new product by advertising that it will be at a higher price point in the "next campaign"... but then it never appears ever again. That said, the company recently rolled out a similar looking item with interior dividers, but I have no confidence that it isn't similar in other ways as well.)

---

---

But that didn't stop me from appreciating the idea, particularly for travel. At home, I have the perfect acrylic organizer that keeps everything that I need within easy reach. When I go on the road, a nice toiletry bag carries my essentials. But once I get to where I'm going, I would prefer to have my daily items sitting on the counter, not stored inside a rolled container.

So as usual, necessity is the mother of invention...

Presenting...my Crafty Cosmetics Caddy!

... leading to a new pattern design from me — the Crafty Cosmetics Caddy — along with a new way of rolling it out. That is to say, I am taking another major step on my journey from student to designer with an actual pattern for sale!

I will provide the bare bones instructions next week for how to make a basic version of this Crafty Cosmetics Caddy, but I have taken the trouble to put together a full set of detailed instructions (along with both imperial and metric measurements, loads more photos, various sewing tips and hints, and suggestions for making two other versions of the project) into a downloadable 22-page PDF file. If you think that the full tutorial is worth a couple of bucks and change — coffee money, really, as it is commonly referred to when people ask for donations — please go to my PDF Pattern Shop to purchase the "full meal deal".

Sample pages from my 22-page Crafty Cosmetics Caddy PDF pattern...

The Crafty Cosmetics Caddy can be put to other uses, also... it doesn't have to be cosmetics stuff. I can see it being used as a container for vitamins and medications, for stationery items on your desk, even as a — surprise! — purse organizer. As you can see from this top view, it really can hold a lot.

The Crafty Cosmetics Caddy holds a lot!

If you decide to "splurge" on my pattern, I would love to see your completed projects and get some feedback on the instructions!