Awesome! I hope you have a great time! And thanks!

@@IamNickDClements thank you so much! I hope you are well :D (ponytail on point as always btw)

Yup! lol, it's usually pretty gratifying when the things I make actually work, even something as simple as a bag.

I loved the enthusiasm too!

You're welcome :)

Thanks! Yeah, heat shrink tubing comes in handy for all sorts of things.

Greetings! 👋

Yeah I would imagine they do. And/or, they have a glue/solvent that chemically bonds the hem.

You're welcome! It's a Singer Simple 2263. It was just a "cheap" Walmart sewing machine, I think like $70-80 when I bought it, which I find is pretty much all I need. A basic machine with basic functions, all I ever use is straight stitches and zigzags. That said I learned on and used my mom's Kenmore growing up, and that thing could sew through anything! I wish I still had it. Also I need a front loading bobbin. I hate the newer machines that have the "easier" top loading bobbins, I think they are garbage lol

Whatever is lying around is usually what use, lol. But the specific needle in my sewing machine is a "Schmetx Microtex (Sharp) Needle 130/705 H-M 90/14" - And just normal, generic thread, but some stronger/heavy duty thread wouldn't hurt. My "trick" for getting a stronger stitch with thinner thread is to just use a zig-zag stitch.

I just used whatever needles I had on hand: "Schmetx Microtex (Sharp) Needles 130/705 H-M 90/14" -- For a standard, plastic tarp. And just normal thread, but some stronger/heavy duty thread wouldn't hurt.

Nothing specific, a heavier gauge thread wouldn't hurt, but I just used what was already in my machine, which was just standard thread.

Yeah, I was just using whatever thread I had lying around, but some stronger/heavy duty thread should work fine, if not better.

Good idea. I bet you could use screen and then sew tarp material on edge to give it more stability. I may try this for my cold frame cover.

Definitely!

That could be pretty cool. Currently I have a bunch of pop up laundry hampers that I got at the dollar store... they collapse down to like a 8 inch disc, and pop up top like a 2.5'x12"X12" hamper... you toss a rock in the bottom to keep it from falling over/blowing away, put a trash bag in it and use a few binder clips/clothes pins to hold it in place. It works really well. One for trash, one for cans and recyclables/returnables. (and they are also just great as dirty clothes hampers lol) -- also yeah, people suck.

@@IamNickDClements I hadn't thought of those. Great idea. How waterproof are they? I thought of the "tarp trash bag" when I saw the one you made for the grate cover. A potable fire pit cover would be great,too. I know those are really popular. They even have a way to sew a pocket onto the back so that when you fold it up, it folds up into the bag and zips, like for your ground cover for the tent. I guess I'm just proving your point about just how versatile a tarp bag can be. LOL

It's pretty good, you would probably want a better quality heat sealer for something like that, one that does a thicker band of crosshatching, or multiple lines, (like the seal on a bag of chips) instead of just the singular, thin line that the cheap one I have makes.

Now thinking iron on sealing tape and a handheld hobby sealing iron may work even better...

It won't really melt the 2 together, Maybe if you take the very edge of the iron, and like try "spot welding" it, like a heat sealer... your best bet would be to just sew it. I made a custom tarp for my tent last year, by just cutting cutting the edge off, cutting it to length and then sewing the edge back on.

@@IamNickDClements it'd be neat to see a video on that. I think I know what you're saying. Thank you for replying.

Thanks! Sewing round bottoms, or on a curve, isn't too hard. There is a good video by DiResta where he makes cylinder bags out of old blue jeans, and he demonstrates sewing the circle bottom onto the tube: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bc2HdbWHs6jIk2w.html

I have not, but I don't really see why it wouldn't work. Especially if you are hand sewing. I'm not sure how happy a standard sewing machine would be sewing fishing line, but maybe some really thin stuff? Otherwise, a big, beefy/industrial leather sewing machine could probably handle finishing line just fine. Another line to consider might be micro paracord. 0.75mm Nano Cord is supposed to hold 36 lbs.

@@IamNickDClements I see some fishing line that is 40lb and 0.3mm so I thought it should thread through a machine fine and use 1.5” webbing on the back of the seams for additional support of the stitching

I've used fishing line to patch up jeans a few times (by hand)

Nope, I just used "normal" thread (just whatever I had lying around) but there is no reason you couldn't use heavier duty/ UV stabilized thread.

It was just some black rope/string that I got at Michaels. 32 PLY Polyester Macrame Cord, but pretty much any rope or string should work.

@@IamNickDClements thanks. i am looking for your video on using the heat sealer to make things. I don't yet have a heat sealer.. and am concerned about bying one like you had in this video. the tarp edges are much longer than 8 inches and not sure how i would be able to heat seal a seam along such a long edge of tarp with that heat sealer.

​@@manp1039 Yeah, unfortunately, all of the cheap sealers are hinged on the side like that, so you can't really seal anything longer than about double the length of the sealer. (seal one half flip it over and seal the other.) The ideal sealer for sealing a edge of basically unlimited length would be this style: www.amazon.com/dp/B083177JRR/ unfortunately those start at around $100. However, you could attempt to take apart a cheap $20 sealer, removing the hinge, and just hold the top part of the sealer by hand, or rig it up in a way so that it function more like clamp style ones.

@@IamNickDClements thanks. Your idea of unfastening the the top part from the hinge is an idea. I am exploring which ones seem to be best capable of doing the. The other option is to work on learning how to use my sewing machine and stitch up the seams with that as we. In any case, like you said, it probably would be extremely usefull to have a heat sealer anyways.. And i think i will go with one of the Impulse sealers. they seem to be the best options.. and they have replacement heating elements strips on amazon. The other thought i had is to try one of those hand sealer that have 1 inch or shorter heating element to tack down a seam every inch or so. They apparently don't have the heat adjustments like the 20 dollar one. I have a battery powered one in a storage box.. not sure if it will get hot enought to seal two layers of tarp together.. in any case, thanks for your replies. :)

Oh, that's perfect!

Nope, not in my experiences. It sews incredibly easy. I just used whatever needles (and thread) I had on hand: "Schmetx Microtex (Sharp) Needles 130/705 H-M 90/14" -- For a standard, plastic tarp... if we're talking canvas tarp, than yeah, you're going to need some pretty touch needles, and a pretty tough sewing machine as well.

Nope, I just used whatever needles I had on hand: "Schmetx Microtex (Sharp) Needles 130/705 H-M 90/14" -- for a standard, plastic tarp, it went through it without a problem.

Just tested it with 8 layers of jeans, and it handheld it without a sweat surprisingly. Also ran some 3 mm leather, and it didn't like it but it stitched it! Usually for leather, especially thicker leather, you use a special leather sewing machine, that uses thicker needles and thicker thread. But yeah, for just being a basic/cheap Walmart machine, I'm very pleased with it's performance.

@@IamNickDClements Yeah I just got a walking foot machine that I'm learning how to use. Apparently there are special needles that work best with leather even if you don't have a heavy duty machine.

Yes, just normal thread, and my sewing machine is a "Singer Simple" model # E99670, it was like $80 at Walmart. I love just a simple sewing machine, as long as it can do straight stitch, zigzag, and has a front loading bobbin, I'm good. (I hate newer machines with the top loading bobbins...)

A thick, upholstery thread would be ideal, but I just used standard, all purpose thread and it worked fine.

@@IamNickDClements thanks for the response...totally dig this video...inspiring me to want to learn how to sew.

Thanks! Just your standard, plastic tarp. The ones in the video are from Lowe's I think, but ones from Home Depot, Walmart, any ol' plastic tarp should work.

@@IamNickDClements thanks for replying! thats awesome! next winter i will do a close-out for my rooftop tent. Or at least try it :)

Whatever one I have that's not broken lol Currently I have a pack of "Schmetx Microtex (Sharp) Needles 130/705 H-M 90/14"

Nope, not in my experiences. It sews incredibly easy. I just used whatever needles I had on hand: "Schmetx Microtex (Sharp) Needles 130/705 H-M 90/14" -- For a standard, plastic tarp... if we're talking canvas tarp, than yeah, you're going to need some pretty touch needles, and a pretty tough sewing machine as well.

@@IamNickDClements Can I sew by hand - dont have a machine, and the small project I have doesn't warrant buying one.

@@jamieb3071 I don't see why not. For just a standard plastic tarp, it sews very easy, so sewing by hand shouldn't be a problem.

Sewing is just fast, and arguably easy. The hems are heat fused, like I showed in the end of the video. With glue, it can be hard to find the right glue that will properly adhere to plastics, and of course you will have to wait for it to try. But I mean, yeah, it's an option.

No not really, it's woven, so eventually the edge may start to fray but once it's all re-sewn/hemmed it should never come apart.

Certainly not right away, it's woven, so it'll hold it-self together pretty well. Additional, everything gets sewed or hemmed.

@@IamNickDClements do you think its possible to glue with like powerfix a "zoom" so it does not raffle anymore? I have no knitting machine or heatgun, need to make a roof over my small pool have a 45 m2 tarp wicht is like 20 times to big..

@@MrWaf007 Unfortunately, I think you are going to have a hard time getting glue to stick to a plastic tarp. You could try staples, just regular paper staples. Fold the cut edge over a few time, and staple it every 10 inches or so.

@@IamNickDClements many thanks from the netherlands!

@@MrWaf007 You're very welcome, best of luck with your project :)

I'm sure you could. The hardest part is getting it threaded, but once it is, you just feed in the 2 pieces you want sewn together and press the foot petal. "If you can drive a car, you can sew with a machine" ... pretty sure that's the quote from that movie ;)