Chic African Culture Africa Factbook

Did you know?

1. No African country names begin with the letters F, H, I, J, O, P, Q, V, W, X, or Y.

2. Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent.

3. The Republic of the Congo is one of the most urbanized countries in Africa.

No Sew African Print Dog Bed

Easy Decorating with African Printed Cloth No-Sew Doggy Bed.

Love this simple DIY no-sew African print doggy bed, it's such a cute way to spruce up your home.

In the designing world, you might feel an atmosphere of intimidation when trying to learn to make a project with a sewing machine with 1,000 different features. You may not even own a sewing machine because the prices are just ridiculous. Here are some creative ways to get around it. 

Sewing is an amazing skill to have, but you do not need a needle and thread to actually “sew” together pieces of fabric. Well, at Chic African Culture today you are in luck because we have all of the non-sewers (like us) covered. 

Do not spend big bucks on doggy beds or table linens, make your own and use the extra money on good wine. Not only were these no-sew doggy beds and double-sided place-mats and table runner inexpensive to make, but they were also super easy too. What is fusible webbing? 

Fusible webbing is a sheet-type adhesive used to bond layers of fabric without sewing. You may see the name advertised as heat n bond, wonder under and other brands. 

You will find no-sew fusible webbing in sheets, rolls or by the yard online and in fabric and crafts stores in heavy and lightweight weights. Heavyweight is to fuse medium to heavyweight fabrics, lightweight fusible webbing is for lightweight materials.

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No-Sew African Print Dog Bed 

Materials Two ½ yards African print fabric Pair of scissors Stuffing or clothes you no longer wear Fusible webbing Directions 

Lay 1/2 yard of African print fabric pretty side down on your work surface then lay the other ½ yard pretty side up on top. Fold the edge of the fabric in a 1/2” seam all the long ends and iron. 

Fold one more time, another 1/2” and iron. Cut a strip of the fusible webbing to size, width and length of the seam and place it between the layers of fabric, and iron on with steam. Run the iron back and forth a few times and make sure it is stuck together. 

Repeat on the two other sides. On the 4th side start stuffing the bed. Here you can use the pillow stuffing and or old clothing you no longer wear. Once stuffed to your dog’s liking iron in the same manner as the other three sides and a fabulous and comfortable DIY dog bed made without any sewing!

Bonus No-Sew African Print Patterns for African Print Table Runner and Place-mats.

No-Sew%2BDIY%2BAfrican%2BPrint%2BTable%2BRunner%2Band%2BPlacemats%2BStep%2Bby%2BStep%2BInstructions
No-Sew Table Runner

No-Sew African Print Table Runner and Place-mats Materials 2 yards of African print fabric to make six place-mats 2 yards contrasting fabric for the lining 3 yards of coordinating African print fabric for the table runner Fusible webbing, the same length as the perimeter of place-mats and runner (webbing is ironed on to create no-sew hem) You will need only a few tools An iron with a steamer Scissors Measuring tape

No-Sew African Print Table Runner and Placemats

Place-mat Directions Place-mats are usually between 12” x 18” to 14” x 20”. Make sure yours will fit on the table at least two inches away from the edge of the table runner. You may want to make one or two extra place-mats in case you need a replacement in the future. 

Add four inches to the width and four inches to the length (two inches on each side). Lay one yard of African print fabric pretty side down on your work surface then lay the fusible bonding web on top. Lay the contrasting lining, pretty side up on top. Insert a few pins to hold the layers of fabric in place. 

Start ironing in the middle of the fabric and work your way out so you do not get any bumps. Repeat the process for all your place-mats. Fold the edge of the fabric in a 1/2” seam all the long ends and iron. Fold one more time, another 1/2” and iron. Cut a strip of the fusible webbing to size, width and length of the seam and place it between the layers of fabric, and iron on with steam. 

Run the iron back and forth a few times and make sure it is stuck together. Repeat on the three other sides. Table Runner Directions Determine Table Runner Size Runners look the best when they are 1/3 the width of the table, so for the finished width of the runner, divide the width of the table by three. 

Add two feet to the length of your table for the length of the runner. Add four inches to both the width and length (two inches on each side) for hem allowance. Cut the table runner fabric to size. Make a 1/2” double seam around all four sides. Tuck the fusible webbing underneath the second hem to hold it in place. 

Together we build awareness that boost harmony, education, and success, below are more links to articles you will find thought provoking.

  1. Deadliest routes for refugees
  2. Cooking with shea butter oil
  3. Worst serial killers recorded in history are women
  4. Indigenous healers and plants used
  5. Night running illness or magic
  6. What is back to Africa

Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet=

Africa is surrounded by water but is not an island, here are a few African Island facts.

Madagascar is the 4th large island in the world and is located in the Indian Ocean supporting a unique biology, about 90% of its plants and animals are found nowhere else on earth.

Composed of 155 islands, Seychelles is Africa's smallest country. By far the largest island is Mahe, home to about 90% of the population and the site of its capital city of Victoria.

Cabo Verde has a strategic location 310 miles or 500 km from the west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site.

Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent. Continents can not be considered islands because of their size and also by historic definition since many people who study geography define islands and continents as two different things.

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African cultures express, encourage, and communicate energy

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Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet are dedicated to discovering, collecting and sharing African history and heritage celebrating 14 years of service in 2021. Share and support in the pride of being part of an important cultural and educational resource.


Being African in America I have grown up learning about different ethnic cultures. My father and mother are historians of African culture and history and their influence expanded my activities to several best-selling cookbooks, magazine columns, self-branded products, and a popular African culture and food blog.

Chic African Culture

Be better than average and support African history and culture. Since 2008 Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet highlight Africa through her food and culture. Contact us culture1africangourmet@gmail.com

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