Today I wanted to show you a few tips and tricks of how to keep your Wayuu bag looking like new. Depending on the type of strap you have, it might stretch out over time. I will also show you how to keep your tassels looking fresh and what to do in case your bag pills and how to go about washing it.
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Shorten Your Wayuu Strap
The first thing I wanted to show you is how to shorten a Wayuu bag strap. If you have a bag with a paleteado strap, it will not stretch. So the one we will be focusing on today is the stretchy strap.
Once you have the right size yarn, all you need to do is undo the stitching being careful not to cut the bag nor the strap. I do recommend that you watch the full tutorial below.
Remove Pilling From Your Wayuu Bag
Now I want to show you how to keep your bag looking fresh. If you love wearing your Wayuu bag or it rubs a lot against you, it can pill over time.
This can easily be fixed with a defuzzer machine. This is one of the best things I own honestly. I use it on Wayuu bags, on my coats, on my pillows, even on my sofa.
I get quite addicted to this as it just makes everything look brand new again. As the bag is quite soft, I put my hand underneath and rub the machine in small circular motions. This will clean all the fuzz right up and remove any pilling you might have and make it like new right away.
Keep Tassels in Tip Top Shape
Something else you can do to keep your Wayuu bag looking new is by taking care of the tassels. With time, a few strings might come out of the tassels, or perhaps the tassel is too long and you would like to shorten it.
The first thing I would do is get a small comb and brush the tassels like you would a doll’s hair. What this does is essentially straighten out the tassel and pull out loose yarns so you can see exactly where you need to cut. Next, I make a circle using my index and thumb and place the tassel tightly in between. I like to leave about a centimeter to a centimeter and a half between the base of the head of the tassel and my pinky.
Here, I can easily see all of the threads that are sticking out. This is like cutting hair, you don’t want to cut too much because then you’re going to end up a short tassel that will not grow back! So you have to be careful with how much you cut. It’s better to start small and keep going if you want a shorter pair of tassel. Once I cut, I shake the tassel to see if any loose threads still remain, and give it one last trim.
Wash Your Wayuu Bag
I know I previously said I only hand wash Wayuu bags, but I’ve actually quite gotten the hang of machine wash under a certain setting! What I like to do first is to stain treat by putting a bit of liquid detergent on the stain and rubbing it in. Then I let it sit.
If the Wayuu bags are really dirty I will let them pre-soak. I usually only machine wash Wayuu bags with woven or braided drawstrings. If you have a drawstring that is twisted, I will recommend tying them safely with a hair tie or whatever you have available. Next, I like to put the strap, the drawstring and the tassels all inside the bag and fold it in half so all the delicate parts of the Wayuu bag are protected. I choose the softest setting which is a quick wash that lasts only 15 minutes on a cold setting.
When’s the cycle is over, I let them air-dry for a couple of days.
I hope you enjoyed these tips and tricks on how to to keep your Wayuu bag looking brand new. If you like the video, be sure to give it a thumbs up and I will see you next time!