Saturday, February 26, 2011

Felt Poppy Flower Tutorial






These flowers are fairly simple and shouldn’t take longer than an hour to complete.  Perfect for headbands, brooches and general embellishment - I plan on using mine for a baby mobile.  Since this is my first tutorial, I'm crossing my fingers that it's easy to follow.  Enjoy!    



 

SUPPLIES:
1 (9x12) sheet of eco felt, your choice of color*
1 (9x12) sheet of black eco felt*
Sharpie
Cardstock
White Thread (or your color choice)
Needle
Sharp scissors
*You will have felt left over.  Eco felt is my preference, but you can use anything you are comfortable with.  

STEPS:
First, make your stencils.  For this you’ll need the cardstock, sharpie and scissors.  The petal stencil is basically the shape of a pirate eye patch.  I made my petals 2 inches wide at the top, 1 inch wide at the base and 2 inches tall.  This made the finished flower about 4 inches across.  Obviously you can play with the size to make a bigger or smaller flower.  You’ll also need to make the stencil for the middle (or “bud”) of the flower.  This is simple a rectangle that measures 2 inches long and 1 3/8 inches tall.  
 
 
Use your rectangle stencil and cut out a piece of black felt.


Take the rectangle lengthwise and fold it in half.  Cut on folded edge (about 7 times) 3/4 of the way down.  


Keep the piece of felt folded and roll from one end to the other.   
 

Then, sew the bottom of the “bud” together.  I sew back and forth a few times and make sure the edge is secure.


Trace and cut out 8 petals.  I like to cut a wavy edge at the top of the petal to make it a little more realistic.  Remember to cut off all sharpie markings (cut on the inside of the traced line).


Take three of the petals and tightly wrap around the bud.  Sew at bottom to secure petals.






Place the remaining 5 petals together to form a circle, fanning each petal.   


Place the bud in the center and fold up around the bud.  Sew the bottom to secure each petal.



 
And there you have it!  A beautiful, 3D, eco felt poppy flower.


Friday, February 25, 2011

Spotlight on Leahkl

Meet Leah, the brains behind Leahkl.  She's a mother of four and a dedicated vintage chenille collector.  Her little girl sparked her chenille crush and shes been crafting with it ever since.  Her amazing upcycled goods range from quilts to rattles.  

All of her items beg to be touched.  The buttery colors don't hurt the appeal.  I am confident that the any of her items would be a great sensory experience for a newborn. 
       






Thursday, February 24, 2011

DIY Minimalist Scandinavian Wooden Heart

I found this amazing tutorial on the Design Sponge  blog and I had to share it!  This minimalist wooden heart is a fabulous and simple design element.  It's a stripped down version of the wooden stars my mother used to make in her basket weaving days.  This project, however, is one I could tackle.  It's one of those stunning pieces that really is as simple to make as it looks.  

Monday, February 21, 2011

Martha, Martha, Martha!

I love felt.  Apparently, so does Martha Stewart!  She has crafted the most adorable little brown owl costume.  Sometimes it's a challenge to find a tutorial that is clear, concise and cute.  Not with Martha.  Here's the link to Martha's Owl Costume.  I know, it's a bit off season - but I couldn't resist.

Friday, February 18, 2011

The Nautical Trend

It seems like the nautical trend will never go out of style.  When it comes to the little ones, that is even more true.  My beach-side childhood may prove me bias, but sailor chic always makes me swoon.  

Let's start with this adorable Starfish Jumper from The Trendy Tot.  It's simplicity is genius!  I love a little lady in navy blue.  

Here's the boy option!  This Organic Frenchie Sailor Collar is too cute for words.  Don't worry, that sweet little hat is also available at Pure Pixie's store.

And here is the perfect nautical themed baby gift, Hand Knit Anchor BootiesFabius Maximus has a wide range of knit booties and other goodies. 

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

DIYDS Tuesday

Whoa, here's a totally knotical tutorial.  I think this would make a great set coasters or a wall hanging.  Thanks to a summer of forced sailing lessons, I'm not into knot tying.  Actually, I'm boycotting it...forever.  But you can try it - it looks pretty simple.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Make It Monday

For all of you who are crafty and motivated by holidays, I found an adorable tutorial.  A cute heart shaped felt bag for the sweetie in your life.  The tutorial is hosted on momtastic.com and it looks like you only need pinking sheers, felt and a sewing machine.  Pretty easy (and very cute).  Check it out!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Etsy Find Friday

Ever since I first watched Juno, I can't get the hamburger phone out of my head.  If they could make a cordless version... it would be mine.  I stumbled across this first find this week and decided to see what other wonders were out there.  Here we go...







 
 



 






 

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Happy Valentines Day, Love Me

I made a few new shirts to celebrate the holiday of love.  I've never taken Valentines Day that seriously, can you tell?