How To: Sew Felt Pocket Hugs to Send to Your Friends

Today I'm sharing a cute and easy tutorial: how to sew a felt pocket hug!

Pocket hugs have started popping up all over the place recently: little tokens you can send to a loved one at the moment to send them a virtual hug while we're not allowed to give real ones.

They can tuck the hug in their pocket, carrying a reminder of your friendship and love wherever they go. It's such a lovely idea!

Obviously I couldn't resist sewing some felt hugs :)

These are quick and easy to sew and would be a great little project to work on in the evening while you're watching TV. You can stuff them like I did or keep them flat so you can pop them inside a card. They'd also be a great project for working on with kids, especially if you're teaching them to sew as part of homeschooling.

You will need:

- A heart template (I used the one from this tutorial, but you could make bigger hearts if you'd prefer)
- Tissue paper or an air erasable marker pen
- Craft and sewing scissors
- Felt
- Sewing thread to match the felt
- A contrasting shade of embroidery thread (floss) (I used white)
- A biro or other fine pen
- A sewing needle and pins
- Toy stuffing (don't have any toy stuffing? felt scraps would also work!)

How to make a felt hug:

1. Use your heart template to trace a heart shape onto tissue paper. Then write HUG in the centre in nice clear letters.

2. Roughly cut around the tissue paper heart and pin or hold the heart onto a piece of felt. Secure the heart with some large tacking stitches, using any shade of sewing thread and avoiding the lettering.

Don't have any tissue paper but do have an air-erasable marker pen? Use the pen to draw around the heart template directly onto the felt then write HUG in the centre. You could also use an ordinary felt tip for this but some of the pen marks will remain visible on the finished heart.

3. Embroider the lettering. I used three of the six strands from my embroidery thread (floss). You can sew white lettering like I did, or choose any colour that contrasts nicely with (and will stand out clearly from) the felt.

Sew the lettering with backstitch, following the pen lines and using smaller stitches as you sew around curves (this will help make the curves smoother and neater).

4. Remove the tacking stitches then cut out your heart, cutting through the tissue paper and felt at the same time.

If you've used a pen to draw your heart, just cut along the pen line. 

5. Carefully tear away the tissue paper then use your felt heart as a template to cut a second felt heart shape.

6. Place the two heart shapes together and sew around the edge with matching sewing thread. I used blanket stitch but whip stitch also works well.

Make sure you leave a gap big enough for your finger so you can stuff the heart in a moment.

7. Use toy stuffing to stuff the heart. Stuff it lightly, gradually adding small pieces of stuffing so you fill the shape evenly.

Don't have any toy stuffing? Use felt scraps instead! Cut them nice and small then add them to the heart in place of stuffing.

8. Finish your hug by sewing up the gap with more blanket or whip stitches and finishing your stitching neatly at the back.

And that's it: one happy little hug to send to a pal.

Click here for more lockdown craft ideas!

(The rainbow boxes would make fab gift boxes for sending your hugs. You could draw a smiling yellow sun in the bottom of the box when you colour it in then add your hug to the box, or use the sun template to make round hugs instead of heart-shaped ones).

This tutorial is for non commercial use only: you can use it to stitch as many hugs as you want for yourself or as gifts, but please don't make any for sale. You may borrow a couple of photos if you want to blog about this project, but remember to credit me and link back to this page on my blog, and do not reproduce my entire  post on your site. Thanks!

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Visit my shops to buy felt and colourful craft supplies, plus my printable PDF sewing patterns:

Lockdown Crafting: 12 tutorials for these troubled times

I got a really wonderful email last week from someone who'd been browsing my blog, stumbled on my box of sunshine tutorial and made a whole bunch of them as gifts for her friends and family. Such a lovely thing to do!

It feels particularly appropriate for this weird moment we're all in right now as rainbows have become such a powerful symbol of hope and care here in the UK. Sending a little rainbow box full of love to a friend or loved one you can't see in person seems to me to be a very powerful, wonderful thing.

Handmade gifts are wonderful things under ordinary circumstances, but at the moment they feel extra special. The power of a craft project to sooth and calm and distract and entertain also seems stronger and more important than ever while we're stuck at home amidst such stressful events.

So, here's a little round-up of projects from my blog that you guys might want to make right now. Click on the links or the photos to visit each tutorial. You'll also find lots more free crafty goodness in my tutorial archive and I share special freebies with my pattern newsletter subscribers, too.

Make a box of sunshine.

My box of sunshine tutorial includes templates and a step by step tutorial for making and assembling a rainbow box, and sewing a felt heart to go inside it. You could also use this box for gifting other things like a small brooch. This would be a great project to make with your kids, as there's lots of colouring involved and the sewing is very simple.

Sew a felt rainbow.

I shared this felt rainbow tutorial just a few weeks ago as part of a tutorial for making a weather-themed baby mobile, but I think the rainbows are a lovely project on their own. You could make these as brooches or ornaments, or sew them as they are and pop them inside a card to send to a friend.

Stay home and stitch a cute house.

I find embroidery so relaxing and really enjoyed stitching my recent Stay Home pattern. Stay home, sew stuff, save lives.

Or sew a felt house!

If embroidery's not your thing, why not sew a felt house instead? I think these would be a really sweet thing to send to a friend (from your house to theirs), or to commemorate our year of staying at home.

Embroider some self-care and positivity: be kind to yourself...

This is something I struggle with, especially when things get stressful! Stitch my Be Kind embroidery pattern for yourself, or send it to a friend who needs a reminder to look after themselves as well as other people.

 ... and remember that you're stronger than you know.

I bet you know someone who needs to hear this, too.

If you're spending a lot of time on Zoom lately, maybe you need some cute new brooches to accessorise with?

How about some plant lady brooches?

Or some fun cross stitch brooches?

You could also make a headband!

Bring spring to FaceTime with felt flowers...

... or go for more of a "I can't go to a party so I'm going to have one in my house" vibe.

Finally: sew a heart for someone you love.

There are lots of heart-themed projects in my tutorial archives for you to choose from but I think a heart brooch would be a particularly nice thing to make and send to a friend right now. They're small and easy to post, and your pal can pin them to their sweater or something in their house and think of you whenever they see it.

How about a mini cross stitch brooch?

Or a pretty layered heart, which I seem to have shared at a time when I was posting TINY photos on my blog. This sequinned heart would also make a cute brooch!

Enjoyed these free projects? Buy me a "coffee" and help support my blog!


P.S. Subscribe to my newsletter for a monthly(ish) free pattern and visit my crafty tutorial archive for lots more free projects.

Visit my shop to buy my printable PDF sewing patterns:

Felt Weather Mobile Tutorial: Sew a Felt Cloud or Raincloud!

My baby mobile tutorial continues this week with a how to for making a fluffy felt cloud, with or without raindrops.

 

 

 

 
Last week I shared tutorials for sewing a felt sun and a felt rainbow, then in a few days I'll post how I assembled all my cute felt shapes and turned them into a mobile ready for hanging.

The weather mobile would make a special gift for a baby's nursery. You can also use the individual tutorials to make cute ornaments (just add a ribbon loop!) or things like brooches or patches.

Remember: as with all mobiles, this is a decoration not a toy so make sure you hang the finished project well out of reach of little fingers. 

This tutorial originally appeared on The Village Haberdashery's blog - visit their shop for lots of crafty goodness!

To make a felt cloud or raincloud, you will need:

The cloud templates (click here to view, print, and download the PDF)
White and/or grey felt
Turquoise or other blue felt if you want to add raindrops
Matching sewing threads
Embroidery thread to match the raindrops
A large, sharp sewing needle
Sewing scissors (embroidery scissors are ideal for cutting out small felt shapes)
A sewing needle and pins

If you want to make a cloud brooch or ornament, you'll also need a brooch clasp or a length of narrow ribbon. Add the ribbon loop just before you sew up the front and back of your cloud, so the ends will be hidden inside when you sew the shapes together. Add a brooch clasp at the same point, sewing it to the back piece of your cloud.

To make a cloud:

1. Use the templates provided to cut out two matching cloud shapes from white or grey felt. I’ve included templates for two different cloud shapes (Cloud A and Cloud B), so you can make a mix of clouds in the different shapes and colours.

2. Place the cloud pieces together and whip stitch around the edge with matching sewing thread. Stuff the cloud gradually as you sew around the edge, adding small pieces of toy stuffing to firmly fill the cloud shape.

To make a raincloud:

A. Use the templates provided to cut out three cloud shapes from white or grey felt: two matching clouds (Cloud A or Cloud B) and one matching inside piece (Cloud A Inside or Cloud B Inside). Also cut out three small and six large raindrops from turquoise blue felt

B. Cut a piece of turquoise embroidery thread to match the raindrops. Knot it at one end and sew a vertical stitch through one of the small raindrops. Remove the needle and set the raindrop aside. Repeat this step for the other two small raindrops.

C. Layer the raindrop pieces so each small raindrop is sandwiched between (and hidden by) two large raindrops. Sew around the large raindrops with whip stitch and matching sewing thread, starting and finishing your stitching at the top of each raindrop. You should now have three felt raindrops, each suspended from a length of embroidery thread.

D. Use the embroidery threads to attach the raindrops to the inside cloud piece. Sew a single vertical stitch upwards through the felt, adjust the thread until you’re happy with the position of the raindrop (remember that the finished cloud will be slightly larger – make sure you leave enough thread so the raindrops will dangle freely!). Then secure the thread and trim any excess.

Repeat to secure the other two raindrops to the felt.

E. Layer the cloud pieces, so the inside piece is sandwiched between (and hidden by) the two larger pieces. Whip stitch around the edge with matching sewing thread. Stuff the cloud gradually as you sew around the edge, adding small pieces of toy stuffing to firmly fill the cloud shape. Begin by stitching along the bottom of the cloud, making sure the raindrops are hanging neatly as you sew past them.

If you’re making a grey raincloud you can stuff the cloud on one side only (i.e. with the smaller inside piece pressed against one of the outer pieces). If you’re making a white raincloud the blue embroidery thread inside the cloud may show through the felt and be visible on the outside. To avoid this, add stuffing evenly to either side of the inner cloud shape so all the blue thread is hidden by a layer of stuffing. 

This tutorial is for non commercial use only: you can use it to stitch as many clouds as you want for yourself or as gifts, but please don't make any for sale. You may borrow a couple of photos if you want to blog about this project, but remember to credit me and link back to this page on my blog, and do not reproduce my entire  post or share my pattern on your site. Thanks! 

Enjoyed this free tutorial? Buy me a "coffee" and help support my blog!


P.S. Subscribe to my newsletter for a monthly free pattern and visit my crafty tutorial archive for lots more free projects.

Visit my shop to buy my printable PDF sewing patterns:

Felt Weather Mobile Tutorial: Sew a Cute Felt Sun!

Hello!

This fortnight I've got a very fun project to share with you: how to make a cute and colourful felt baby mobile inspired by the weather. You'll learn to sew fluffy clouds and rainclouds, a smiling sun and a bright rainbow then combine them all to make a mobile!

Today: how to sew a little felt sun. 

 

 

This mobile would make a sweet addition to any nursery or a special gift for new parents. You could also use the tutorials to make individual ornaments or fun brooches - just add a ribbon loop or a brooch clasp.  

IMPORTANT: As with all mobiles, this is a decoration not a toy so make sure you hang the finished project well out of reach of little fingers.

This tutorial originally appeared on The Village Haberdashery's blog - visit their shop for lots of crafty goodness!

To make the felt sunshine, you will need:

- The sun templates (click here to view, download, and print the PDF)
- Yellow and orange felt
- Yellow and black sewing thread
- Black embroidery thread (floss)
- Two black seed beads
- Toy stuffing
- Sewing needles and pins
- Embroidery scissors (these are great for cutting out small shapes!)

Optional but very useful: an air erasable fabric marker.

Want to make a felt sun brooch or ornament? You'll also need a brooch clasp or a length of narrow ribbon.

To make the felt sun:

1. Use the templates provided to cut out two yellow sun pieces and one orange sun rays piece.

Tip: when cutting out the rays, I found it easiest to roughly cut around the shape then to cut down one side of each “ray” first, and then to cut up along the other sides to reveal the final shape.

2. Draw a smiley face on one of the yellow sun pieces using an air-erasable fabric marker: a smile and two dots for the eyes.

Cut a length of black embroidery thread and separate half the strands (so use three of the six strands). Use the black thread to backstitch along the smile, sewing small stitches for a smooth curve. Finish your stitching neatly at the back then trim any excess thread.

Don't have an air-erasable marker? Just sew the smile freehand, leaving plenty of room to add the eyes in the next step.

 

3. Add two black seed beads for the eyes. Use black sewing thread, sewing each bead flat like an O with three or four stitches.

To avoid the black thread being visible through the yellow felt, don’t carry your thread between the eyes – instead start a fresh piece of thread for the second bead.

Want to add a brooch clasp or a ribbon loop? Now's your chance! Sew them to the undecorated yellow circle (which will form the back of the sun).

4. Line up all three sun pieces carefully so the rays are sandwiched between the two yellow circles.

Use yellow sewing thread and whip stitch to sew the layers together. Turn the felt back and forth as you sew, so you can check that your stitching is in the right place on both sides. Sew most of the way around the circle, leaving a gap for stuffing

5. Stuff the sun with small pieces of toy stuffing, gradually adding stuffing to both sides between the layers until the sun is evenly stuffed. Then sew up the gap, pinching the felt firmly between your fingers to make sure the layers are in the right position and sewn together neatly.

Coming soon: how to sew felt rainbows!


This tutorial is for non commercial use only: you can use it to stitch as many felt suns as you want for yourself or as gifts, but please don't make any for sale. You may borrow a couple of photos if you want to blog about this project, but remember to credit me and link back to this page on my blog, and do not reproduce my entire post or share my pattern on your site. Thanks! 

Enjoyed this free tutorial? Buy me a "coffee" and help support my blog!


P.S. Subscribe to my newsletter for a monthly free pattern and visit my crafty tutorial archive for lots more free projects.

Visit my shop to buy my printable PDF sewing patterns:

Spring Trees: Embroidered Felt Textile Art Tutorial

This week on my blog it's all about SPRING.

Today I'll show you how to sew some embroidery hoop art featuring a trio of spring trees, then later in the week I'll be sharing some spring-themed embroidery patterns.

I drew these trees a couple of years ago, as part of a tutorial for making some autumn tree and leaf cards (which would also look fab in spring greens, by the way!). At the time I thought "ooh, these would look awesome in felt"... and now I've finally got around to trying that out.

I framed my trio of little trees in an oval embroidery hoop, but they'd also look great in a round hoop with some text added to fill the extra space (or maybe some simple felt flowers?). You could also use the shapes as a felt applique, adding a tree (or three!) to other sewing projects.

   
You will need:

- The tree templates from this tutorial
- Green and brown felt (three shades of green, plus two or three shades of brown)
- Green embroidery thread/floss (to match the green felt)
- Felt or fabric for the background
- A large embroidery hoop (you can resize the tree templates to fit if you need to)
- Sewing scissors (embroidery scissors are great for cutting out small felt shapes!)
- A sewing needle and some pins
- Sewing thread (any colour)



To make the hoop art:

1. Stretch your chosen backing felt/fabric in your embroidery hoop.

2. Use the templates to cut out one of each of the tree and trunk/branch shapes. Arrange the pieces on your hoop until you're happy with them. If I was sewing this again I'd definitely put the oval tree in the centre, as I did in the card tutorial, but this way is cute too!

3. Set aside the trunks/branches. Use sewing thread and large tacking stitches to hold the tree shapes in place on the backing felt/fabric.

4. With your chosen embroidery threads/floss (using three of the six strands in the skein), sew a line of running stitch around the inside of each tree shape. Try to keep your stitches neat and even to create a nice decorative effect.

I used darker thread on the lighter felt, and vice versa, so the stitches stood out clearly against the felt. Lie all your threads out on the felt pieces to test how they'll look and go with what looks best to you.

5. Remove the tacking stitches then, one by one, add the trunk/branch shapes and sew them in position. Use more embroidery thread/floss (using three strands again), this time using the green that matches the tree you're adding the trunk/branches to.

I recommend sewing a stitch at the very top and very bottom of the brown felt shapes to help hold them in position before filling in the rest of the stitching.

6. Trim any excess felt/fabric from around your embroidery hoop, leaving a few centimetres (about an inch) remaining. Then use a double thickness of sewing thread and running stitches to gather the felt/fabric together and pull it tight. Sew it securely then your hoop art will be ready to display.

This tutorial is for non commercial use only: you can use it to stitch as many trees as you want for yourself or as gifts, but please don't make any for sale. You may borrow a couple of photos if you want to blog about this project, but remember to credit me and link back to this page on my blog, and do not reproduce my entire  post or share my pattern on your site. Thanks!

Enjoyed this free tutorial? Buy me a "coffee" and help support my blog!


P.S. Subscribe to my newsletter for a monthly free pattern and visit my crafty tutorial archive for lots more free projects.

Visit my shop to buy my printable PDF sewing patterns: