How To: Make a Mini Felt Apple Tree

To celebrate the launch of my new book, Super-Cute Felt Animals, I'm sharing a collection of free tutorials that you can mix and match with the projects from the book.

This week's projects coordinate with the "On the Farm" chapter. Today, learn how to sew a little felt apple tree!

To make the apple tree, you will need...
- the template sheet at the bottom of this post
- green felt, approx. 3 ¼ x 5 in (8 x 12 cm)
- brown felt, approx. 2 x 2 in (5 x 5 cm)
- red felt, approx. 1 x 2 in (2.5 x 5 cm)
- a small piece of spring green felt
- green, brown and red sewing thread
- stuffing & a pencil or other small stuffing tool
- needle, pins & embroidery scissors (great for cutting out small felt shapes!)

If you want you could also add some sparkle to the apple tree by sewing a round red sequin on each of the felt apples. 

1. Use the templates provided to cut out two brown trunks, two green trees, six spring green leaves and six red apples.

2. Sew the two trunk shapes together using whip stitch in matching brown sewing thread. Leave the top edge open and stuff the bottom three-quarters of the trunk.

 

3. Place the trunk on one of the tree shapes – this will become the back of your tree. Sew the trunk in position with a line of whip stitch in matching green sewing thread, sewing into the green felt but not through it. Set this piece aside for a moment.

 

4. Decorate the front tree shape by adding the apples and the leaves, as pictured. Sew the apples on with whip stitch in matching red sewing thread. Then add the leaves with green sewing thread, sewing a line of backstitch down the centre of each leaf.

 

5. Place the front and back tree pieces together and sew around the edge with whip stitch in matching green sewing thread. Turn the tree back and forth as you sew past the trunk to help keep your stitching neat on both sides. Leave a gap large enough for your finger and stuff the tree. Then sew up the remaining gap with more whip stitches and finish your stitching neatly at the back.

 

Click here to view the template sheet in another window/tab, and print it at 100%.

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

Super Cute-Felt Animals is published by CICO Books, RRP £12.99. It includes 35 fun felt projects, each with illustrated step-by-step instructions. It's available to buy at Amazon UK and Amazon USA and many other bookshops.

Please note: the Amazon links in this post are affiliate links.

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


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:

How To: Make Mini Felt Ducks

To celebrate the launch of my new book, Super-Cute Felt Animals, I'm sharing a collection of free tutorials that you can mix and match with the projects from the book.

This week I'm sharing three mini "extras" that are designed to coordinate with the animals in the "On the Farm" chapter: an apple tree and two ducks.
 

Today's tutorial? Making the cute little ducks! I stitched both my ducks from white felt but you could use light brown felt to make brown ducks - and maybe add some brown embroidery thread (floss) stitching to the wings for a feather effect.

To make the ducks, you will need...
- the template sheet at the bottom of this post
- white felt, 3 ¾ x 4 in (9 x 10 cm)
- a small piece of orange felt
- white and black sewing thread
- 2 black seed beads (size 9/0)
- stuffing & a pencil or other small stuffing tool
- needle, pins & embroidery scissors (great for cutting out small felt shapes!)

1. Use the templates provided to cut out the shapes you need. For the standing duck, cut two white duck (A) shapes, one white wing (A), one orange beak (A) and one orange set of feet. For the swimming duck, cut out two white duck (B) shapes, one white wing (B) and one orange beak (B).

If you want to double up the orange pieces to give them added sturdiness, sew each shape onto a matching piece of felt with orange running stitch, then cut out the second layer after you’ve finished stitching – creating a shape that’s now two layers of felt thick.

2. Position the corresponding wing on one of the duck shapes and sew it in place with white sewing thread, sewing a line of running stitch around the edge of the wing.

 

 

3. Use black sewing thread to add a black seed bead for the duck’s eye, sewing it flat like an O with three or four stitches. Set the front of the duck aside for the moment.

 

 

4. Sew the corresponding beak (and legs, if you’re making the standing duck) into position on the back duck piece, as pictured. Use white sewing thread and whip stitches, sewing into the white felt not through it.

5. Place the front and the back of the duck together, and start sewing the edges together with whip stitch and white sewing thread. Sew up the duck’s neck, around the head and back down the other side of the neck. Then stuff the head and neck. You may need to stuff the head and neck of the swimming duck gradually as you sew down the second side, as the neck is quite narrow.

 

6. Continue sewing around the duck’s body with whip stitch - when making the standing duck, turn the duck back and forth as you sew past the feet to help keep your stitching neat on both sides. Stuff the duck gradually as you sew along the bottom edge, then close up the final gap and finish your stitching neatly at the back.

Click here to view the template sheet in another window/tab, and print it at 100%.

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

 

Super Cute-Felt Animals is published by CICO Books, RRP £12.99. It includes 35 fun felt projects, each with illustrated step-by-step instructions. It's available to buy at Amazon UK and Amazon USA and many other bookshops.

Please note: the Amazon links in this post are affiliate links.

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


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: