Crafting With Felt Flowers: Floral Notecards Tutorial

Felt flowers make great card toppers!

This week I've been sharing ideas for easy ways to reuse the flower templates from my April wreath tutorial. For the final project of the week: why not make felt flowers to make simple greetings cards?

I used my flowers to decorate small cards, but you could easily use more flowers to decorate larger cards or simply resize the templates to fit. You could also use the templates to cut the flower shapes from coloured paper or card! Just glue all the pieces in place instead of sewing the flowers together.

This tutorial was originally designed for The Village Haberdashery's blog, using felt and other craft supplies from their shop.

You will need:

- The flower templates included in my April wreath tutorial
- Blank cards
- Wool felt in assorted colours
- Matching sewing threads
- Double-sided sticky tape or craft glue
- A fine black pen and a ruler
- Sewing needles and pins
- Sewing scissors or embroidery scissors

To make the cards:

Use the templates to cut out various flower pieces, arranging them on the blank cards to plan your layout. If you’re layering felt pieces, sew them together with running stitch and matching sewing thread. Stick all the felt pieces to the cards using double-sided sticky tape or craft glue. And that's it! Easy peasy, right?

For this design I used templates C, D, G, and H.

To make this flower, use templates B and G, cut two small leaf shapes from green felt, and draw a straight line for the flower stem.

 

One large, layered flower looks very striking! Position it towards the top of the card then write your chosen message in the space below it. I used templates B, D, F and H to create the flower.

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.

This tutorial is for non commercial use only: you can use it to make as many cards 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 tutorial / share my templates on your site. Thanks!

Crafting With Felt Flowers: Floral Applique T-shirt Tutorial

Jazz up a plain t-shirt with some colourful felt flowers!

 
This week I'm sharing four easy ideas for crafting with felt flowers, making use of the flower templates from my spring flowers wreath tutorial. Todays's project? Adding little felt flowers to a kids' t-shirt!

This tutorial was originally designed for The Village Haberdashery's blog, using felt and other craft supplies from their shop.

You will need:

- The flower templates from my April wreath tutorial
- A t-shirt
- Felt in at least two colours
- Matching sewing threads
- Contrasting embroidery thread
- Sewing needles and pins
- Sewing scissors or embroidery scissors

To decorate the t-shirt:

Use templates D and H to cut out enough felt flower pieces to decorate the neckline of your chosen t-shirt. I cut enough pieces for five flowers, mixing and matching three shades of felt.

Stitch the flower pieces together with half strands of contrasting embroidery thread (so for six-stranded thread just use three strands), sewing six radiating stitches from the centre of each flower as shown. I used white embroidery thread for this, to match the white t-shirt.

One by one, sew the flowers to the t-shirt using whip stitch and matching sewing thread. Start in the centre and work outwards, evenly spacing the flowers around the neckline of the t-shirt. Take care not to stretch the t-shirt fabric and distort it as you sew the flowers in place. Hide the knots of your thread between the layers of felt/fabric so they won’t irritate the skin when the t-shirt is worn.

I'd recommending washing your finished t-shirt should be hand washed in lukewarm water instead of popping it in the washing machine!

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.

This tutorial is for non commercial use only: you can use it to decorate as many t-shirts 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 tutorial / share my templates on your site. Thanks!

New in My Shop: Folk Floral Hoop Art Tutorial & Embroidery Pattern

I'm on a roll with adding new stuff to my shop this week, first the trio of felt flower patterns and now some floral wall art inspired by folk art designs:

My new printable PDF pattern includes two versions of this flower design: a step-by-step tutorial for sewing the felt applique version (complete with full-size templates, of course!), and an embroidery pattern for stitching the embroidered version.

I've actually included two versions of the embroidery pattern - the full design I stitched and a simpler one, too, so you can go for a less detailed look or add your own details with your favourite stitches. And, of course, there are reversed versions included in case you need them for your fave transfer method.

The designs both fit inside five inch embroidery hoops and would look lovely hanging on the wall to add some summer loveliness to your space. The embroidery pattern would also look fab stitched onto something like a bag or a quilt square.

When you buy any patterns from my shop you can of course make lots of things for yourself and to give as gifts, but you can also sell the finished items at craft fairs or in your Etsy shop, etc, as long as you credit me as the designer.

You can buy my Folk Floral PDF pattern from my shop - it'll be available to download immediately after your payment goes through! Shop before May 31st to get this design at the bargain launch price. 

 

P.S. I actually shared a version of this tutorial with my newsletter subscribers last year. Subscribe to my newsletter for all the latest updates from me and my shop and to never miss out on my free projects!

A Year of Wreaths: May Felt Foxgloves Wreath Tutorial

When I think of May, I always think of flowers and especially of foxgloves. They are such beautiful, striking flowers and it was a lot of fun designing a felt version for this month’s tutorial...

The felt foxgloves will take you a bit of time to make, but they don’t need any advanced sewing skills just some patience. I hope you’ll agree that the end result is worth it!

Don't have anywhere to hang a wreath? Instead you you could mount the foxgloves on some card and frame them in a box frame to make some lovely floral wall art.

This tutorial originally appeared on The Village Haberdashery's blog - visit their shop for lots of crafty goodness! I'm sharing all twelve seasonal wreath tutorials here on my blog as the year progresses.

You will need:

The template sheet provided (click here to view, download and print the PDF)
A 30cm polystyrene ring wreath base
Bright pink, light pink, and spring green felt
Sewing thread to match the feltcolours
Two paper covered floral wires (or other sturdy craft wire)
Sewing scissors
Embroidery scissors
Sewing needles and pins
A black permanent marker pen
A glue gun and glue
A heat-proof mat for the glue gun
Newspaper to protect your workspace from any glue drips
A small amount of toy stuffing
An orange stick or other narrow tool for adding the stuffing

To make the wreath:

1. Use the template provided to cut the felt strips for wrapping the wreath: cut eight strips from each felt colour.

2. Lay the strips on top of the wreath in colour order (bright pink, light pink, spring green), overlapping them slightly so that none of the polystyrene ring base will show through at the edges of the wreath. When you’ve added all the pieces and are happy with the arrangement, insert pins to hold the felt in position then turn the wreath over. One by one, wrap the felt pieces around the wreath inserting pins to hold the felt in place.

The back of your wreath will now look something like this:

3. Use a glue gun to secure the ends of the felt at the back of the wreath. Work on one piece of felt at a time, removing the pin(s) holding it in place and folding the felt back slightly. Carefully add a dab or two of hot glue to the wreath base then very carefully press the felt down into position.

IMPORTANT: take care when working with the glue gun as the glue gets very hot! Always place it on a heat-proof mat when not in use, and use newspaper or other scrap paper to protect your workspace. Work slowly, squeezing the gun with care to control the amount of glue you’re using and keeping your fingers out of the way of the hot glue.

Tip: you may find it helpful to test glue a couple of scrap pieces of felt before you start, so you can see how much glue you need to use to hold each piece in place.

Once the glue has dried, turn the wreath over and remove the pins from the front. The front of your wreath will now look something like this:

4. Use the templates provided to cut out the foxglove pieces. Cut six buds, nine large flowers and three small flowers from bright pink felt. Cut six buds and nine small flowers from light pink felt. Then cut 27 caps from spring green felt.

Tip: embroidery scissors are perfect for cutting out small felt shapes!

5. Add a random pattern of dots to all the flower pieces (the large and small pink pieces, but not the pink buds) using a black permanent marker pen. Test out the pen on a piece of scrap felt before you start decorating the flowers. The ink may soak through the felt, so place a piece of paper under the flowers as you work to protect your table.

6. Now it’s time to start sewing the flowers. Each small and large flower is sewn the same way, using matching sewing threads.

Begin by folding the flower so that the dots are on the outside, as shown. Sew along the straight edge with whip stitch in matching pink sewing thread. Start at the top and work down, leaving large gaps between the stitches.

Then sew back up again, sewing between the gaps and finishing your stitching at the top. Take care not to sew your stitches too tightly!

Then carefully turn the flower the right side out, flattening the seam to make a trumpet-like flower shape.

7. Thread your needle with green sewing thread, and pass it up through the centre of one of the green cap pieces. Place the cap over the hole at the top end of the flower (so the knot is underneath the cap).

Sew down through the centre of the cap, then up through the flower and cap as shown below.

Make a small stitch holding the “leaf” of the cap in place, then pass the needle back up through the centre of the cap.

Repeat this process for the other three “leaves” of the cap, sewing it in place around the end of the flower. You will need to pinch the end of the flower slightly (especially with the small flowers) to get the cap to fit neatly around it. Finish your stitching neatly at the top of the cap.

8. To sew the buds, use whip stitch and matching sewing thread to join two bud pieces together. Begin sewing from the top, stuffing the shape with small pieces of toy stuffing as you sew up the second side.

Tip: Adding the toy stuffing can be a bit fiddly as the buds are quite small. Use something narrow like an orange stick (the ones used for manicures) to poke the stuffing into the bud.  

Once you’ve sewn and stuffed each bud, add a cap piece to the top following the same method as in step 7.

9. When all the flowers and buds are finished, use the stalk templates to cut two stalk pieces from green felt: one long and one short.

Fold the long stalk piece in half and join the edges with whip stitch and matching green sewing thread, leaving one end unstitched as shown. Bend one of the floral wires, folding it in half. Insert the wire into the stalk and sew up the bottom edge with more whip stitches.

Repeat this process to make the short stalk, this time folding the wire in thirds.

10. Time to attach the flowers and buds to the stalks! This can be a bit fiddly, so take your time and do your best to keep the front of the foxgloves free from glue. Before you glue each piece, position it and look at the points of contact – i.e. where the piece you’re adding will touch what you’re gluing it to. Then remove the piece and add glue to those points, either on the piece you’re adding or where you’re attaching it (whichever is easiest at the time!).

Start by arranging the central flowers along the stalk, as pictured. For the large foxglove add three large flowers then a small flower on top. For the small foxglove, add three small flowers. Glue the flowers in position one by one, working upwards.

Then add the other two flowers in each row.

Finally, add the three buds to the top of the foxglove.

The finished foxgloves should look something like this:

11. Once the foxgloves have fully dried, position them on the wreath. When you’re happy with their placement, use the glue gun to attach them – adding a dab of glue at the top and bottom of the stalk where it will touch the wreath.

Hang the finished wreath with a matching piece of yarn or ribbon, or directly from a hook or nail. 

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.

This tutorial is for non commercial use only: you can use it to make as many wreaths 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 tutorial / share my templates on your site. Thanks!

A Year of Wreaths: April Felt Flowers Wreath Tutorial

This month’s wreath is all about bright and zingy spring colours! The layered felt flowers and embroidered green leaves really pop against a wreath base wrapped in neutral linen-blend fabric.

You could easily adapt this design by adding more flowers and leaves, or by using different shades of wool blend felt to change the mood of the wreath. The individual felt flowers would also make great brooches or hairclips.

This tutorial originally appeared on The Village Haberdashery's blog - visit their shop for lots of crafty goodness! I'll be sharing all twelve seasonal wreath tutorials here on my blog as the year progresses.

You will need:

The template sheet provided (click here to view, download and print the PDF)
A 30cm polystyrene ring wreath base
Half a metre of linen-blend fabric (I used Robert Kaufman Essex Yarn Dyed fabric in Flax) or other fabric of your choice
Green felt for the leaves
Orange, pink, and purple felt for the flowers (or three shades of your choice)
Embroidery thread to match the flower colours
Sewing scissors
Embroidery scissors
Sewing needle and pins
A glue gun and glue
A heat-proof mat for the glue gun
Newspaper to protect your workspace from any glue drips
Optional: a piece of twine or co-ordinating ribbon for hanging the wreath

To make the wreath:

1. Use the templates provided to cut out the flower and leaf pieces from wool blend felt in orange, pink, purple, and green.

Cut the flower pieces in the following colours and quantities:

Flower A: 1 x orange, 2 x purple.
Flower B: 1 x pink, 1 x orange.
Flower C: 1 x orange, 2 x pink, 2 x purple.
Flower D: 1 x orange, 1 x pink.
Circle E: 1 x orange, 1 x pink, 1 x purple.
Circle F: 2 x purple.
Circle G: 3 x purple, 1 x orange, 1 x pink.
Circle H: 1 x orange, 1 x pink.

Layer the pieces to assemble seven flowers, using the photos as a guide. Then cut out 24  green leaves: 12 large and 12 small.

Tip: embroidery scissors are perfect for cutting out fiddly felt shapes!

2. Embroider the leaves with half strands of embroidery thread (i.e. for six-stranded embroidery thread, just use three strands). Use three shades of embroidery thread to match the felt flowers (orange, pink and purple), and decorate a third of the leaves with each colour (so, four large and four small leaves for each shade).

Sew a line of stitching down the centre of each leaf, finishing your stitching neatly at the back and trimming any excess threads. Use backstitch or sew a line of running stitches then sew back in the opposite direction to fill the gaps and create a continuous line of stitches.

3. Sew the flowers together with contrasting embroidery thread, as shown. Use half strands of thread, sewing radiating stitches from the centre of each flower. I stitched nine stitches for each of the the larger flowers, and six for the smaller flowers.

Tip: use the position of the flower petals as a guide when spacing your stitches.

4. Use the template provided to cut out 25 pieces from your chose fabric fabric for wrapping the wreath base. You may need to cut a few more strips later to finish wrapping the wreath, but it’s better to cut fewer strips to start with than end up wasting fabric!

5. Add the fabric strips to the wreath base one by one, using a glue gun to secure the ends at the back of the wreath. Overlap the fabric strips so there are no gaps where the polystyrene base can show through. For each fabric strip, add a dab or two of hot glue to the back of the wreath then carefully press the fabric into position.

If required use the template to cut more fabric strips, adding them until the whole base is covered in fabric.

IMPORTANT: take care when working with the glue gun as the glue gets very hot! Always place it on a heat-proof mat when not in use, and use newspaper or other scrap paper to protect your workspace. Work slowly, squeezing the gun with care to control the amount of glue you’re using and keeping your fingers out of the way of the hot glue.

The wreath base will now look something like this:

6. Arrange the felt leaves on the wreath as pictured, covering up the section where you started and finished wrapping the wreath. Start with six small leaves in the centre then add three pairs of large leaves either side, and then a trio of small leaves at each end of the arrangement. Alternate the thread colours, so you get a nice mix of the three shades across the leaves.

Pin the leaves in position with one pin towards the bottom end of each leaf. Place the flowers on top to check that you’re happy with the final arrangement, make any adjustments needed then set the flowers aside.

7. Use the glue gun to attach the leaves to the wreath. Work inwards, holding a leaf back and applying a small dab of glue to the wreath then lightly pressing the outer / top half of the leaf down so it sticks in place. Then remove the pin from the bottom of the leaf and glue the lower half.

When you reach the central cluster of leaves, glue all the outer / top halves of the leaves then remove the central pins and glue the inner / bottom halves of the leaves one by one.

With the leaves glued in place, the wreath will now look like this:

8. Position the flowers on top of the leaves so they overlap as shown, then use the glue gun to glue them in place.

9. If needed, cut a length of twine or co-ordinating ribbon and knot it securely around the top of the wreath. Use this to hang the wreath in your chosen spot, or just hang the wreath directly onto a hook or nail.


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.

This tutorial is for non commercial use only: you can use it to make as many wreaths 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 tutorial / share my templates on your site. Thanks!