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!

Daffodils and Narcissi: Spring Flower Embroidery Patterns

February's free project for my pattern newsletter subscribers? A pair of little floral embroidery patterns!

These sweet, easy-to-stitch little flowers are designed to be framed in 4 inch embroidery hoops but they'd also be great for embellishing all kinds of spring projects.

There's a large, solo daffodil...

 

 

... and a trio of narcissi (or daffs, I guess, if you stitched them with yellow thread instead of white!)

 

 

Stitch your fave, or embroider them both as a pair! They'd make lovely gifts for Mother's Day or Easter.

I'm running a little behind with my newsletter freebies at the mo, as you may have noticed, but I'm gradually getting caught up! The emails might land in your inbox at slightly unexpected times but you'll still get a free project for each month this year.

I'll be sending out these two patterns to subscribers later today, but don't worry if you're not already subscribed: you'll immediately get sent the current project when you sign up, and I always include a link to the previous project when I send out a new newsletter. There'll be lots more crafty goodness on the way soon, too!

Click here for more information about my newsletters and to subscribe!

Click here to visit my tutorial archive for lots more free patterns, including more embroidery patterns and lots of ideas for spring craft projects.

Sew Felt Spring Flower Brooches With My Primroses Pattern!

Do you know what the absolute best part of my job is? It's seeing things people have made from my patterns!

This fabulous photo Daniela, aka ivyarch, shared of the brooches she's been making from my Primroses & Auriculas pattern has brought me such joy this week:

I love the bright colours Daniela has chosen and I adore how the brooches look when worn together like that.

Want to sew your own version of these brooches? My Primroses and Auriculas pattern is available as a printable PDF from my Etsy shop as an instant download.

The tutorial includes templates and step by step instructions for sewing primroses and auriculas, floral trios and single flowers (with or without leaves), and lots of ideas for different colour combos.

As well as using it to make brooches (perfect for adorning your jackets and cardigans this spring) you could also use these patterns to make spring flowers for decorating anything you fancy. Hair clips! Floral crowns! Purses! Pincushions! Even cushions!

For even more spring flowers, check out my tutorial archive for loads of free floral projects and sign up to my pattern newsletter - the next free project I'll be sharing is two little daffodil / narcissi embroidery patterns! Here's a sneak peek of one of them...

... I'm just waiting for a delivery of 4 inch embroidery hoops so I can frame both designs and take some decent photos of them, then I'll be sending out the newsletter asap.

A Year of Wreaths: March Felt Daffodils Wreath Tutorial

This month’s wreath is all about joyful spring colour: fresh spring green yarn paired with bright felt daffodils and narcissi.

Just like real daffofils, the felt version will add a vibrant pop of cheerful colour to wherever you hang this wreath!

As well as making a wreath decorated with felt flowers, you could adapt this tutorial to make floral brooches or headbands, or add stems to the flowers to create a felt bouquet.

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
Yellow, white, and orange felt
Orange and yellow sewing thread
Orange and yellow stranded embroidery thread
Spring green yarn (I used one skein of Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Lettuce)
Sewing scissors
Pinking shears
Sewing needles and pins
A glue gun and glue
A heat-proof mat for the glue gun
Newspaper to protect your workspace from any glue drips

To make the wreath:

1. Decorate the wreath base with your chosen yarn. Secure the yarn with a knot at what will become the back of your wreath. Begin wrapping the yarn around the wreath base, passing the ball of yarn through the hole in the centre of the wreath as you wrap the yarn around the outside.  Hide the loose yarn end under the yarn as you wrap, and make sure that you’re not leaving any gaps where the white wreath base shows through. Continue wrapping, gradually covering the whole of the wreath base.

Wrapping the wreath takes a while, so I highly recommend wrapping your wreath while watching a film or some episodes of your favourite TV show. 

Once the whole wreath base has been covered with yarn, tie a knot securely at the back and carefully trim the loose end so it won’t be visible when the wreath is hung up.

2. Use the templates provided to cut out the felt pieces for each of the flowers. To make the exact wreath pictured you will need five daffodils and seven narcissi. For each flower, cut two petal pieces, one trumpet piece and one circle from the appropriate colours (yellow for the daffodils, orange and white for the narcissi).

When you cut each trumpet cut along three sides of the template with sewing scissors and along the remaining (long) side with pinking shears - just above the edge of the paper template. If you don’t have any pinking shears you could use embroidery scissors to cut a zigzagged edge, or just cut a straight edge.

3. Add some embroidery to each felt circle. Cut a length of embroidery thread to match the felt, and separate half the strands (so for six-stranded thread use three strands). Use the embroidery thread to sew single stitches radiating from the centre of each circle, as shown. Sew seven or eight stitches for the daffodils, and five or six stitches for the narcissi.

4. Join the trumpet and circle pieces together with whip stitch and matching sewing thread. Make sure that the embroidered side of the felt circle will be visible inside the finished trumpet and that the knot of your thread will be hidden underneath it.

Sew the long straight edge of the trumpet piece to the edge of the circle, then trim any excess felt from the trumpet piece. Sew up the side seam of the trumpet with more whip stitches, then back down the seam to finish your stitching neatly underneath.

Repeat for all the trumpets.

5. Sew the petal pieces together. Position the pairs of petals on top of each other, as pictured, and secure each of them with a couple of stitches of sewing thread. You can use matching thread for this if you want but as long as the stitches are small and in the centre of the petals they’ll be hidden on the finished flower.

Tip: if you want to use this tutorial to make flower brooches, etc., now’s the time to sew the trumpet to the petals. Whip stitch in matching sewing thread would work well. If you’re making the wreath leave the pieces unattached (you’ll be gluing them in position later). 

You should now have lots of flowers ready to add to your wreath.

6. Arrange the flowers on the wreath base and pin them in position. You can use the photo as a guide, or create your own arrangement.

7. Use a glue gun to attach the flowers to the wreath. Think about the order you’re going to glue the flowers before you begin – remember that if two flowers overlap each other you’ll need to glue the bottom flower to the wreath base then attach the top flower.

One by one, remove the pins holding the flowers in place and secure them with a few dabs of hot glue. To attach the petals, add some glue to the wreath base then very carefully press the felt petals down into position on top. To attach each trumpet, add a dab of glue directly to the bottom of the trumpet then place it in the centre of the flower and use your finger (or the unsharpened end of a pencil) to carefully press the trumpet in 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.

8. Your wreath is now finished! Add a length of yarn or co-ordinating ribbon for hanging the wreath, or hang it 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!

How To: Embroidered Felt Oak Leaf Brooches

I get a bit obsessed with leaves at this time of year - watching them change and fall as autumn works its magic. So, this seemed like the perfect time to share a tutorial for sewing some felt oak leaves!

These embroidered oak leaf brooches are a great way to add a bit of woodland charm to your spring or autumn outfits.

I've included a template sheet at the bottom of this post for making the oak leaves pictured in these photos, but you could also go out and collect your own leaves and replicate them with felt and thread. Going for a walk to find a beautiful leaf would be a lovely autumn activity. It would also be lovely to turn a bit of your favourite tree or a much-loved walk into something you can wear regularly, carrying a little bit of nature with you wherever you go.

 

The oak leaves also make great headbands! Simply attach your stitched leaf to an elastic hairband or a length of coordinating ribbon and channel your inner wood nymph...

When I used to sew oak leaf brooches and headbands for sale in my online shops I embroidered them all with sewing thread, using a double thickness of sewing thread to stitch the veins on the leaves. In this tutorial I recommend using stranded embroidery thread (floss), which is easier to work with than a double-thickness of sewing thread and gives a nicer finish, but you could of course just double-up your sewing thread if you prefer!

You will need:

- Green or brown felt for the leaves
- Contrasting green or brown backing felt
- Sewing thread to match both your chosen felt colours
- Embroidery thread (floss) for stitching the veins (to match or almost-match the leaf colour, or to contrast nicely - e.g. orange embroidery thread on a light brown leaf)
- Sewing scissors (embroidery scissors are great for cutting out detailed felt shapes)
- A sewing needle and pins
- A brooch clasp

Optional: 

- An air erasable fabric marker pen
- Tissue paper
- A biro or other fine pen

To make an oak leaf brooch using freehand embroidery:

1. Use one of the templates provided (or your own leaf sketch) to cut out an oak leaf shape from brown or green felt. Place it on a piece of backing felt. 

2. Sew the leaf to the backing felt, sewing around the edge with whip stitch and matching sewing thread.

You can pin or tack the leaf in position or just hold it against the backing felt as you sew. I find it helpful to start sewing near the centre of the leaf instead of at one of the ends as this quickly makes the leaf more secure against the backing felt. 

3. Backstitch a line down the centre of the leaf, using the lines on the template as a guide. You can sew this completely freehand or use an air-erasable fabric marker to draw a guide line.

Use three of the six strands in your embroidery thread (floss) for this central line, but only two strands for the remaining lines. Add the other lines to the leaf using backstitch, or by sewing a line of running stitch out from the central line then back again filling in the gaps with your second set of stitches to create a continuous line.

Remember that you'll be cutting around the leaf in a moment and take care not to stretch thread across where you'll be cutting.

4. Cut out the leaf shape, leaving a narrow border of the backing felt framing the leaf.

5. Use the shape you've just cut out as a template to cut a matching piece of the backing felt.

6. Turn over the plain backing piece and attach a brooch clasp with a double thickness of sewing thread. Think about which way up you'd like to wear the leaf before you attach the clasp!

7. Place the front and back of the leaf together and sew around the edges with matching sewing thread. You could use running stitch for this (sewing flush with the embroidered leaf shape, so your stitching is hidden), or use whip stitch or blanket stitch.

To make an oak leaf brooch using an embroidery pattern:

A. Trace one of the templates provided (or your own leaf sketch) onto a piece of tissue paper. Pin then tack the tissue paper to your chosen felt.

B. Embroider the leaf design, following the lines on the tissue paper pattern. Use embroidery thread and backstitch and/or running stitch as described in step 3, above.

If you're sewing the inner lines only (as shown in the photo below), sew the lines almost but not completely up to the outer line of the leaf (you'll be cutting round this later and you don't want to accidentally snip your threads!).

Alternatively, you can sew all the lines on the paper pattern (as shown below). I used three strands of embroidery thread (floss) for the outer line of the leaf.

 

C. Remove the tissue paper and cut out the leaf - how you do this will depend on how you decided to embroider the leaf.

If you've just stitched the inner lines, cut around the outer line to create the leaf shape...

... then tear away the tissue paper. Use a pin to carefully remove any remaining small pieces of the tissue paper.

If you've stitched the outer line of the leaf, remove the tissue paper first...

... then cut out the leaf shape, leaving a narrow border of felt around the edge of the stitching.

D. If you've only stitched the inner lines of the leaf, place the leaf shape on a piece of backing felt and sew it in position with whip stitch and matching sewing thread. Then cut out the shape, leaving a narrow border of the backing felt.

 

E.  Follow steps 5, 6 and 7 (above) to finish your leaf brooches, cutting a matching piece of felt then adding a brooch clasp and joining the front and back of the brooch together.

As the fully embroidered leaf doesn't have a backing felt layer, you may want to cut two matching leaf shapes and add one sandwiched between the front and back of the brooch to give it some extra sturdiness.

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.

This tutorial is for non commercial use only: you can use it to make as many felt oak leaves as you want for yourself and 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!

Click here to view the template sheet, make sure you're viewing it full size then print it at 100%