Tag Archives: Crafts

I keep my [felt] hearts on a string

With my new sewing machine, I’ve been waiting for something to inspire me. Playing around, I sewed together a heart, and the idea hit me – hearts of a string.

With 2 squares of off-white felt, quilt backing, gold thread and grey yarn, I made this project in about an hour.

I liked this project because it doesn’t have to be perfect. My first heart was far from having an even seam, so I sewed another stitch and the imperfectness made it look really cute!

I’m thinking with some pink and red felt, this project will make the perfect Valentine’s Day decor!

(And shout out to the birthday girl and my friend who received these hearts – Carmen! It’s just a small token of how much your friendship means to me.)

Inspiration on a Lazy Day

Many of my projects are started on lazy days. Two nights ago, my dad was watching the Falcon’s game and my mom was upstairs knitting, so I looked into my craft box to see what would inspire me.

If you don’t have a craft box, I highly suggest pulling one together. Though mine is rather small and incredibly messy, it’s a place where I keep majority of my supplies.

I also keep a folder on my computer’s desktop where I keep pictures that inspire me – things I find on blogs or even Etsy.

It was this picture that inspired me to stitch the dress. The rest just came together on it’s own.

It’s not perfect, but hey, I put it together while watching the Falcon’s game (plus it cost less than $3). It doesn’t have to be.

Last minute gift ideas

Zipper Headbands –

The moment I saw a headband like this in a store, I instantly thought that I could make it at a fraction of the retail cost. And I did!

With a gold zipper, a skinning black headband, a square of black felt and a sewing kit, I was able to pull this off.

And it cost me less than $4.

I do warn that it is not the easiest of crafts. And I had to be very patient at times, but your work pays off. Give yourself about an hour to make it.

You’re going to be working with one side of the zipper. And basically, it’s a spiraling effect.

As you wrap the zipper around, sew in and out of the outer layer and the next layer in. To make it easier, you can cut some of the fabric attached to the zipper but make sure to leave at least an 1/4 inch.

When I was finished with the zipper, I used a hot glue gun to attach it to the headband, using a piece of black fabric as a backing. (I chose to use a thin, black headband.) And then as a finishing touch, I used black felt around the edges to cover everything but the zipper.

My zipper was a gift for Kathleen (pictured above). The small circles I maded looked good with her haircut, but for me (with longer hair), I would probably have made them larger.

Tis’ the Season

I am a big fan of block letters. I have made them multiple times as personalized birthday gifts, and for Christmas, I thought it would be a simple (yet wonderful) decoration. I bought the cardboard block letters from a craft store (I love JoAnn’s and Hobby Lobby the best), and with a yard of fabric, it was easy to create this.

As you can see, I’m a big fan of plaid. And note, it takes about 15 to 20 minutes to make each letter.

(1) Use the letter as a stencil when cutting out the fabric. Cut with a margin of 1/2 inch around each letter. (2) Use Modpodge to glue the fabric to the letter. Glue the margins down to the sides of the letter, creating a smooth, clean edge. (3) Do this on either side of the letter. (4) Cut a long strip of fabric, again with 1/2 margins on either side. (For instance, these letters had a width of 1 inch, so I cut strips with a 2-inch width). (4) Fold the margins in to create the exact width of the letter and glue down with Modpodee. (5) With Modpodge, glue the strip along the sides of each letter.

It’s that easy! As an extra touch, you could add quilt backing underneath the fabric. The backing adds an extra expense, because you have to buy it in a roll, but it’s a detail that makes it look like it came from Anthropology (always a winning situation.)

I brought the letters home and found the perfect spot for them in the living room downstairs.

And since I thought the room lacked on holiday decorations (compared to upstairs, at least), I added a simple paper garland.

It too was super easy to make. I simply used a 1-inch circle cutter and a 1/8 inch hole punch. I used double-sided paper, and once I punched out the circles and the holes, I strung them on basic white thread. Quick and easy!

A little bit of Outer Space

My final project for my Physical Geography class this semester was to make something creative. (And yes, I am in college). Being the person that I am, I fully embraced this project and made something that took far longer than the 4-hour minimum…

The Solar System made out of felt!

I tried to make each object look as realistic as possible (when made out of felt). And I added some other materials to add a touch of detail. For example, each rocky planet (aka Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars – along with the moon) is outlined with cardboard. And each gaseous planets and the Sun are outlined in toile.

I just felt weird not included Pluto. I grew up being told it was a planet, and I guess I just haven’t been able to wrap my head around the fact that there are only 8 official planets. So Pluto was included, but note, it was optional.

And just in case people didn’t know which planet was which, I did a little embroidering on the back side to clarify.

My professor hung it up in the classroom after I presented it, and yes, I will repeat, this was for a college class. Figure that out for me, then figure out how I got a 99 on the project. (After working on it for 2 week, I feel like I have to right to be a little bitter!)

Let the Crafting Begin

Let’s face it, you simply can’t go wrong with felt! It’s easy to use, it’s soft, and it’s simply adorable. And it’s my current obsession (hence the name of the blog).

I created this blog to share with you all the creative ideas that float through my head (and the ones that inspire me too). I hope you come back soon and visit. As I raise my right hand, I promise to stay loyal and post often.

I have so many ideas, and you should have so many things to look forward to:

See you soon!