Valentine Padded Felt Hearts - Tutorial and Printable Templates

 Sewing Valentine Padded Felt hearts on a cold Winter's afternoon, with a cup of tea and donuts to follow - our Mencap group really enjoyed this project!

What you will need...

One A4 size piece of felt - for the 2 large heart shapes

Smaller pieces of felt in contrasting colours for small hearts

Buttons

Embroidery thread and needle

Ribbon (30cms or longer if you wish)

Polyester fibre filling (toy stuffing)

Pinking shears (optional)

How to make it...

Print out your patterns  

3 x Heart Template Shapes

Cut out two large hearts 

Cut out one each of the smaller size hearts (per side **)

Place the button on top of the two smaller heart shapes and sew them 

together, leaving your thread hanging down underneath.

Place this in the centre of one of the large hearts and sew together, through the three hearts and the button.

If you want - do the same with the other large heart (you will then have small hearts and buttons on both sides of your finished padded heart **) 

Place the two large heart shapes together and starting at the bottom point, stitch them together - either using blanket stitch or a simple running stitch.

When you reach centre top of your heart, slip the ends of your folded ribbon in between the two large hearts and sew through them to attach the ribbon to the heart.

Continue sewing down the other side, stopping when you have about 4cms still open. 

Don't end off - leave your thread hanging.

Stuff your heart at this point and then continue sewing until you reach the bottom point again.

If you have used a running stitch (as in the purple sample), you can trim off the edges of your heart with pinking shears (optional) 

Here are some our group made... Hope you all enjoy this 

project!

Click on these hearts for another Tutorial >>>>>>

Felt Hand Puppets - Free Printable Patterns...!

What a lot of fun these were to make - Felt Hand Puppets!

What you will need...

Felt in A4 sheets for the main body pieces

Scraps of felt for belly patches etc

Self-adhesive felt for small patches (optional - can be sewn on instead)

Buttons

Embroidery thread and needle

Ribbon for bows for bears

How to make...

Print out your patterns - here they are...

Hand Puppets Patterns

Before you start cutting out your felt, check hand size against the pattern - adjust the pattern width if necessary. Rather a little big, than too small!

Cut out two main body pieces

Cut out the appropriate patches.

Work on one of your main body pieces - We sewed the belly / snout patches on, using a running stitch, and then using self-adhesive felt, we stuck on the smaller patches. All can be either sewn or stuck on - up to you!

Buttons were stitched on for the eyes / noses and the bears each got a ribbon bow!

The monsters can be created as you will - every one is different!

When you are happy with your Hand Puppet, then stitch the two main body pieces together, close to the edges - easy to do on a sewing machine, but can be hand stitched if you like.

Use your imagination - be creative and then have hours of fun with your hand puppets....!

Tutorial for Felt Butterfly & Flowers Wall Hanging - Printable Templates

We made Butterfly & Flower Wall Hangings this week at Mencap...

If you would like to make them with your family or with your group - they really do appeal to girls of all ages...!    Here is the Tutorial with Printable Templates.

What you will need...

Felt - A4 sheet for the background

Self-adhesive felt to decorate the butterfly - or use glue...

Felt scraps for Butterfly, Flowers and Hearts

Buttons

Embroidery thread

Thin dowel (we used green garden canes cut to size) 

Ribbon or cord to hang

How to make...

Turn over a narrow hem, just wide enough to slip your dowel into, and stitch - either by hand or on your machine, as I did.

Cut out your butterfly and flowers / hearts (mine are die cut, but you can use this flower and heart template)

Butterfly Template

Flower Template

Heart Template

Stitch your butterfly onto your background with a running stitch.

Cut the butterfly body out and stitch or stick it on top.

Decorate the butterfly with pieces of contrasting felt - use self-adhesive felt or use glue to attach.

Attach your flowers / hearts - we used buttons to secure them to the background.

Slip the dowel into the hemmed top and tie on your ribbon or cord.

Hope you all enjoyed making your Butterfly Wall Hangings!

Two eBooks - 41 Easy Quizzes & Simple Craft and Activities...

I have put together two eBooks to help you with your groups...
41 Easy Quizzes and Answers and Simple Crafts and Activities...
read on for more details on how to get yours...

My eBook Simple Crafts and Activities is now available to buy for a nominal fee of £2.75 (Paypal only please) and then can be downloaded instantly in a PDF file format - ready to print either in total or only the pages you need for a project...

This eBook will save you hours of searching for crafts and activities - suitable for the older folk, but also many craft projects for any age...

All my tutorials have printable templates to make it easy for you...

So click here and have a look...Simple Crafts and Activities

41 easy Quizzes with Answers is available if you are looking for quizzes - especially set for the older generation... Also only £2.75 and printable PDF file download.

Felt Owl Purse - with Printable Pattern

 We made Felt Owl Purses this week at Mencap

They are so cute and very easy to put together.

We used magnetic fasteners (from eBay) but  this is optional - can be made just with the flap as is...

Buttons for eyes!

 

So get your felt out and start making your own Owl Purses - would be a good item to make for a fund-raising stall...!

Here is the link 

Felt Owl Purse Patterns 

Enjoy choosing the colours for your unique Owl! Cut out the pieces and sew them as per our samples!

Enjoy!

Felt Owls and Hearts for Fund Raising - Tutorials

 

As we are always looking at ways to raise funds for Mencap, I have been working on some craft and sewing that we can sell. 

If you would like to make some of the same, I have put together a tutorial.

Felt Owl

You will need...

Felt - main colour 

(2 pieces) is 14 x 13cms

Felt - Scraps of other colours for wings etc

Googly eyes (or buttons)

Ribbon - 40cms

Glue

Embroidery thread

Batting/Wadding - approx 13 x 12cms

How to make...

Cut out your felt pieces as per the pattern
 
Felt Owl Pattern      

Plus a triangle of felt for the beak (not on the pattern)

Take one of the main pieces and attach the wings, 

leaving about 1/2 cm of body showing on the edges as per below. 

Use 3 strands of embroidery thread and a  simple running stitch

 

 Stitch on the black eye "mask" and the the two circular eye patches. 

For the patches I used blanket stitch. 

Stitch the "feathers" between the wings. (see on final photo)

Cut your batting in the same shape as you body 

but about 1cm smaller all round.

Attach the back to the front body using blanket stitch 

and at the same time 

stitch in the folded piece of ribbon, between the ears.

Glue on the Googly eyes (or buttons) and glue on the felt beak

_______________________________________

Felt Hearts

You will need...

Felt - main colour (2 pieces) is 15 x 15cms

Felt pieces - buttons - bows - embellishments  to decorate.

Ribbon - 28cms

Batting / Wadding approx 14 x 14cms


How to make...

Cut out two felt hearts from pattern
 
Heart Template

Decorate one heart with felt flower, buttons, bows or any other bling.

Cut batting in heart shape, but about 1cm  smaller all round and lay on back heart and put front heart on top.

Stitch around edge (I machine stitched, but can be done by hand if preferred) catching a loop of ribbon into centre top.  

Trim with pinking shears for a zigzag edge if so desired!

Hope these felt crafts help you make some funds for your group...