mushrooms and flower brooches from felted stones

Since I shared my tutorial for making felted wool stones the other day, I thought I'd also share some ideas for using those stones that don't turn out exactly as you like.  Maybe the color isn't what you like or it it didn't turn out quite as smooth as you'd hoped, there's still lots of opportunity in that wool.

For this first one I've liberated the stone by making a cross cut through the bottom of the wool.

I needled the flaps down until I have a little cap.

I had a piece of felted "rope" on hand already so I cut off a piece, tucked it into the cap, and grabbed some roving.

I used the handle of my felting needle to tuck in a good layer between the stem and the cap, then needled it in place, being careful not to poke all the way to the outside of the cap.  That would make the white wool show on the outside of the cap and it wouldn't look very nice.

I needled on a few white spots and just like that I have a cute toadstool.

Another idea is to use the wool in a flower brooch.  You can see I've cut open the bottoms of the smaller stones but cut the wool off the long rock into two somewhat equal pieces.

I flattened the green piece and sewn through it to act as a leaf.  I've left the open end alone for now but once it's sewn to the other pieces, the open end will be sewn shut on the underside of the flower.

I took the two blue pieces, cut a few slits for the petals of the flowers, and turned the pieces inside out which causes it to flare out a bit.  I rounded the petals a little then sewed over them with a blanket stitch.

I cut the smallest piece with a fringe.

After stacking all of the flower pieces onto the leaf, I tucked a wool bead in the middle and sewed them all together down through the center of the flower.  I took a few extra stitches through the open end of the leaf and attached it securely to the underside of the flower. 

Stitch on a pinback and you have yourself a brooch, or sew it to a headband, or you could tie it to a present...

The best part is that you still have those rocks to work with again.

I keep a set of stones on hand just for this purpose.  You can make cute little pouches this way, or finger puppets, or the projects I've just covered...so much possibility!  So the next time your rocks don't turn out as you wanted, don't think of them as mistakes.  Rock your mistakes instead!  (I know, I'm such a nerd)

Have fun, everyone!

Felt Poinsettia Brooch Tutorial

If you find this, or one of my other tutorials, helpful and would like to make a monetary contribution to help me keep wool in my basket and ideas flowing, I'd be so grateful.  By clicking the "Buy Now" button below you can choose your own price for the tutorial.  It's completely optional, but oh so appreciated.

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Feeling festive?  How about making a pretty poinsettia for your lapel?  

A blog reader asked for a tutorial for these and I thought maybe some others would enjoy making them too.  They're a really simple design that anyone can do so grab some felt and get a'making.

What you'll need:

felt - (I use felted coat and sweater material)

in a flower color and a leaf color

a pretty button

thread

needle

scissors

pinback

Using a simple flower template like the one above, cut out your three flower shapes and your leaf shape from your felt.  (you should be able to print the template above and adjust the size as needed if you don't feel comfortable drawing your own.  Print this in landscape orientation.)

Using the tip of your scissors, snip a small "x" in the center of the smallest flower piece.  Cut small circles in the center of the remaining two flower pieces.  You'll want to make the hole smaller than the size of the button you're using for the center.

Add some decorative stitching to the flower petals if you wish.  If you're making these with kids or just want a simple brooch, leave the stitching off and continue to the next step.

Sew a pinback to the back side of your leaf shape.  By sewing it slightly above center the brooch will hang nicely when on.

Turn the leaf rightside up and stack your flower shapes on top of it.  Alternate the position of the petals as you stack so they look nice and full.  Start by taking a stitch down through the center of the stack and through the leaf, and then back up through the stack before sewing your button on.  Sew the button on securely, catching the inside edges of the holes you cut in the flower shapes as you go.  This holds the piece securely together and the holes help the button sink into the flower center, giving it some shape.

Make a knot and tie off your thread, snip the tail and proudly wear your new brooch.

They'd make nice little gifts and you can make them as ornate or as simple as you'd like.  Change up the stitching, do different colors, make them your own through little touches that are uniquely "you".  By using felted garment wool and vintage or reclaimed buttons, you'll be making them more eco-friendly too.

If you make some, I'd love to hear how they turn out.  Drop me a note in the comments if you do.

Have fun!

What I'm working on

I was able to sit down and sew a bit last night, not something that's been happening much lately, and made up a little stacked heart brooch. I finished it up this morning while the kids ate breakfast and even listed it in my Etsy shop. Woo hoo! I'm on a roll! Hey, when you hardly get the chance to shower, finding time to craft is a big deal. :D

Have a great and crafty day.