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This contributor post was written by Michael Ann of Michael Ann Made.
April showers bring May flowers! Today I have a little Fabric Flower Brooch DIY for you to help bring the springtime cheer to your wardrobe. Added bonus, this little project is very quick to finish and uses materials you probably already have, making it a great last minute Mother’s Day gift!
Here are the materials you’ll need:
1. Fabric with a bold floral print. You could make a mother’s day gift extra special by using a treasured piece of vintage fabric.
2. Wool Felt in a coordinating color.
3. Embroidery thread and Needle.
4. A pin back or safety pin.
Here’s how you make it:
1. Cut out your flower from the fabric. You get to decide how much or how little of the fabric’s floral print you want to feature. I chose to cut out just one large flower, but you could also add leaves or smaller flowers, maybe even layering and stitching them on top of each other.
2. Cut out your felt backing. Leave a little bit of a border to help frame your flower.
3. Stitch the flower to the felt. I used a simple running stitch along the outside, but you could use any decorative stitch. Be Creative!
4. Add your pin back. I had an extra pin back, but a safety pin could also work. Just make sure to stitch it on tight!
5. Just keep stitching! If there are certain areas of the flower you want to highlight, you can do so with more stitches. Outline one or two flowers if you are working with a small bunch, or stitch around a couple petals.
When you’re happy with how your little brooch looks, tie off your thread and you’re done!
I was able to stitch this little guy while sitting watching a movie, and it came along so quickly I think I might need to make a couple more for the dear women in my life. Hope you all have a lovely last bit of spring and a wonderful Mother’s Day!
Happy crafting!
Michael Ann is a sewer, knitter, crafter, thrifter, living a crafty life with her husband in Portland, Oregon. You can find her at her blog Michael Ann Made where she shares projects, tutorials, and bits of inspiration to help you live a crafty life too. You can also follow her adventures on twitter.
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This contributor post was written by Michael Ann of Michael Ann Made.
Springtime has been trying to poke its sunny little head out here in Portland, and I couldn’t be more excited! This simple Spring Time Tea Towel DIY should help to bring a little bit of color and sunshine into cold and dark kitchens while we wait for spring to officially arrive. And the best part is that it seriously only takes a couple minutes and some materials already on hand!
Here are the materials you’ll need:
1. Kitchen towels that need sprucing! I used plain 100% cotton towels I found at the thrift for $1. You could also use towels that already have a print for extra color.
2. Colorful fabric bits. This is a perfect project for using up precious tiny scraps.
3. Coordinating thread. The applique will look the best if you try to match the thread color with the fabric. But contrasting on purpose can be fun too.
4. Sewing machine or Embroidery needle, depending on your desired approach.
Here’s how you make it:
1. Find a springtime pattern that you like and cut out your pieces. I knew I wanted a vintage look, so I searched for inspiration on flickr and pinterest by searching for “vintage tea towels”. I found a little 60′s flower power motif I liked and drew out a simple pattern. This is the creative part, so let your imagination run wild! Keep in mind that simple and bold images work best with busy patterned fabric.
2.Pin and sew your pieces.
If you are using a sewing machine, like I did, use either a small and very close together zig-zag stitch or your buttonhole stitch, and stitch all around the raw outer edges of your pieces. Pull the thread tails through to the back, tie them together, and cut them off instead of back stitching to finish.
If you prefer a hand embroidered look, then get out your hoop and stitch away! I found some gorgeous towels in my searching that used hand embroidery.
3. Finish off with any final touches! I was originally planning to keep it simple, but then I found this scrap of pink rick rack… Just the kitschy icing on the cake this little retro towel needed! Depending on your mood, you could also add fun bias tape, lace, ribbon, whatever your crafty heart craves.
Now you can make yourself a cup of tea and admire your work! This project was so quick, I’m planning on using it for last minute spring birthday or shower gifts. Happy Spring Crafting!
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This contributor post was written by Michael Ann of Michael Ann Made.
Hello friends of papernstitch!
My favorite part about the holidays is giving gifts, but my second favorite part is wrapping them! I thought it would be fun to share with you today an easy and quick DIY for a felt gift card envelope. Gift cards can be a great simple gift, but making a unique little envelope to put them in can make them extra special.
Here are the materials you’ll need:
1. Felt! The brighter and more fun the colors, the better.
2. Sewing Supplies – Scissors, Embroidery Thread, Pins, Needle.
3. A Gift Card Envelope Template. Instead of going through the mathematics I used, I created a downloadable template just for you! Just click through the image below to save and print out your template, made to fit standard sized gift cards.
4. Your Gift Card.
Here’s how you make it:
1. Cut out your envelope using the template. Also cut out any details you would like to add, like a stamp or an address tag. Make it unique!
2. Stitch details onto the front of the envelope. It is much easier to stitch when the envelope isn’t sewn together yet. Use bright thread and have fun creating special details!
3. Stitch together the back of the envelope. Using your fingers, fold along the edges, pressing hard to create a good crease. Then pin together the bottom and side flaps, and stitch them together. I used a straight stitch, but a different decorative stitch could be fun too!
4. Insert your gift card and give it away!
Now look at how simple that was! This project can easily be made in fifteen minutes, just one more quick trick in your gift giving arsenal. Good luck with your crafting, and Happy Holidays friends!
Michael Ann is a sewer, knitter, crafter, thrifter, living a crafty life with her husband in Portland, Oregon. You can find her at her blog Michael Ann Made where she shares projects, tutorials, and bits of inspiration to help you live a crafty life too. You can also follow her adventures on twitter.
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This contributor post was written by Michael Ann of Michael Ann Made. This is Michael Ann’s first contributor post on papernstitch. She’ll be here every month to share a new diy project with you. Take it away Michael Ann…
Hello papernstitch readers!
I am so excited to be a contributor on papernstitch and can’t wait to share a fun DIY project with you every month!
This month I thought it would be fun to share a little fall fashion DIY - embroidering a plain old sweater with a bold fair isle print. This is a great project for a rainy evening, and is simple enough for even the most timid seamstresses.
Here are the materials you’ll need:
1. A sweater! I found this one for free in our laundry room free pile… Score.
2. Embroidery thread of whatever fun color you desire!
3. Embroidery hoop, needle, scissors, pencil for tracing the pattern.
4. A pattern. You can use the one I made by just saving and printing the photo below…
Here’s how you make it:
1. Trace your pattern onto your sweater. I used the old “window as a lightbox” technique, pinning the pattern to the backside of the sweater, holding the sweater up against the window during the day, and making a small dot with the pencil for every dot on the pattern.
2. Set up your embroidery hoop and start stitching! I stitched little V’s for every dot to mimic the look of a knitted sweater. Using little X’s for a cross stitch look could also be cute.
Once you stitch everything in the area, take off your hoop and move it around, stitching until you complete your design.
3. Step back and admire your work!
I love embroidering because it is such a simple way to really transform an item! This plain little sweater is now prepared for all the fun of fall.
Happy Stitching!
Michael Ann is a sewer, knitter, crafter, thrifter, living a crafty life with her husband in Portland, Oregon. You can find her at her blog Michael Ann Made where she shares projects, tutorials, and bits of inspiration to help you live a crafty life too. You can also follow her adventures on twitter.
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