DIY Felt Rosettes

Update -Benzie is now blogging over at Benzie Design - don't miss any of our new tutorials or news!

What a better time to make a dozen (or more!) roses for ones you love the most! These flowers are made easy with the use of WRMK Rose die and wool felt by Benzie.

Supplies you will need:
Wool blend felt from Benzie -we use the colors from Carnation Collection
Rose die from WRMK
Leaf die from WRMK
Florist wire
Hot glue gun

First, go crazy die cutting flowers! If you've never die cut before we suggest reading more on using die cut machines over at this blog post. This flower die comes with a white 'ejection foam' -this is helpful when cutting paper -but not so much felt. We suggest removing the white foam to make it easier to cut the felt.

Take the end of the felt spiral and glue around the top of the florist wire. Continue wrapping around the base until you get the desired flower look -secure with glue. I wrapped a green leaf around the base to finish off the flower.

Make a couple dozen more! I love how Coral, Peach and Thistle look here -and then in a bouquet!

Happy Valentine's day friends!

Boxwood Wreath in Wool Felt // DIY

Everyone loves the classic look of boxwood wreaths for the holidays so we interpreted the full and fresh green leaves into a simple and slender felt leaf wreath design -one that won't die out! 

Supplies needed:
--Your favorite green felt from Benzie. We used Moss -but Meadow or Zucchini would look great too!
--Embroidery hoops, we used 6", 7" and 8" size
--Oval Punch Die from Lifestyle Crafts, this comes with two sizes of ovals. We used the small size only. You will also need a die-cut machine. We used the Evolution.
--Ribbon, we used 1 1/2" wide linen like ribbon
--Glue gun, other glues work too but we like how fast this glue dries.

1. This wreath is includes about 100 small felt ovals -to make the process really quick we used a die cut machine with the oval die shown in the photo. We talk more about die cutting here.

2. Now that you have a pile of ovals -you'll need one 12x18" sheet of felt to make one wreath. 

3. Heat up your glue gun and add a dot of glue to the base of your oval and pinch together. This makes your leaf.

The wreath is composed of two rows of leaves, use the inner and outer circle of the embroidery hoop as your guide. One leaf is placed slightly in front of the previous leaf. Each row is staggered. After you're done with the two basic rows -fill in any bald spots with extra leaves. This gives the wreath more of a natural and irregular look.

Finish off with some festive ribbon! The Oval Punch Die is one of my favorites. We used it to make a bouquet of wildflowers and a batch of succulents. It's perfect for forming leaves and petals -you may want this die on your wish list! Merry Christmas!

DIY Hoop Art

I love how we have a whole holiday centered around being thankful -even though gratitude should not just be expressed one month out of the year. This embroidery hoop -though fall in colors is a good reminder of where our hearts need to be rooted all year. You'll also love this diy -it's full of tips that will really help a beginner embroider -in fact I've made several more since I learned the secret to transferring patterns to felt! You'll also learn how to add the laurel leaf applique -it's all about the finishing touches, right?!

Items you'll need:

-- Wool Blend felt by Benzie, we used the colors Mustard and Zucchini.

-- Large Oval Embroidery hoop

-- Embroidery floss, we used Zucchini

-- Wreath Frame Die Cut by WRMK

-- Fusible adhesive, our favorite is Wonder Under

-- Fabric stabilizer, we used Sticky Fabri-Solvy

-- Pen or Marker

-- Embroidery Needle
-- Iron (not shown)

We tried a brand new product this month called Sticky Fabri-Solvy -and it couldn't be more perfect for transferring patterns onto felt! It's 'sticky' meaning that after you trace (printable sheets are available too!) peel off the back like a giant sticker and press onto your felt. SO easy and quick! But there was one caveat holding me back -the stabilizer has to be soaked and rinsed off! It made me super uncomfortable getting my project wet -and I didn't like the idea of having to wait for the embroidery to dry. But the alternatives of tracing pens and pencils don't work well on felt; tissue paper works but it's fragile and time consuming to pick out the tissue at the end. But I was encouraged by two of Benzie's guest curators that use it in their projects. Check out Wild Olive's detailed blog post and MmmCrafts enthusiastic endorsement. 

Now that I've talked you into using Sticky Fabri-Solvy we can get back to this diy! First trace your design (this is the one I used) onto the stabilizer. I used a black thin point permanent marker. Then stick it on your felt (I used a 9x12" sheet) and threaded my needle with Zucchini DMC floss and got to work using a back stitch!

After you're done stitching soak and rinse your design using warm to lukewarm water. This will dissolve the stabilizer. You don't want to make it too hot -or your felt will start to shrink! Gently pat dry. It will take several hours to dry completely.

While the embroidery dries you can work on the laurel wreath.
1. Take fusible adhesive and attach to your felt. We chose the color Zucchini.
2. This photo is a bit muted to see -but this is the die cut plate for the wreath. Run your felt through your diecut machine 2-3 times. I explain more about the Evolution die cut machine over here.
4. You can see the felt after it's been cut,  fusible adhesive side up. It's rather delicate -but you'll get a clean cut.
3. Your perfectly cut wreath ready to adhere to your hoop! Isn't that any easy way to add detail to a hoop design?

Carefully arrange the laurel wreath on either side of 'thankful'. Use your embroidery hoop as a guide. Iron the applique on, center hoop on design and finish back. You've mastered hoop art and learned some new skills right? Happy stitching and more importantly, happy thanksgiving!

Mermaid Tail DIY

Read more on the updated diy here!

I just got my daughter a shirt that read "I'm a mermaid at heart" -and it true -all she ever has wanted to be is a mermaid. And she insists she will grow up to be one. I'm not sure we can promise that -but I can indulge her imagination and creative spirit and create a mermaid's greatest accessory -her tail!

The tail is composed of circles -or scales attached to the base. It comes together very quickly once all the circles are cut! Our tail and measurements are based on a tall 7 year old -you can adjust the measurements to the height of your little mermaid. 

Materials used:

-1 1/2 yards of a basic cotton fabric (we wanted to keep the tail light weight) but if you want to go no-sew we suggest using 1 1/2 yards of felt.

-10 12x18" sheets of Benzie Felt. We used our Mermaid Lagoon collection. 

-Sewing machine 

-Approximately 275 2" circles (we used the Nesting Circle die from We R Memory Keepers)

-2 yards of twill tape or ribbon 

-fabric glue

First you will need to make the base of the tail. Take your fabric and lightly freehand a pattern similar to the one you see above. The waist is about 27" wide and the length is 40" long. You will notice that the tail is asymmetrical -I wanted it to wrap around the waist and tie at the side to give the illusion of a more full bodied tail. If you are using felt -you are done -just cut out the shape! For cotton -we cut out two pieces, sewed both sides together and flipped inside out to hide the raw edges. Iron flat.

After you have the base of the tail you will need to sew ribbons on for ties. You can do this with a sewing machine or by hand. We suggest sewing as opposed to glue to make it a strong hold.







Now for all those circles! We have several different options to cut out these circles -from using a scissors, purchasing precut circles from Benzie or using a die cut method. We are going to focus on the Nesting Circles die from We R Memory Keepers -there are several different sized circles in this kit -but we used the 2" size. Here is an explanation of how we use the Evolution manual die cutter. To cut out the circles a bit quicker, we used two 2" dies at the same time. I love how the die cut makes them a perfect circle each and every time. And it's a great way to get your child involved in making their very own costume!

After you have cut out your circles attach them to your tail base. You can sew these on -but I love having easy projects that I can do around the rest of the family -so we used fabric glue. Start on the bottom of the tail and attach circles by placing a bit of glue (it doesn't take much) along the top 1/4" of the circle. Go row by row, attaching circles about half way up from the previous row. As you can see with the above photo we spaced somewhat randomly as we accommodated the widening tail.

Tie the ribbon to the mermaids side -a costume perfect for the little fish in your life!

Mini-Garland Topper DIY

Everything in miniature is just cuter right? Little garlands are no exception -and these are super easy using We R Memory Keepers nesting pennant die -there are two slits right in the die that makes it simple to string ribbon right through!

The toppers can be used on cakes, cupcakes -or succulents! We planted succulents in little canning jars - and gave them away as gifts -to teachers, hosts or favors. You will also need the We R Memory Keepers Nesting Pennants die, ribbon (we love this 5/16" twill), skewers (cut to size) and felt of course! The Benzie colors we used are Lilac, Foxglove, Guava, Swan, Pistachio and Sky.

The pennant dies come in several different sizes -we ran the smallest one through our die cut machine until we had all the triangles we needed. Then string the triangles together -when making a long garland I found that I liked using a needle because it went a little faster. We tied the ribbon to the skewers and inserted into our glass jars.

And here's a happy little trick for you -see the lid around the jar? It's magnetic -we added a button magnet and used it to hold notes to our recipients. It made the gift really personal and the magnet is something that can be used long after the plant is gone. Happy crafting!

Felt Elephant Mobile // Pattern and Instructions

Update -Benzie is now blogging over at Benzie Design - don't miss any of our new tutorials or news!


I love having simple stitching projects around -it's easy to pick up while a child is practicing her reading or while my husband and I have a movie night. These elephants are perfect -you can make just one -or a trio for a garland!

--We used Benzie wool blend felt in Pumpkin, Cantaloupe, Rainstorm, Swan, Zucchini and Fern.
--Benzie's DMC floss in Zucchini, Rainstorm and Pumpkin.
--6mm safety eyes
--needles -we used a embroidery needle to sew the elephants and a long doll needle to make the garland.
--stuffing
--pattern

1. Use the pattern to cut and trace your elephant and the ears. We love using freezer paper to trace the pattern. You'll notice that we use three different size circles. The two large ones are for the ears and the small circles accent the garland.

2. First sew on the ears (large circle first then the small lighter toned circle) using the applique stitch. Then attach the safety eyes. I love how these little back dots make little animals and dolls come alive! Finally, I used a blanket stitch to connect the sides of the elephant -don't forget to stuff!

3. We made a wall hanging with these guys -first we lined them up in the color order we liked best.

4. Assemble! We threaded our doll needle with Rainstorm thread and brought the needle through the center of the elephants and dots. We also made a mobile using these 3 elephants, accent circles and an embroidery hoop. But a single little guy would look just as adorable! Happy crafting!

Felt Flower Bouquet DIY

Benzie's very first blog post included some finds of alternate wedding bouquets -some used ribbon and some felt but we inspired you to think differently about the fresh bouquet that traditionally adorns brides. Jen at Something Turquoise did just that -she rocked the felt foliage and pumped out 8 diy's that cumulated in one beautiful bouquet in all its wool felt glory. Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?

In order to make a single bouquet in the colors pictured -all you need is a 9x12" bundle of 15 sheets in these Benzie wool blend felt colors: Pink (2), Cotton Candy (2), Fern (2), Sage (2), Butter, Parchment or Linen (Jen used Parchment but our new color Linen might be a more creamy fit!), Rainstorm, Oats, Graphite, Rose and Mulberry. If two sheets of the same color are selected (like the Pink) -you will receive it in the larger 12x18" sheet.

To get all the crafty details and to view the eight flowers and foliage diy's check out Something Turquoise. And let me know if you make the bouquet or just your favorites -tag with #benziefelt -I would love to see what you create!

DIY Felt Bows in Minutes

I recently taught my 7 year old daughter how to die cut felt -and one of our favorites are felt hair bows -just because they are so quick!! We worked as a team -she ran the felt through the die-cutter while I glued and we had a whole set in no time at all!

Supplies:

--Bow die cut, there a a couple of really cute bow dies in this set (it's a must have!)

--Evolution die cut machine (instructions here)

--Benzie Felt, we used Rose, Ochre and Blue Spruce -and check out the image above to see how we laid out the die -we are able to make 3 bows out of just one 6x9" sheet of felt (that's 3 bows for less than $1!)

--Hair Clips

--Glue

After you run your felt through your die cut machine -just fold and glue as shown above. Feel free to use whatever hair clip works for your hair. I made some for me using french clips just last week -I loved how I could make a hair accessory in just minutes!

And then we went extra fancy and packaged up the bows -we were giving these in addition to a birthday gift -but wouldn't these make great favors? We used We R Memory Keepers "Captured" set. Can I tell you how much I love all the Albums Made Easy card collections? I always have some laying around -they are great for writing notes, keeping lists or crafting with -and so pretty too! 

I grabbed one of the large cards and used my x-acto to cut vertical slits to match up where I wanted to clip the bows. Then I attached a coordinating card and taped it to the back using Sticky Thumb and finished the design with some ribbon and an eyelet. After that was all set up I slipped the hair clips in the precut slot. Perfect little gift right? And easy -the best combo! 

Felt Flower Tutorial

Update -Benzie is now blogging over at Benzie Design - don't miss any of our new tutorials or news!

We are blog hopping today with my friends at We R Memory Keepers -scroll down below to find more diy's and to enter in a giveaway!

My favorite felt craft has to be flowers -always beautiful and I love being able to use all the colors of Benzie's rainbow! These remind me of wildflowers -pretty, bright and whimsical -you'll be crafting up a whole bouquet in no time!

Supplies needed:
Benzie Felt (we love how Fern, Foxglove, Guava and Periwinkle look together)
Benzie PomPoms in Foxglove, Lemonade and Fern, 1cm and 2cm size
Oval Punch Dies from Shop We R
Wire flower stems
Hot glue

First you'll going to want an nice pile of large and small ovals using your die cut machine and the Oval Punch Die. I love this die and find it quite versatile (check out our Succulent DIY -we can't stop using it!) -it makes so many at one time!

To make filler stems and leaves on flowers you will use the large oval die -place a dot of glue on the bottom of the oval and pinch around the floral wire. Space to your liking. 

These little flowers remind me of Cosmos -I love all the colors! We use our small 1cm felt balls and attach to floral wire with a little hot glue (you may want use a needle or an awl to pre-pierce a hole). We use 4 small ovals -place a bit of glue on the bottom and pinch along the base of the felt pom. 

Our large flowers used 12 large ovals total -but this can be varied to adjust the look and style of your bloom. The first layer uses 4 ovals -we pre-pinched each petal before attaching to the base. This helped form the flower.

To finish the flower keep adding ovals around the pom-pom -add a green leaf or two to finish it off!

Don't forget to checkout We R Memory Keepers other diy's this week!

Aimee's Armoire	http://aimeesarmoire.typepad.com
Benzie Design	http://benziedesign.blogspot.com
Cokie Pop Paper	http://cokiepopaper.blogspot.com
Cutesy Crafts	http://cutesycrafts.com
Ginger Snap Crafts	http://www.gingersnapcrafts.com
Gluesticks Blog	http://gluesticksblog.com/
Homework	http://www.carolynshomework.com
Kutz Paper Scissors	http://andreayokley-jessup.blogspot.com
Making the World Cuter	http://makingtheworldcuter.com
Midwestern Girl Missy Dear	http://www.midwesterngirldiy.com http://www.missy-dear.com
One Scrappin Mama	http://onescrappinmama.blogspot.com
Popsicle Toes	http://shellypop.com
Pretty Providence	http://prettyprovidence.com
Scrap Time	http://scraptime.ca
Sew Craft Create	http://sewcraftcreate.com
Snapping Monsters	http://snappingmonsters.blogspot.com
The Creative Mom	http://www.thecreativemom.com
Tried and true	http://triedandtrueblog.com
Waffleflower	http://waffleflower.com
We R Memory Keepers	http://wermemorykeepers.wordpress.com
Worley House	www.andreaworley.com

Go to We R Memory's Keepers facebook to enter to win their Crafters Tote too (love the color -looks like Benzie's Peacock!).