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!

Sequins and Felt: Valentine hair clips

My favorite sparkly embellishment for felt is sequins, it pairs so nicely and sews so easily with felt! Make a pair of heart shaped hair clips or pin one to your lapel -something sweet for Valentine's Day.

1. To make the hearts super quick and uniform I grabbed my favorite nesting heart die from Lifestyle Crafts. And don't forget to use our 20% off coupon BENZIE on any Lifestyle or We R products!

2. You'll also need some of Benzie's felt -we used Flamingo and Magenta to cut two larger and one smaller heart. Here's a tutorial on how we use the die cuts but you can also freehand hearts using a sharp scissors or our freezer paper method.

3. And for the sparkles! Pick out your favorite sequins and some matching seed beads.

4. Layer sequins and beads onto 2 layers of felt and fill in the center heart. You may need to use a beading needle for the seed beads.

5. Stitch a pin or hair clip to the second large heart then attach to the sequined heart. Happy Valentine's Day!

Can I use a die cutting tool to cut felt?

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


Two questions I get asked all the time: "How do you cut your shapes so perfect?" and "Can I die-cut felt?!" Yes, I say while nodding my head enthusiastically! You can die cut felt -it makes perfect edges every time and makes felt even more versatile and production friendly.

First -there are two different categories of machines: electronic and manual. We are going to take a look at manual die cut systems today. There are several different systems and brands of dies from companies such as Accucut and Sizzix. Dies for these machines generally fall within two types: wafer thin dies and steel rule dies. Steel rule dies are approximately 3/4" thick dies encased in foam where wafer thin ones are just like it's name; thin, light and kind of like a cookie cutter for crafters. You can mix and match dies and machines using combinations of platforms and shims.

We are going to focus on the Evolution die cutter and Genius platform system by Lifestyle Crafts to cut Benzie's felt but the Sizzix Big Shot is a great option too. Let's get started!

First, the Genius platform is what is used to sandwich your die, felt and cutting pads. Genius is also compatible with other die cut machines as well. There are a couple of fun things about this, first off, the base is magnetic. The wafer thin dies just stick to the base -and don't move around either! This makes it easy to place multiple dies down while getting maximum cuts from your felt. The cutting pad is also flexible -kind of like a self-healing pad so it still looks great after hundreds of cuts! Here's a diagram that explains what order you will want to sandwich the parts.

1. The magnetic platform is placed first.
2. In order for the felt to be cut cleanly -a shim needs to be used. I used a sheet of card stock.
3. Then place your die, cut side up. We are using Lifestyle Crafts bow-tie die.
4. Benzie's 6x9" felt sheets work perfect in die cutters -just order it to the size you need!
5. Then place your final cutting pad 'Mat A' on top.

Then take your die sandwich and roll it through your die cutter.

See how it comes out?! A perfectly formed shape!


With a few quick folds and stitches or glue -it's even easy to make a bow -a bow tie for a boy or a hair bow for a girl! I love that I can quickly put together a gift and not worry about tedious cutting or time consuming patterns. Let me know how you use dies with your felt -I would love to hear about it! Grab one of our felt palettes to get started!. I love these colors together!