Felt Heart Tutorial

Here is a simple, last-minute craft project for Valentines Day. Easy enough for anyone to do, I included several pictures just to prove it.

You will need:
a heart template (I just searched Google)
1 sheet pink felt
1 sheet cream/white felt
red embroidery floss
embroidery needle
fiberfill

Step 1:
cut out two large hearts from white/cream felt, one smaller heart from pink felt.

Step 2:
Pin the smaller pink heart to one of the larger white hearts. Prepare/thread your needle with three strands of red embroidery floss.

Step 3:
With a running stitch, stitch the two pieces together, just inside the edge of the smaller pink heart. Stop with a small gap left to allow for stuffing.


Step 4:
Stuff and stitch closed; tie off thread. We're halfway there!

Step 5:
Pin the second large white heart to the back of the first. Again, with three strands of red embroidery floss, stitch the two pieces together with a running stitch just inside the edge of the large white heart. Remember to leave a gap for stuffing!

Step 6:
Stuff and stitch up the remaining gap. I tend to stuff these rather dense, but it depends on the type of fiberfill you buy, some is springier than others. Hide your thread by pulling the last stitch through only one layer. Tie off your thread and you're done!


Tie off your thread and you're done!


Be sure to leave a comment and show off your own felt hearts! Happy Valentine's Everybody!

Ten degrees, blowing snow advisory

So I decided to be a shutterbug (I had to go to class).

In the name of love...

3.5" across. Felt, embroidery floss, polyfill. A super easy, quick project just in time for Valentine's. More to come.

Paper Star tutorial

While browsing for decoration ideas, I came across this video tutorial on Metacafe. I didn't like the look of staples, so I used tape (what I had on hand as a poor college student). I think gluing the parts together would take a bit more time, but yield better results. Or better yet scrapbooking squares (double-sided tape)!
I think with a few more stars, with some colored paper, this place will spruce right up.

Family Traditions

It's closing in on Christmas and time for my favorite family activity: cookie decorating. We always bake several kinds of cookie when the holidays come around, and we always try out at least one new recipe; but every year we decorate Christmas-themed sugar cookie cutouts.

Instead of a traditional sugar cookie, I use a butter cookie for the "canvas" in a sampling of shapes from the mountain of cookie cutters stored in the pantry. Then we pull out the confectioner's sugar, and dyes to make the royal icing "paint". I use gel icing color because it doesn't thin out the icing. If you're not familiar with gel icing color, I believe you can find it hiding among the baked goods at most stores. Soon as the cookies are cool and there's icing, we all grab paintbrushes and go to town!

Every year, I pack up tins of cookies to give my close friends when I visit back home. It's the perfect personal thing to share with those you love.
This year I've also made a eye-pillows using Amy Butler's pattern available at the Sew, Mama, Sew! blog, and wrapped both up with their holiday gift-tags.

A Res-Life Christmas

Christmas comes early in the Residence halls, when Resident Assistants come with individualized tidings on slips of paper and random mini-tubs of Play-Doh.

Last-minute studying

Companion cube hearts you too...That's not Sandy Claws (Santa Claus)...
Little Santa-bunny...