Project 10: Felt Ornament

This is super easy, and barely needs a tutorial.  My friend, Maddy, and I planned this out and almost finished it before Soleil's nap was over!  Design whatever you want, draw a template on heavy paper, cut it out, trace it on felt, and sew it together.  Make sure to sew a ribbon to it to hang your ornament up.  (If you don't add a ribbon, it can be a toy.  My kids like them either way.)

A few designs.  (This is a fun activity in a waiting room.

Template we drew and cut out of magazine paper.  

It is nice and thick and readily available in my house. 

 Our bird.  

Sew the decorative details on first, then sew the 2 sides together and stuff.  

We did this all by hand, because you can sew it in front of the tv :) 

**There might be a small delay in the next blogpost, as I am in Michigan, donating my kidney to my dad.  I am hoping that I will recover quickly and be able to keep to my project 52 timeline:) 

Project 9: Homemade Envelopes

I'm cheating.  I have made these for many years, but was re-inspired when I started to receive the holiday catalogs in the mail.  (Anyone else get TWO Pottery Barn catalogs on the same day??) Many of the pages are beautiful and I had to reuse them.

You can buy a plastic template or take apart an existing envelope and trace it, but really I actually prefer to make them without the template because it is easier.  To do this,  you:

1.  Fold the edges on the longest sides in about an inch

2.  Fold the top part of the page into a triangle, by folding in the sides. This is your closing flap.

3.  From the bottom of the page, fold up a third of the way to make the envelope part, and fold the triangle flap down on top.  Easy Peasy!

 4.  Now tape the sides together, and use to tape at the flap once you have put a letter inside.  Small mailing labels work great for the address.

(Here is the front of the envelope.)

Enjoy!!