Top Projects of 2013

15.  Cement Candle Holders

14.  Old Bench Makeover

13.  Recycling and Reusing Containers

12.  Braided Leather Bracelet

11. White Sweater Pumpkins

10.  Brady’s Bandana Quilt

9. Wool Posies and Vase

8. Handmade Headboard

7.  Wool Wrapped Trees

6.  How to Make Wool Felt

5. Child’s Teepee

4.  Driftwood and Seashell Wreath

3.  Butterfly Eggs

2.  Free Washcloths

1.  Cement Garden Balls

Thanks so much for following and commenting on my blog!  I would be nothing without my followers!  Here’s to all sorts of new projects in 2014!

Felted Wool Posies and Wool Vase

Posies in all colors! 

Very easy to make…I cut three circles in graduated sizes.  I picked out a vintage button or two for the center of each one.

Then I cut a wire twice the length of the stem, fold it in half, and thread it onto the button and through the layers of the stacked felt circles.

For the leaves I cut a small leaf, and a 4 inch piece of wire. The stem and the leaf wire I covered in florist tape, adding the leaf stem as I covered the stem.

The flowers can be any color, the more the merrier!

And the center buttons don’t have to be a matching color…

The vase is made from a mason jar and a sleeve from a felted wool sweater. I moistened the sleeve as it was rather tight on the jar and then just worked it down over the jar.

This grey plaid wool was a great cover for the chipped mason jar.

I may be linking to these great parties!

A few wool felt projects…or what to do with that wool felt you made!

I posted a few weeks ago on making wool felt from thrifted sweaters, scarves and blanket…now I have a few flower projects for you that are easy to make. You can find many different templates by googling felt flower template or felt flower pattern. 

I made this one with a simple single template and I used the copy machine to shrink it and make several more sizes to stack. 

Cut the pattern out of cardstock or regular paper…then cut out the felt.

Just keep cutting until you have the number you want, use wild colors or keep it traditional, stack two three or four layers (or more!).  They don’t have to be perfect…I am going to show you a trick to make the edges look rounded.

Now take some thick thread (I used bakers twine because I didn’t want to go upstairs to get thread out of my sewing room!) and tack the pieces together snugly and tie the thread on the back.

I made this one the same way with a little different shape.

Now we are going to put them in a bag to wash them. 

I don’t really want to shrink them any further, just smooth out the cut edges, so I tossed them in a bag in a regular cold load.  This zip bag was made by my son in Home Ec (or what every they call it these days)!   Zip up the bag, add some detergent and let’s start a second kind of flower!

I like to use the ribbed cuffs and hem of the sweaters for these flowers.  Just cut two strips about 1/2-3/4 inch wide and as long as you want the flower to be across.  Play with the process and you will be able to judge how long to cut them.  You can also just trim them off when you get to the size you want.

Add a drop or two of hot glue to one of the ends, hold them together and wind them in a circle.

Keep adding the glue as you wrap the pieces around.

Hot glue the ends down.  Cut a leaf from green about the size of the circle except teardrop shaped.

Cut a small hole in the pointy side of the leaf so the hair clip can be stuck in there.  Stick the hair clip into the leaf…

Add some hot glue to the back and stick on the leaf!

Now those are done!

You can make the flowers look different using different sides of the ribbing or cutting the pieces narrower….actually there are a lot of variables to give you a different look.

I dried the flowers in the dryer and this is the finished look you get…no ragged cut edges!  I used two buttons for the center of this one…

And a soft pink glass vintage button for the center of the pastel flower. 

Use your imagination to create so many different variations!

Check out my Pinterest Board Wool Felt, Felted Wool for more ideas on what to do with your stash of wool felt! 

This was originally posted at A Jennuine Life, thanks Jenn for having me! 

Guest Posting at A Jennuine Life

I am guest posting over at A Jennuine Life! 

Go here to check it out and see what Jenn has been up to lately!!