Super easy felt slippers

Posted in Kids, Sewing, Stuff to make by brigitdermott

My daughter and I made these slippers in one (chilly) morning. They were so simple and fun to make. I’ve attached instructions here, but the process was really simple. We created a pattern by tracing her feet, then cut the felt with an extra half inch around for the seam. The soles are two pieces of wool felt with a double layer of batting for warmth and comfort, and the upper is a double layer of felt. The hearts were my daughter’s embellishment–I like how she put them off to the side.

To make these you will need: approximately a quarter yard of wool felt for the soles, and another quarter for the uppers, some batting, and thread. It is important to use good quality wool felt, such as Wollfilz (available from Purl Soho in an array of gorgeous colors).

12Feb2012

A Stencil for Your Sweetheart

Posted in Boston, Fabric printing, Holiday, Kids, Sewing, Stuff to make by Margaret Muirhead

Finished these heart-stenciled drawstring bags just in time for Valentine’s Day. Whew. Tomorrow I’ll toss in some trinkets and goodies for my little sweethearts. (Later, I figure they can stash their school valentines in them.)

All the materials came from stuff around my house: stray pieces of fabric, ribbon, and some muslin. I cut a heart stencil with freezer paper and vinyl alphabet stickers to block out the letters. (For a visual, click here. For information about using freezer paper stencils on fabric, here is the complete how-to).

I improvised the drawstring bag (although I did measure to keep things relatively straight). Thank you to Kate K. for loaning me a tapestry needle–a perfect implement for threading a ribbon through a drawstring bag.

Here’s a side view–with the candy that inspired me. (By the way, Sweethearts are Made in the U.S.A, specifically by the New England Confectionary in nearby Revere, Mass. So this V Day, buy American.) Happy Heart Day, everyone!

10Feb2012

Petite purls!

Posted in Kids, Knitting, Recycled materials, Sewing, Stuff to make by brigitdermott

I am so excited to have discovered the lovely online magazine petite purls (thanks to the oliver + s blog). It is a treasure trove of free knitting patterns for kids with a few sewing patterns. Meg, I thought these mittens would be a great use for your upcycled sweaters. I made some felt mittens for Betty using a similar pattern that I painstakingly resized for her little hands from a pattern for adult fleece mittens. This pattern looks much easier! I might add a soft cotton lining if I made these in wool–just tuck the lining inside the mittens and bind the tops together. I love the ’70s style racing stripes.

12Dec2011

Paper garland and wooden block village

Posted in Holiday, Kids, Paper, Recycled materials, Stuff to make by brigitdermott

A quick tour of my mantelpiece. Here is the finished paper garland, which was fairly laborious to complete–I cut out 120 paper flowers in all, and slowly slotted them together. It is a perfect activity if you want to feel productive while watching a marathon of Christmas movies. And my Christmas village! Met with approval by all. The houses were really simple to make. I ordered some plain wooden blocks in three shapes (square, rectangle, and triangle) and glued the triangles to the squares for the houses. I used a little wood filler to smooth out the seam. Then I painted them using “Folk art” acrylic paint. I used a fine point Sharpie to add the details, and then painted on the final touches like the wreathes.

5Dec2011

Crafty Boys

Posted in Kids, Stuff to make by Margaret Muirhead

My kids and some crafty friends got together for an afternoon of making stuff for this year’s Youth Craft Fair at our local library. They really want to top last year’s big profits ($7 each)! Here’s the equation:

Five boys + one afternoon + basic supplies (paper, glue stick, Fimo, magnet tape, duct tape, felt) =