The One with Simply Handmade Feb/Mar Projects

I'm super excited about the latest issue of Simply Handmade. It's full of fun Valentine's Day projects, hair doo dads, cute bags, and much much more.

(Isn't that pillow on the cover by Melissa Phillips the cutest thing you've ever seen?! I'm soooo glad she submitted it!)

Here are the things I made for this issue:

Congrats Bag
Bag is 5 x 8 x 3”

This bag may look time consuming, but it only took 15 minutes to make! Plus, the elegant and versatile gray/blue colors make this bag usable for a wedding, baby, graduation, or bridal shower.

Here's how to make this bag:
1) Cut a 24 x 3” piece of tan tulle, straight stitch along one edge and gather it into a flower shape. (I did the straight stitching by hand, cuz this is before I had my beloved sewing machine.)
2) Cut a 15 x 5” strip of blue striped fabric and fold the fabric in half. Straight stitch along the folded edge and gather it into a flower shape. (I LOVE this technique! It's so easy and creates such a beautiful flower!)
3) Set a large jewel brad through a light gray felt flower and hot glue it onto a circle of lace. (The lace is actually a leftover piece from my wedding dress. I knew saving the scraps would come in handy!)
4) Layer the lace piece on the striped fabric, then on the tulle. Hot glue the entire flower shape onto the top corner of a white bag.
5) Set “congrats” foam letter stickers along the bottom curve of the flower.

Supplies: Bag, thread, needle: Craft supply; Jewel brad, felt flower, foam letter stickers: American Crafts; Tulle, fabric, lace: Fabric supply; Other: Hot glue gun

This is the shirt that inspired me to create the following project. The first step was to design and screen print a tree onto a striped shirt. That was accomplished at Ben's house last summer for the annual American Crafts Screen Printing Party. Then the project was put on the back burner because we moved. Then finally I had an excuse to get started again cuz I was asked to make a project "from the runway."



Create T-Shirt

Sure, this t-shirt is cute and all… but can it be washed? I googled something about washing felt and found out it depends on the kind of felt you use. Real wool felt can be washed and air dried like a good sweater. Craft felt can be spot-cleaned or hand-washed, but shouldn’t be put in a regular washer/dryer.

How to make this t-shirt:
1) Screen print a tree onto a gray striped t-shirt using brown ink.
2) Cut out leaves from different colored pieces of felt and hand-stitch them onto the printed branches using matching colored floss. (I cut out one leaf then used it as a template to cut out all the rest so they'd be the same shape.)
3) Cut out a few clouds from blue felt and stitch them to the top of the shirt using light blue floss.
4) Cut out a grassy knoll from green felt and stitch it along the bottom of the shirt using green floss.

Supplies: Shirt: American Apparel; Felt: Craft supply; Floss: DMC; Needle: Dritz; Other: Screen printing tools and equipment
This is how the t-shirt looks in the magazine:

Love. Frame
Frame is 8 ½ x 6 ½”

Going with a blue, yellow, and brown color scheme means you’re able to display the frame year-round, not just for Valentine’s Day. Always an added bonus.

How to make this frame:
1) Remove the back from a frame and use it as a template to cut a block of white cardstock.
2) Hand-cut a heart from red felt and adhere it to the middle of the white cardstock.
3) Cut out a bird from pink felt and brown felt, use buttons for the eyes and add some stitching accents.
4) Punch a scalloped circle from tan cardstock and pink patterned paper. Punch a hole through some of the scallops on the tan cardstock circle.
5) Adhere the felt birds on the scalloped circles and place one on either side of the felt heart.
6) Create grass from a strip of green felt and adhere it across the bottom of the white cardstock.
7) Place the white cardstock piece back in the frame along with the glass and backing.
8) Add a piece of yellow hand-scalloped felt to the top and “love.” foam letter stickers to the bottom right corner.
9) Place a “kiss” badge off-center directly on the glass and add a brown ribbon bow below.

Supplies: Frame: IKEA; Cardstock, patterned paper, buttons, badge, ribbon, foam letter stickers: American Crafts; Felt: Craft supply; Floss: DMC; Needle: Dritz; Scalloped circle punch: Marvy Uchida; Hole punch: Fiskars

There's also a Simply Handmade blog which I'll start posting to once a week or so starting this month! Check it out by clicking here. Have a great week!