I recently realized that I majorly neglect creating winter crafts. With this season so busy, and a lot of my energies directed into creating beautifully curated gift guides, I find that the season goes by too fast.

But I’m working on switching that this year, with a few new winter-focused ideas and today, I’m starting with snowman peg dolls that have been on my “to craft” list for years!

Ways to use snowman peg dolls

As with any peg doll, these snowman peg dolls are so versatile! I crafted these for use in with this 2-ingredient fake snow but you can make them for really just about any winter purpose. Here are some ideas:

• Peg dolls make great pretend play toys! You can use it with anything that comes with small figures, such as Little People play or small dollhouses. Bring these out to mix things up for winter-themed play.
• In sensory bins. Use this to play with Instant Snow or in any winter-themed sensory bin.
• Use these as a focal point in a DIY snow globe
• These make fabulous embellishments in any winter scene – a diorama, a Christmas village…
• Glue on a ribbon to turn them into adorable little ornament

There’s really so many things you can do with this – whether you’re popping it into the toy bin, or making it for something specific!

Tips for crafting snowman peg dolls

This is a pretty straightforward craft that can be crafted different ways, but here are some tips for getting it right the first time.

Choosing your peg dolls

Peg dolls come in many different shapes, sizes, and styles. You can actually get snowman shaped ones, but I wanted to add more texture to mine so I wanted it without the hat.

I got a multi-pack so that I have options for different crafts, and chose a larger sized one with a straight body as the closest match.

I like to get my peg dolls from Woodpeckers because I know they’ll be high quality, and support a New Jersey based small business. You can get them on Amazon, or directly from them. If purchasing direct, use code MOMSANDCRAFTERS for 5% off your purchase.

Dressing it up

To dress up your snowman peg dolls, pull out those fabric and felt scraps! You can also use ribbons, buttons, beads, and of course, markers.

Try using winter textured fabric, such as tweed, felt, fleece, and corduroy for your accessories.

On one, I made a beanie hat. I did this using scrap tweed that I bought eons ago to make a skirt. I made a scarf using soft corduroy I had in my scrap bin.

On the other, I made a felt top hat. I perched it at an angle for a little character. I also cut off the finished edge of a fleece blanket (that I purchased to cut apart for crafts) for the scarf on this one.

I used finished/crafting wooden branches for the arms, but you can also pick twigs from outside. I used wooden beads for the buttons, but of course, if you have small buttons, use those. And the nose was hacked from a small bit of rolled up/folded felt.

I drew on the face using a paint marker (this set is double sided, with the fine side perfect for projects like this).

Variations and more ideas

This is one of those crafts that you can make a zillion times and each time it comes out different! Here are a few ideas:

• As I mentioned, use twigs from outdoors for the arms
• Again, you can use buttons for the buttons.
• Pull out the pom poms! They are fabulous for winter crafts. Tiny ones can be used as buttons, and you can use one on the hat.
• Try making the hat from bits of an old knit sweater
• The scarf can also be made using ribbon.
• Want to make earmuffs instead of a hat? Cut two small circles of felt and connect them with a thin pipe cleaner.
• Use glitter paint as a top coat to add some snow-inspired shimmer.

The possibilities for these snow man peg dolls are really endless, so pull out all your craft stuff and get creative!

How to craft snowman peg dolls

Watch the video, or scroll down for the step by step tutorial.

Materials

• Peg dolls (see notes above)
• White acrylic craft paint
• Paint Brush
• Scraps of felt and fabric
• Odds and ends like buttons, beads, pom poms, twigs
• Detail scissors
• Hot glue gun – you can check out my rundown of the best glue guns for crafts. I used this one for this craft.
• Paint markers

Process

1. Paint your peg doll white. One layer will likely give it a stained look. A second layer will look opaque. Dry time should be pretty quick.

Making the beanie hat

2. To make the beanie, cut a small rectangle. It should be slightly wider than the circumference and higher than you want it to be.

3. Roll it up twice from the bottom, keeping it as small as you can, hot gluing in place.

4. Glue one end to the other to form a circle that will be the circumference of your hat.

5. Sew a running stitch around the hat at the point where you want the hat height to end. Pull it tight.

6. Wrap thread around that point to make it as tight as you can.

7. A few stitches back and forth through the hat should finalize the shape of the beanie.

8. You can either trim off the extra and glue on a pom pom. Or, cut fringe into the extra instead to make a pom pom.

To make a top hat

9. Cut a felt circle the size you want the brim of the hat to be – a bit wider than the head of the peg doll. Cut a felt strip the height you want the hat to be. The length should be big enough to form a circle smaller than the brim, with a bit extra for gluing.

10. Glue the strip, connecting both sides to form the main part of the tophat. Using hot glue sparingly, glue the ring on the center of the felt circle.

11. Measure the circumference of the ring and use that to create the top of the tophat. Again, using hot glue sparingly, glue that on top.

Finishing it up

12. Glue the hats on the peg dolls.

13. Create carrot noses by rolling up a tiny scrap of felt, gluing it in place. Use detail scissors to cut it into shape.

13. Glue it in the center of the face.

14. Glue on 2-3 beads as buttons.

15. Draw on button eyes and mouth. I didn’t use glue-ons for this because it’s so small and I felt it would be excessive.

16. Cut a strip of fabric for a scarf. Cut a bit of fringe on the side if you want.

17. Wrap it around the neck of the peg doll. Tie it or glue it in place.

18. Glue on sticks for arms.

Your snowman peg dolls are complete! Which peg dolls would you like to see next? Comment below!

The post Snowman Peg Dolls appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Felt baskets are just so sweet and there are probably a zillion ways to make it. Personally, I have at least four styles of (purchased) felt baskets throughout my house, which just shows you how many ways they can be made.

In this post, I’m teaching you how to make easy DIY felt baskets two ways:

• Sewing a square basket (you can also hot glue this style)
• A no-sew version that is designed to be no-sew, not just a hot-glued version of the sewed one. It supports itself without any sewing or gluing and can be folded flat when not in use.

These are two totally unique templates that I offer for free at the end of this post.

The size of this one is a few inches in each direction. It’s perfect for fitting a few treats, or for mini storage. For example, I store my sewing clips in one of them.

Tips for crafting a DIY felt basket

Making felt baskets in big

These baskets are very small, because I wanted to fit them onto a single page – and sheet of felt. If you want to make them larger, you can absolutely scale them up. The formula should work in any size.

To do this, simply print it at scale (200%, 500% etc) and assemble the combined template using mine as a guide.

You can also simply use my template as a visual guide – especially the sewn one. Just look at how I constructed mine and construct your own from scratch.

It’s made of five equal sides: the base, and four walls. They are arranged as a “plus”. Make your own larger template from poster board. You can then reuse it to trace multiple baskets. Make sure to purchase good quality thick felt yardage if you’re making these DIY felt baskets in big.

Your Handle Choices for crafting a DIY felt basket

On the sewn basket, I created a handle template that you can cut from felt. If you’re making this in larger, you can sew it on. If you want to sew it on the mini basket, do this before you craft the rest or it’ll be too hard to get in there with the sewing machine. I just glued mine on cuz why not.

You can really use these handles for both baskets, but on the no sew version I added a handle from ribbon. I cut it a bit too short for it to show up nicely in the photos but the idea is there.

You can really mix and match, use ribbon or rope as handles for any basket. You can do the handles how I did – as hand ones that fold over on one side, or as arm handles that go from one side of the basket to the other.

Two templates and ways to craft a DIY felt basket

The two baskets have two totally unique templates and processes but I decided to combine them into this one post so that you can easily see them side by side and choose which to craft.

The sewn version (can be glued too)

There are a few ways you can assemble this template – and no, it doesn’t have to be machine sewed!

You can:

• Machine sew it like I did. I used a cheap basic sewing machine for this – nothing fancy is needed for sewing felt.
• Hand sew it in pretty blanket edged stitch, using coordinating embroidery floss
• Hot glue it as if you’re sewing it along the seam lines. I find that this has its own advantage: the hot glue provides some structure.

I machine sewed my basket to be a perfectly solid structured basket, that totally holds its own shape. To do that, I also sewed along the bottom seams. You don’t have to do that. You can exclusively sew the four corners if you prefer, just watch the bottom corners to make sure you close them off.

No Sew No Glue Stashable DIY Felt Basket

The second one takes really seconds to assemble and can be easily dismantled for storage when not in use. (Please tell me I’m not the only person who needs storage solutions for my storage solutions!)

It is assembled with a simple knotted bit of leather or faux leather cording.

You can also glue it in place or stitch it down with a few simple stitches of embroidery floss.

I did not include holes on the template – personally I usually punch those holes so I didn’t think to do it.

You can mark these yourself on your template if you’d like.

How to Make a DIY Felt Basket

You’ll Need

Basic Supplies

• Felt – it should be thick and stiff enough to hold its shape
• The template downloaded at the end of this post and printed on paper or cardstock, cut out
• Straight pins OR a washable fabric marker
• Scissors (I recommend fabric and detail scissors – I have Singer’s)
• Hot glue gun – I used Surebonder’s Hot Glue Pen with Detail Tip (gifted)

To Sew it

• A sewing machine and coordinating thread

No sew version

• Flat leather or faux leather lacing
• A hole punch that’ll work through felt (recommended)
• Ribbons or rope for handles

Assembly Instructions

Watch the video, or scroll down for written instructions:

Sewn

1. Pin your template to the sheet of felt and cut it out. (Or trace your template using washable fabric marker and cut it out)

2. Remove the template.

3. Fold up your side towards the center (make no note of the fact that in the photo mine isn’t straight – just make yours straight. It’s pretty forgiving, though).

4. Sew along that fold – I left about 1/8 of an inch seam.

5. Do this for all four sides.

6. Now sew your four corners. Start by pinching together two sides.

7. And then sew along the side where they join to create an external seam. Keep your seam size consistent with the bottom.

8. Do this for all four corners.

9. Cut two handles from coordinating or contrasting felt.

10. Glue them down on one end on opposite sides so that they are directly across from each other – about 1/3 of the way from the edge.

11. Glue down the other end so that you’re gluing the same back side of the felt down, forming a flat surface on the top of the handle.

Note: you can sew this down too but if making a very mini basket, it can be hard to sew down now. You can do it on the flat template, but you may find the handles make the sewing harder. I found this to be the easiest way to add the handles.

No sew

1. Pin your template to the sheet of felt and cut it out. (Or trace your template using washable fabric marker and cut it out). Make sure not to miss those four slits.

2. Remove your template.

3. Prefold your basket.

4. Make two holes each on the four rounded ends. To do this, fold up the flat sides, and then the rounded sides. Bring the rounded sides around the flat to meet each other and mark where you want the holes. The rounded sides overlap – make sure that the holes you make on them match up.

5. Match those sides back up and thread a piece of leather lacing a few inches long through them, from the inside to the outside.

6. Tie an overhand knot on the lacing.

7. Add a handle if you’d like! Mine is made from ribbon.

Download your DIY felt basket templates

To download, fill out the form below. You’ll be signed up for our free newsletter – unsubscribe at any time in the footer of the emails. I respect your privacy and the law and won’t share your information with anyone.

Your DIY felt baskets are complete. How will you be making yours and what will you be using it for? Comment below and then check out this fun DIY cardboard box storage bin.

The post DIY Felt Basket 2 Ways: Sewing and No Sew appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Are you ready for a sweet stitching project that’s both adorable and functional? This teacup bookmark is an excellent craft for those who like to sew but don’t have much time, or those who are newer to sewing. Or just anyone who likes cute things in miniature (that’s me!)

What I love the most about this bookmark design is that it’s really something different – instead of a piece of paper sticking up out of the edge of your book with some cute but random design, in this case the bookmark is a real part of the tea motif, with the string from the tea bag holding your place. I also love this because a simple strand of yarn is very low-profile and won’t cause your book’s pages to wrinkle at all.

The stitching gives this project a quaint, cottage look that goes with the classic feeling of a warm cup of tea. It will go perfectly with a relaxing book under a cozy throw blanket!

The tea motif also makes this a great activity for a tea party. It’s easy enough to do in a group, as long as you have enough needles to go around. Due to the small size of the pieces and the needlework, this project requires good fine motor skills and is best suited for a party of crafters in or beyond middle school. (Of course, if you’re doing it individually and not in a group, you can assess your own or your child’s level of capability at any age and provide support as needed.)

If you love the idea but want to use it with younger crafters, you can use the same template for the shapes, substituting foam instead of felt and craft glue instead of sewing. 

The instructions below do not specify what type of stitches to use for sewing, leaving you the choice of whether to do what is most comfortable for you or to learn or practice something new! Beginners might want to start with a simple whip stitch or running stitch, while those who are ready for something more can try using a blanket stitch around the edges of the cup and tag.

The illustrations suggest colors to use for each of the parts, but this too is your choice. Choose felt sheets or scraps in colors that make you happy! Make sure to use nice, sharp scissors to cut the felt cleanly.

I love crafting things like this as a sweet gift for the book lover in your life, and it’s a fabulous companion gift to bundle with a favorite book

What you need

• Soft felt sheets
• Scissors – I recommend having good, sharp fabric and detail scissors handy.
• Yarn (white) 
• Embroidery floss or thread
• Sewing needle
• Marker or fabric chalk
• Teacup template (download and print at the end of this post)

Instructions:

1. Print and cut out the template pieces – three teacup parts, tea, tea bag tag, flower, and leaf. Trace them onto the felt colors of your choice, and cut them out.

2. Take one of the tea bag tags and place a leaf cutout on it. Arrange the flower pieces on the front teacup piece.

Thread a needle with thread that matches or complements the flower.

3. Sew the center of the flower (the circle) around the edge. Go through all the layers,  attaching both the circle and the flower petals to the cup.

Arrange the flower leaves around the flower and thread your needle with a color that matches or complements the leaves.

4. Stitch the leaves down their centers to attach them to the teacup. 

Because the shapes are so small, these few stitches will hold them all together – you don’t need to sew around the edges of the leaves or petals.

5. Sew the leaf on the tea bag tag by stitching around the edges.

Cut a length of yarn a little longer than the height of a typical book. Place about an inch of the yarn on top of the unused tea bag tag. Thread your needle with white thread.

6. Place the tag with the leaf on top of the plain tag, with the end of the yarn in between them.

7. Stitch the tags together along the edges. Get some of the top stitches going through the strand of yarn to secure it (you can also use some glue to help hold the yarn in place. You won’t see it inside the tag.)

8. Take the back of the cup cutout and place the handle on one side, slightly overlapping the side of the cup.

9. Put the tea near the top of the teacup base.

10. Put the front of the cup on top – line up the bottom against the bottom of the teacup back, and make the top overlap the tea.

Thread your needle with a color that matches or complements the teacup.

11. Sew together the teacup pieces around the outside edge (bottom and sides). Make sure to attach the handle as you go around that side.

12. Leave the top open for now.

13. Place the other end of the yarn from the tea bag between the tea and the back of the teacup. Thread the needle with a color similar to the tea.

14. Sew the tea to the back of the teacup, making sure to attach the strand of yarn in middle.

There you go – your teacup bookmark craft is comlete!! Use the yarn to mark your place in a book, with the tea bag tag hanging out one end and the teacup on the other. When you’re ready to keep reading, just tug on the tag like you would when making real tea!

Download your Teacup Bookmark Template:

To download, fill out the form below. You’ll be signed up for our free newsletter – unsubscribe at any time in the footer of the emails. I respect your privacy and the law and won’t share your information with anyone.

The post Teacup Bookmark Craft appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

This DIY felt first birthday crown template is perfect for little boys and girls – and easy to craft! When you’re done, you can check my felt DIY first birthday hat tutorial too. This post contains affiliate links.

Your little one is turning one, and wow, you’d do just about anything to make that day special. After all, it’s very much a celebration of a year since you’ve gotten possibly the greatest gift possible.

I know all about it, I was just there.

We just celebrated Baby Jay’s first birthday party, and I know I need to share all the details. It was truly special.

Besides for his unique personality – he’s just so full of life and humor – he is a rainbow baby, and I guess the blessing and miracle of it all hits home that much more.

So I’ll be sharing the details of this DIY felt birthday crown I crafted for him, followed by some other unique crafts I created – some designed from scratch – for you to replicate.

Eventually I’ll share all the details of his birthday party. Sometimes it takes me time (yes, years) to get to all of it but I’ll try not to let it take that long this time!

I’m starting with this DIY felt birthday crown, because the photos of him wearing it came out too cute so I just can’t wait.

I crafted it twice. First, I made a whole-head crown. It came out really cute but it covered all his red hair, and felt like it kind of stole a part of his personality! So I recrafted it as a “birthday hat” that sits atop his head.

I share both ways here, as well as various ways you can assemble it to make it easiest for your needs.

Different ways to craft a felt first birthday crown

Full Head Crown

My first instinct was just to create a full-head crown, which is what I did.

I created it with a burgundy lining and a mustard yellow outside. It was based on what I had handy. I cut the one out of the main crown to show the lining through (the template gives you multiple options and it’s not fixed – you choose which one you want). You can also cut a one from a separate piece of felt (which I show below).

However, while totally adorable, it somewhat missed the mark. First, his copper hair didn’t show. Second, the bits that did totally clashed with the burgundy – so I knew I had to remake it anyway!

And finally, the burgundy didn’t really match our party so I needed to redo it.

It does, however, sit comfortably on his head. I used soft felt, which is important, so that baby is comfortable with it. The template is easy to trim down a bit (much like a paper birthday hat) to adjust to your kid.

It is a very tall crown -for drama, which you can adjust to your needs, trimming off the bottom if you want it shorter.

Birthday hat – crown shaped

I went back to the drawing board to make a smaller birthday-hat style DIY felt birthday crown. This template is smaller but not tiny. It perches on baby’s head like a headband/crown and is in a way more comfortable.

I was sure Baby Jay would complain about the elastic, but he actually didn’t mind it! He kept it on for most of the party – he only took it off when he tried relaxing by feeling his hair and discovered it.

This one has a separate cut out word one. It’s made from the same soft felt as above, however I got sage green and tan for this one. It worked much better with our party colors, and looks fabulous on the little gingy.

Sewing vs. No Sew

You may have noticed another difference between the two DIY felt first birthday crowns. The small one is sewn and the large one is glued!

I actually did sew the seams of the large one and at that point I decided I do want to sew the rest. I usually hand-sew felt, but this felt sewed so nicely, I just went with it.

Ultimately, you can craft this either way, and I share the tutorials for both below – and with your download.

Get the DIY felt first birthday crown template

This is a premium download, available in my Etsy shop. Your purchase helps keep this blog alive and the tutorials coming.

It includes templates for both crowns (big and small) in PDF and SVG format for hand or machine cutting. I hand cut mine.

It includes a few styles of number one. If you want other numbers, you can type your desired number in the size you’d like it. Same if you want a different style.

How to Assemble your DIY felt first birthday crown

You’ll need

• Felt: 2 sheets of an outside and inside color for the large crown, or one sheet if you’re making the small one.
• Good fabric scissors and detail scissors (or Cricut Maker with rotary blade)
• Washable fabric marker (if hand cutting)
• Felt Pom Poms
• Hot glue gun (note: even if you’re sewing, the hot glue gun is good for securing your layers together and stiffening up the felt to stand up.)
• Optional: sewing machine with thread
• For the birthday hat style: 1/4 inch flat elastic
• The template or SVG

Process

Full Head Crown

1. Cut out your main crown template, and choose the number style you want. Cut that out too.

2. Trace the crown. If cutting the number from the outer layer, trace it where you want it as well. You’ll want to use the clean side for your outside, so flip the number upside down and reverse it.

3. Cut out your two outer crown parts and the number.

4. Note: this was photographed on an earlier version of the template. The final template shows you to cut the edges down for your lining. You can choose to cut your crown lining in advance from the template, or do it like I did it here: glue it down and then cut.

Place your main crown over the lining felt, so that it sticks out a bit over the edges (trim your felt if needed)

5. Glue your inside and outside layers together. First, glue around the perimeter of the number so that it sticks nicely.

6. Glue each of the crown spokes, filling the inside with glue to stiffen it up a bit.

7. Now cut the lining layer around the perimeter of the crown.

8. Place crown wrong sides together. Measure baby’s head to see how large you want it and mark where you need to sew accordingly.

9. Sew (or glue) along the right and left edges. Trim off any excess to make the crown more comfortable for baby. Flip inside out, glue pom poms to the tips, and your crown is ready to wear!

Mini (Birthday Hat) Crown

1. Cut your main crown. Glue it to the lining color, but only use a thin line of glue in the center of each spoke to reinforce it.

2. Cut around the edge of the crown to cut out your lining. For this one, I cut out the one from the lining color separately and glued it on. If you have a free motion foot, you may be able to sew it a bit more easily. Or, you can hand sew it with embroidery floss and a decorative running stitch.

3. Sew along the top and bottom edges of the crown. TIP: if you’d like, you can first pin the elastic in place between the layers to incorporate it more seamlessly. Do this on each side 1/4 from the right and left minus that extra flap of seam allowance.

4. Fold your crown in half, right sides together. Sew the two sides together. Trim the seam. Glue on your elastic (if you didn’t sandwich it between the layers) and glue on pom poms to finish it off.

Your DIY felt first birthday crown is complete! In case you missed it, you can get the template here.

The post DIY Felt First Birthday Crown – Template appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

I love crafting fun little surprises for my kids, and they’re all big fans of cozy things.

With summer weather warming up, this felt ice cream cone craft is the perfect mood! It’s an especially great pick if you’re home on vacation, because there is so much skill-building and things to learn! You can take your time to get into it – learn new stitches, add extra scoops and designs, or start a collection of different flavors.

Your tweens will definitely love crafting this felt ice cream cone, but it’s also really sweet for parents to craft for their kids.

Many kids like little stuffies like this just to keep and hold, but if you want to do more with your creation, you can attach a keychain or brooch pin and use it as a backpack charm. You can also gift it to a young friend to serve at their next doll party. It’s not suitable for a baby or toddler, though.

This felt ice cream cone can also be crafted as a flat felt craft, and made smaller as a brooch to wear.

The template I’m giving you includes a cone, two scoops, and a cherry, but it’s easy to just use those as a starting point – for a simpler project, you can use one scoop and no cherry; for a more complex project you can add extra scoops or toppings. You can also print the template on a larger scale to make a bigger stuffie if you have time to work on it.

I also included an SVG version of the template for the Cricut crafters.

The instructions for this craft teach you to embroider the details on the ice cream cone, which is a big part of its charm. But if you have a beginning crafter who wants to join in and really isn’t ready to embroider, you can always use permanent markers or fabric paint markers to make the designs.

Beginners can also use a simple whip stitch for the edges instead of the blanket stitch that I’ll be showing you. A small craft like this is a great way to learn and practice more varied stitches, but if you’re not ready it’s fine to keep it simple.

Another fun variation would be to use pellets instead of soft filling. Pellet filling provides a great sensory experience to hold or squeeze. It adds weight which can feel nice to fidget with but would make it a little harder to carry on a keychain, so keep that in mind.

If you don’t have polyfill or stuffing, you could use cotton balls in a pinch – the craft is small enough. Polyfill will give you a better squishy texture, though.

What you’ll need

• Soft felt
• Embroidery floss (or another heavy thread)
• Embroidery needle
• Polyfill
• Scissors
• Washable Fabric Marker
• Straight pins
• Template – download at the bottom of this page
• If Cricut cutting – I recommend using the Maker with rotary blade and Fabric Grip mat. Treat the felt like a fabric for best results.

How to craft a felt ice cream cone

1. Print the template and cut out all the pieces (or cut them using your Cricut). Trace them onto felt sheets in the colors of your choice and cut them out. Your template includes one of each shape; for a stuffie, make two of each scoop (the cone will fold over on itself)

2. We’re going to start by adding the waffle design to the ice cream cone. I started it off freehand, but eventually drew on temporary lines.

Thread your needle with tan thread (or the color of your choice for the lines on the cone). Make a knot in the end of the thread. Insert the needle through the back of the cone and pull it through to the front.

3. Bring the needle around the edge of the cone to the back again, and sew it through to the front again – this time, bring the needle up right through the middle of the first piece of thread to form a split stitch.

4. Pull the rest of the thread through. Don’t pull it tightly enough to squeeze the felt edge; do it just enough so there is no loose thread hanging around.

5. Start your second stitch by stitching the needle through the felt from front to back.

6. Now, bring the needle back up in the middle of that stitch, pulling it through the middle of the piece of thread.

7. Repeat steps 5-6 to continue making a whole row of split stitches across the length of the cone shape.

8. When you get to the opposite edge, flip the piece over and sew through one of the last stitches to secure the end in place.

9. You don’t need to cut off the thread; you can just move over about an inch and start the next row the same way you started the first. Continue to make lines of split stitches across the whole cone. When you’ve filled the cone with lines going one way, turn the corner and make lines going across the other way using the same technique.

How sweet is this cone?! Time to fill it with ice cream!

10. Next, we’re going to make some sprinkles. You can do this simply by stitching small stitches across your scoop. Or, for more texture, make French knots!

I’m using red thread on a chocolate background. Thread your needle, make a knot, and pull it through from back to front.

11. Holding the needle against the felt right where it emerged from the back, wrap the thread around it two or three times, close to where the needle emerges from the felt.

12. Poke the needle back through the felt as close as possible to the same hole where it came out of (but not actually through the same hole – just very close).

13. With one hand holding the looped thread against the felt where the needle pokes through, use your other hand to gently pull the thread through to the back.

14. Tighten it – it’ll form a tidy little French knot.

15. Repeat as many times as you want, scattering sprinkles randomly over your ice cream scoop.

16. Now that the ice cream is ready, let’s put it in the cone! Arrange all the parts (cone, scoops, and cherry) on your work surface and use straight pins or clips to hold them together. When arranging the pieces, fold the cone in half similar to how a real ice cream cone is closed.

17. Thread your needle and knot the end of the thread. Starting at the tip of the cone, insert your needle going from the inside to the outside of the cone.

18. Secure it in place with 1-2 stitches going around the tip of the cone.

19. Use blanket stitches to sew up the edge of the ice cream cone.

20. Blanket stitch until you come to the point where the cone meets the scoop.

21. When you get to the top of the cone, secure the corner with a single stitch.

22. Now we’re going to attach the cone to the ice cream. We only want to attach the top layer of the cone to the top layer of the ice cream scoop – be careful not to sew the layers together, so you have space to stuff it later.

One way I like to keep myself on track is to open up the project on one side and stick my fingers in to separate the layers as I work.

23. Make blanket stitches along the top edge of the ice cream cone, with the needle going through both the cone and the top layer of the ice cream.
Do the same thing on the other side – continue going around the top edge of the ice cream cone, but this time stitch it together with the other layer of the ice cream scoop, continuing to keep the layers separate from each other.

When you’ve gone around both sides, finish off by making a knot on the inside of the project.

24. Thread the needle with a color that goes with your first ice cream scoop, and make a knot at the end. Starting from the inside again, make blanket stitches around the edge of the ice cream scoop. Stitch together both layers of the ice cream along the side just until you reach the second scoop.

25. When you get to the second color of ice cream, separate the layers again and only sew together the top layer of each ice cream scoop – just as you did when the edge of the cone met the first scoop.

Once again, it may help you to hold/separate the layers from the inside.

26. When you finish connecting the two ice cream scoops, run your needle through the inside of the project to the other side to continue sewing the sides together.

27. If you’d like, you can tie off and switch to a different thread color when you reach the next scoop. Blanket stitch the first side of that scoop through both layers to close the side. When you get to the top, attach the cherry just as you did for the scoops, and then continue the blanket stitch around the outside of the cherry. Leave the other side open for the stuffing.

28. Take your stuffing material (polyfill or pellets) and push it in through the open side. Use your fingers to distribute it evenly through the cone and scoops.

Sew the last bit closed using a blanket stitch, finishing with the needle on the inside. Pull the needle between the front and back layer, knot off as close as possible to the seam. Trim and use the needle to poke the knot back between the layers, to the inside of the project. 

Your felt ice cream cone stuffie is done! It looks too cute to eat!

Download the felt Ice Cream Cone Stuffie Template:

To download, fill out the form below. You’ll be signed up for our free newsletter – unsubscribe at any time in the footer of the emails. I respect your privacy and the law and won’t share your information with anyone.

Your file will arrive in a ZIP folder. Learn how to unzip files here.

The post Felt Ice Cream Cone Craft (Free Template) appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Across the US, March 2 is celebrated as “Dr. Seuss Day” – the birthday of the famed author and illustrator who made reading so fun and accessible to countless kids. It’s a great time to reignite the joy of reading with activities and crafts that celebrate our favorite books, like these pencils which are inspired by Dr. Seuss’s pair of characters, Thing One and Thing Two.

When you twirl the pencil between your hands, the hair gets wild just like Thing One and Thing Two!

Made from simple, inexpensive materials, these can be done as a craft together with your young readers (or readers-to-be) or you can easily make a whole bunch yourself to give out as favors. One sheet of craft felt is enough to make “hair” for about 12 pencils, so this is definitely perfect for a group or class.

The craft includes not just an adorable and interactive pencil topper, but also a ribbon or flag with an inspirational quote from Dr. Seuss’s book, The Lorax: “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” We picked this one because it holds valuable meaning for us and our kids – people so often worry about fitting in and following the crowd, and everyone could use some encouragement to celebrate their uniqueness instead.

It also represents one of Dr. Seuss’s strengths and – his books were truly unique in their time, which is what made them so special. That’s why I thought this is a great line to celebrate Dr. Seuss day, but of course it’s just a suggestion and you can use any line that you find inspiring or just fun.

You’ll want to pre-cut the felt if you’re doing this with a group of kids. Felt can be a little tricky to cut, but I find that a good sharp scissor will do the trick.

If you’re planning this as a group activity, pre-printing the quote will make this already simple craft take an even shorter amount of time, so keep this in mind when planning your event.

For more inspiration, check out my past Dr. Seuss crafts here!

What you need

• Red pencils

• Wiggly eyes
• Black and white baker’s twine (or ribbon)
• Markers (red, black, blue)
• Bright blue craft felt
• Cardstock (white)
• Glue gun with glue sticks (or liquid glue)
• Double-sided tape runner/roller or glue stick
• Permanent marker (black)
• Scissors
• Ruler

How to Make this Dr Seuss Pencils Craft

1. Use the ruler and permanent marker to measure strips of blue felt 2.5” by 9”. You’ll need one strip for every 3 pencils you’re making. Cut out the strips.

2. Cut about 1 ½” fringe along the length of each strip, leaving a one-inch border along the opposite edge. Cut the fringed strips into 3” lengths.

3. Apply a line of glue along one short edge and the long edge of one of the blue felt fringes. Attach the short edge to the eraser end of a pencil, and roll the rest of the fringe tightly around the pencil. Apply additional glue on the outside edge to finish securing the fringe.

Glue two wiggly eyes to the blue felt area below the fringe.

Repeat for each pencil.

4. Measure and cut strips of white cardstock 1/2″ by 8 1/2″ to create flags. Cut a little notch in each end. Fold a strip in half around a pencil so you know where to leave space in the center.  Hand-write the quote “Why fit in when you were” on the left-hand section with a blue marker, and “born to STAND OUT” on the right-hand section with a red marker. Then outline each quote with a black marker, using a loose sketchy style.

5. Apply adhesive tape or glue stick to the back of the flag.  Line up the cardstock around the top of the pencil just below the blue felt and attach both sides together to create the flag.

To finish, measure and cut a 20” length of black-and-white bakers twine and tie in a bow around the top of the pencil, between the felt and the flag.

Your Dr. Suess Pencil Craft is complete! What will you be using yours for? Comment below!

DIY Dr Suess Thing 1 & Thing 2 Pencil Toppers

Print

5.0 Stars (2 Reviews)

Materials

• Red pencils
• Wiggly eyes
• Black and white baker’s twine (or ribbon)
• Markers (red, black, blue)
• Bright blue craft felt
• Cardstock (white)
• Glue gun with glue sticks (or liquid glue)
• Double-sided tape runner/roller or glue stick
• Permanent marker (black)
• Scissors
• Ruler

Instructions

1. Use the ruler and permanent marker to measure strips of blue felt 2.5” by 9”. You’ll need one strip for every 3 pencils you’re making. Cut out the strips.
2. Cut about 1 ½” fringe along the length of each strip, leaving a one-inch border along the opposite edge. Cut the fringed strips into 3” lengths.
3. Apply a line of glue along one short edge and the long edge of one of the blue felt fringes. Attach the short edge to the eraser end of a pencil, and roll the rest of the fringe tightly around the pencil. Apply additional glue on the outside edge to finish securing the fringe.
Glue two wiggly eyes to the blue felt area below the fringe.
Repeat for each pencil.
4. Measure and cut strips of white cardstock 1/2" by 8 1/2" to create flags. Cut a little notch in each end. Fold a strip in half around a pencil so you know where to leave space in the center. Hand-write the quote “Why fit in when you were” on the left-hand section with a blue marker, and “born to STAND OUT” on the right-hand section with a red marker. Then outline each quote with a black marker, using a loose sketchy style.
5. Apply adhesive tape or glue stick to the back of the flag. Line up the cardstock around the top of the pencil just below the blue felt and attach both sides together to create the flag.
To finish, measure and cut a 20” length of black-and-white bakers twine and tie in a bow around the top of the pencil, between the felt and the flag.

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

The post Dr Seuss Pencils Craft – Thing 1 & Thing 2 appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Brrrr… winter is definitely here (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, anyway). It would be tough getting through all the cold weather if it didn’t come with so many perks – dazzling sparkly snowscapes, cozy hot cocoa waiting at home, and of course all our favorite winter sports. 

Today we’re going to celebrate that timeless winter favorite: Ice skating! Using simple, inexpensive materials, we’re going to craft a beautiful pair of decorative ice skates.

This craft is very versatile. While we’ve suggested colors and accents, you can easily substitute many of the colors or materials. For example, I’ve decorated my skates with wooden snowflakes and sparkly pom poms, but if you don’t have those available or prefer a different design, you can either skip that or make something else – perhaps cut a decorative shape out of felt scraps, make a design out of sequins, or use paint or glitter glue directly on the skates.

You can also try making a miniature version using smaller craft sticks and printing the template at 50%. A smaller size might be useful for decorating winter greeting cards, for example. They can also appeal to those kids (often the preteens) who are just into anything mini.

This is a moderately child-friendly craft, meaning that kids of various ages should be able to do it with a little assistance. 

Here are some ways you can adapt the felt ice skate craft to enable even younger kids to do it more independently:

• Cut the craft sticks in half ahead of time (each skate requires one stick cut in half and one whole stick). Watch out for splinters.
• Use foam sheets instead of felt. You’ll lose the delightful softness, but you’ll be able to trace the template instead of using pins, and it can be easier to cut. Using stiff felt sheets rather than the soft kind could also be easier on the tracing and cutting.
• If you don’t have a strong hole punch such as Crop-A-Dile, I have seen regular hole punches work on foam sheets (not felt).
• Use liquid glue instead of hot glue, allowing extra drying time.

Choose the materials you feel the most comfortable with and get ready to add some sporty sparkle to your winter decor!

What you need

Tip: a lot of these can be purchased at the Dollar store, but I like to link online for those who can’t make it.

• Jumbo craft sticks
• Wooden snowflakes
• White (sparkly) pom poms
• Iridescent or white glitter glue
• Acrylic craft paint – white, gray
• Felt sheets – gray, blue
• Permanent marker (black)
• Yarn – white
• Glue gun with glue sticks (or felt/tacky glue)
• Paintbrush
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Tape
• Crop-A-Dile or other hole punch that’ll work for felt (if need be, cut holes with detail scissors)
• Template – download and print at the end of this post.

How to make a felt ice skate craft

1. Cut two of the jumbo craft sticks in half. Paint all four halves plus two whole craft sticks with gray craft paint. Let dry and apply a second coat if necessary.

2. Print and cut out the ice skate template. Use straight pins to attach the skate shape to the gray felt sheet. Cut out the shape and repeat for a second ice skate.

3. Make a boot template by cutting the sole and heel off of the full skate template. Pin the boot shape onto the blue felt sheet. Cut out the boot, and repeat to make a second felt boot shape.

4. Use a glue gun to attach the blue boot shapes to the gray ice skates. When dry, flip over the skates and trim off any excess gray felt that sticks out.

5. Punch holes in the paper template where shown. Transfer the design to the ice skates by using a permanent marker through the holes. Use Crop-A-Dile to punch the holes in the felt.

6. Glue two of the half craft sticks to the back of the ice skate, one at the heel and one closer to the toe. Flip the skate over to the front, and glue one of the full craft sticks horizontally to make the blade of the ice skate. Repeat to add the blade to the other skate.

7. Measure and cut about 48” of white yarn for each skate. Wrap the end of the yarn in clear tape to make it easier to lace.

Starting at the top of the skate, leave some yarn sticking out and thread the longer end of the yarn through all the holes. When you reach the bottom, thread the yarn through the last hole a second time and then lace back up to the top.

Tie the yarn in a bow and trim the ends to the desired length. Repeat for the second skate.

8. Paint two wooden snowflakes with white paint. Let dry and apply a second coat if necessary.

Use glitter glue to create sparkle accents on the skate blades and snowflakes.

Attach a small white pom pom to the center of each snowflake.

Glue the snowflakes to the ice skates to complete the design.

Download the Felt Ice Skate Template

To download, fill out the form below. You’ll be signed up for our free newsletter – unsubscribe at any time in the footer of the emails. I respect your privacy and the law and won’t share your information with anyone.

The post Felt Ice Skate Craft – Free Template appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Fall is in the air! Think beautiful leaf colors, crisp fresh air, ripening pumpkins, kids going back to school! What an exciting time!

This craft makes the most of Fall colors and sights, whether you’re using the bookmarks in school books, cookbooks, or perhaps to keep track of time in your planner. Felt is a durable material, so they also make a really sweet, personal, handmade gift for someone special.

This craft requires quite a bit of sewing as well as cutting small parts, so it’s best suited for older kids or adults with strong fine motor skills. The stitches to sew are basic, so you don’t need sewing experience – just the ability to handle a needle well and cut small pieces of felt. I recommend using sharp, fabric-only detail scissors for your cutting.

If you want to adapt the project for younger or less skilled crafters, you can use glue instead of sewing, it just won’t have that sweet stitched look. Not all glue works on felt, so make sure to use one that will. 

The trick is to find one that doesn’t absorb into the felt too much. Tacky glue can work if applied thickly enough, or get felt glue. An adult can use a hot glue gun which will work fabulously on a porous material like felt, or a thick industrial glue like e6000. 

What you need

• Felt sheets in Autumn colors
• Pencil or fabric marker
• Template (download and print at the end of this post)
• Detail Scissors
• Thread or embroidery floss in colors that coordinate or match the felt
• Needle
• Optional: straight pins to help you get things right!

How to make felt bookmarks for fall

1. The provided template includes pumpkin, acorn and mushroom designs. Look at the pictures and choose felt colors that you’d like for these designs. Working with one design at a time (we’re starting with the pumpkin), cut out the template shapes. Trace them onto the felt sheets and cut the shapes out of the felt.

2. Take one of the bookmark base cutouts and pin  the stem and vine cutout on the pointed corner.

3. Place the middle part of the pumpkin (the largest oval) slightly covering the bottom of the stem and vine.

4. Using a thread that matches the pumpkin, sew on the top of the middle pumpkin piece – only the top! Stitch through all the layers of the pumpkin, stem/vine, and bookmark base to attach them together.

5. Arrange the other two pumpkin pieces on each side of the middle one, tucking them underneath the edges of the middle piece.

6. Sew around the rest of the middle piece, making sure to go through all the layers so it attaches to the bookmark base.

7. We used green thread to do a small cross-stitch on the loose end of the vine to secure it to the pumpkin. Still using the green thread (or the color of your choice), sew the leaf onto the top of the pumpkin off to one side.

8. Sew a second leaf at the bottom of the pumpkin or wherever you like it. Decorate the empty spaces with small colorful dots.

9. Use cross-stitches to attach the dot cutouts to the bookmark base.

10. Place the pumpkin bookmark piece on top of the plain bookmark base.

11. Stitch along the straight sides of the bookmark bases to attach them together. Keep the round end of the bookmark open. Tie a double knot and cut off the extra thread.

To use the bookmark, slide it over the corner of the desired page.

Use the same technique to create bookmarks with the other template designs. You can use the pictures to guide you in placing the pieces, or use your own creativity to design the bookmarks using the cutout shapes!

Download the Felt Fall Bookmarks Template

To download, fill out the form below. You’ll be signed up for our free newsletter – unsubscribe at any time in the footer of the emails. I respect your privacy and the law and won’t share your information with anyone.

The post Felt Fall Bookmarks (free template) appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Here’s an adorable back-to-school accessory for your favorite teacher or student! (or for yourself, you deserve nice things too!) Apples are in full ripening season in the Northeast US where I live starting August, and they bring to mind all the sweetness, crispness, and freshness of Fall and a new school year! 

Their bright, friendly colors make them a real inspiration for arts and crafts. The samples we’ve made include both red and green apples for a bright, fun contrast.

One cool thing about this project is that because all the parts are so small, you can use scraps of felt left over from other projects if you have any. I love the opportunity to put that kind of leftovers to good use! You can check out more fun things to make with felt scraps here.

To adapt this project for younger crafters, you can use felt glue or tacky glue instead of sewing. It won’t have quite the same charming effect as the stitching, but it would be basically the same design and would still work just fine as a pen or pencil topper. 

You can also use a drop of felt or tacky glue to hold the pieces in place while you sew, to make the sewing easier. You can buy glue that is made for felt, or try tacky glue or fabric glue – but regular school glue doesn’t tend to work well with felt as it is too liquidy and gets absorbed into the fibers.

The template includes two designs – one is much simpler than the other, so if you or your young helper are still learning to sew, that would be a good place to start before deciding whether to try the more detailed design. The instructions below start with the more detailed one, but the process would be the same for both and you can start with either one.

What you’ll need

• Colored felt sheets or scraps (we used red, green, brown, and white)
• Matching thread
• Printed template – get it at the end of this post
• Detail Scissors
• Needle
• Optional: felt or tacky glue

How to make a felt apple pencil topper

1.  The template includes patterns for 2 different designs. We’re starting with the sliced apple pencil topper (labeled “design 2” on your printable template). Print and cut out the template patterns. Trace the patterns on the selected felt pieces and use a pair of sharp scissors to cut them out neatly.

2. Take the smaller apple cutout (cut out from white felt) and place seed cutouts near the center of the cutout, with the pointy ends facing toward the center (this is when you might want to use a drop of glue to help hold them in place). Thread a needle with brown thread to match the seeds.

3. Stitch the seeds onto the white cutout.

4. Place the white cutout with the seeds on top of one of the apple base cutouts. Thread a needle with white thread.

5. Sew the white piece onto the apple base by making small white stitches all around the edge of the white piece.

6. Either running stitches or blanket stitches would work out fine for this craft. Sew it any way you feel comfortable!

7. Take the other apple base cutout and place the leaf and stem cutouts near the top, in middle. The stem and leave should slightly overlap the top of the apple. If you’d like, you can use a dot of glue to help them stay in place while you do the next steps.

8. Place the apple with the white and seeds on top of the plain apple cutout, with the stem and leaf between the two apple layers. Thread a needle with red thread.

9: Stitch around the edges of the apple bases to join them together, leaving a small opening in middle of the bottom to slide over a pen or pencil. When you’re done stitching, tie 2 tight knots and cut off the extra thread.

The other design included with the template uses the same techniques but simpler, as it only shows the outside of the apple so you don’t need to sew together the white flesh and seeds. The template includes a little white light reflection to make the design pop a little.

And there you are! Now you’re ready to get back to work or school with extra pizzazz!

Download the Felt Apple Pencil Topper

To download, fill out the form below. You’ll be signed up for our free newsletter – unsubscribe at any time in the footer of the emails. I respect your privacy and the law and won’t share your information with anyone.

The post Felt Apple Pencil Topper appeared first on Moms and Crafters.

Who’s planning to spend some time at the beach this summer? Whether you’re at home or away, you have nothing to fear from these friendly sharks. They’re so little and easy that you can make a whole shiver of them (did you know that’s the collective noun for Shark? I just learned it and I love it!) to share with friends.

And with shark week coming up, what better time to craft some friendly versions of these ocean creatures?

Clothespin toys are excellent for strengthening finger muscles and fine motor skills. See if your little one can make their sharks gobble up little “fish” represented by mini pom-poms or any small materials you have around the house.

Or use them as puppets and strengthen little fingers as you open and clothes the shark’s mouth to talk.

The other nice thing about clothespins is that you can easily get a pack of 30 at any dollar store. At least some things are still affordable, right? There are a few types of clothespins – for this craft, you really want the kind with a spring that opens and closes it so you can give your shark a nice working mouth.

Get the wooden kind, because paint and glue have a much harder time sticking to non-porous surfaces like plastic. Fortunately, wooden spring-loaded clothespins are super easy to find.

Once you have the clothespins, the rest of the materials for this project are really very flexible – acrylic paint will give you the best effect for color, but if you prefer something washable, you can have your child use markers. For a neater alternative, try paint sticks, such as Kwik Stix or Chunkies. 

I’ve used felt for the fins and tail, but if you have easier access to foam sheets or even colored cardstock or construction paper, you can go for it anyway (paper will be less durable, of course. But a day or two of fun is still a win!)

And of course, wiggly eyes are a favorite but can be swapped out for beads, paper, or just drawn with a permanent marker.

In short, this is a craft that anyone can do with minimal preparation. So what are you waiting for? Make some sharks and let’s go swimming!

What you’ll need:

• Wood clothespins with springs
• Acrylic craft paint – red, light gray, dark gray
• Felt or foam sheets – light gray, dark gray (if you don’t have felt or foam, you can use cardstock)
• Wiggly eyes
• White Cardstock
• Glue gun with glue sticks
• Marker
• Paintbrush
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Template – download free at the end of this post

How to make a clothespin shark

1. Paint all the sides of two clothespins with light gray paint. Paint another two clothespins with dark gray paint. Let them dry completely, and apply a second coat if you’re still seeing wood through the paint.

2. Squeeze the clothespins open and paint the inside of the open part with red paint. Let it dry completely, and apply a second coat if necessary.

3. Cut a strip of white cardstock about ½” wide. Cut pieces off the strip to make 8 little rectangles. Cut out tiny triangles from one side of each rectangle to create teeth.

4. Glue two wiggly eyes to each shark. If you don’t have wiggly eyes, you can use a marker to draw eyes.

5. Use a glue gun to attach a set of teeth to the top and bottom of each clothespin tip. (You can use regular glue too, but it will take some time to dry and you may need to hold the pieces in place while they set)

6. Print and cut out the clothespin shark template. Use a marker to trace the fin and tail shapes twice onto light gray and twice onto dark gray felt or foam sheets. Cut them all out, cutting inside the traced lines to keep your finished project looking neat and clean.

7. Glue the tail to end of the clothespin on the inside. Glue one fin onto each side and one to the top of the shark.

Download the Felt Clothespin Shark Template

To download, fill out the form below. You’ll be signed up for our free newsletter – unsubscribe at any time in the footer of the emails. I respect your privacy and the law and won’t share your information with anyone.

The post Clothespin Shark Craft for Kids appeared first on Moms and Crafters.