Wednesday 19 December 2012

Crafty Tutorial: Felt Woodland Elves


~ by Kendal



First of all, let me apologise for the lack of post on Monday. I have been so crazily busy over the last few days, making unexpected MamaMake orders and working on our new line (so many bubble dresses, tutus and elf hats!) not to mention trying to finish gifts for Ava and family and friends, that I have barely had time to eat, let alone make something scrumptious to share with you.

But these little guys, oh my. They have really won my heart. They are whimsical and simple and a little strange, and best of all? So easy and quick to make! Plus, if you know me at all, you’ll know I have a bit of a thing for pointy hats. Is there anything cuter?


All you need is felt and embroidery thread and some kind of stuffing. Wool roving works best, but annoyingly I didn’t have the time or skills to find it locally, so I used ordinary cotton stuffing which also worked well.

How to:

1. You need to make a circle quarter. I did this by tracing a large dinner plate onto felt and then dividing into quarters. The radius was roughly 4 inches



2. You want to squish the quarter in half and then cut a semi-circle out where the face will be about 1 ½ inches down.


3. Thread your needle (I used all 6 strands of floss) and starting at the point which is the top of the hat, begin using a simple whip stitch down the hat. (I started on the inside to hide the knot)


4. Once you reach the face, bring the needle through one side only so it’s on the inside of the hat and tie a knot. The hat is done!


5. Start below the face in exactly the same way as before, and continue a whip stitch down the body. When you get to the bottom tie a knot in the inside again.


6. Next take your wool or stuffing and roll it up around your pointer finger. Place it inside the gnome and position it so the face is nice and smooth.


7. Once you’re happy with the stuffing, thread your needle again and use a simple running stitch to define the neck. Leave a 2 inch tail at either side and tie it. Then pull on the ends until the neck is gathered in. Make a bow and cut the tails.




And that’s it! If you want to, use the bottom of the elf to cut a circle in some matching felt, big enough to close up the bottom, and use a blanket stitch to make a base. They stand up well without a base too, but if your Littles want to play with them, I recommend a base!

They take about 5 minutes each to make, look great on Seasons tables and are just…adorable. We will be making some version of them for our Seasonal lines at MamaMake – they are the perfect amount of whimsy and otherwordly. With just a touch of nostalgia. Great for brightening up your Winter nature scenes!




13 comments:

  1. These really are delicious and look a lot more simple than I would have imagined. Thanks for sharing, ans can't wait to see your new MamaMake lines!

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  2. I love love love the red one!

    Take it easy lady, you're growing a baby too!

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    1. it's my favourite too :)

      You sound like my husband! He has decided to text me every hour today to tell me to sit down and drink water. Bossy Librans - I'm surrounded by them!

      -Kxx

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  3. I wanted to send you this after our recent emails on the forum. 'A poor original is better than a good imitation'. Remember this. You are original, but your originality is far from poor and you will continue to be succesful if you remember that only you can be you. It doesn't matter who else tries, it is impossible to be anyone other than who you are.

    Continue to handle yourself with grace and let your voice be carried by truth. And read more Buddhism, really!

    A friend x

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    1. That's a good quote. And you know what I was reading this morning when I couldn't sleep - 'Buddhism for Mothers' :) I love it and it was just what I needed to start the day. I even managed to meditate a little before the others got up.

      Thanks x

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  4. Theses are so lovely - thank you for sharing and best wishes for the baby xx

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  5. I adore these, fantastic!

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  6. I am making these right now. Thanks for sharing x

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  7. These are so cute. I've been looking at your FB page and your stuff is amazing! I'm in love with that tutu and gray dress. I've pmed you, hope you got it

    Xox

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    1. I just replied! That's no problem :) We'll have more colours to show in January too so we can talk details then!

      Thank you, we have been working really hard to get everything ready for our Spring line. I think January will be busy, but exciting!

      -Kxx

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  8. Oh these are just wonderful. They're so odd and I love their pointy hats too!

    Hannah x

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  9. These are great. If my children were still young I'd definitely do this with them.

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