Making embroidered necklaces for my booth at a local shop in my city is one of my favorite things. I recently found these super fun wooden necklace bezels on Amazon and they make the coolest landscape style, hand embroidered necklaces. They are lightweight and reasonably priced. They come in a pack of 10, so you can make a bunch on necklaces and the cords come already attached.
When I make my necklaces, I embroider the scenes first onto a piece of hooped fabric. Then I cut out the stitched circles, with enough of an edge to do a running stitch around. I cut out a small circular piece of cardboard to insert into the bezel. You can also use a button. Next, stitch a running stitch around the outside of your fabric circle and cinch it closed around the back of the cardboard or button.
Add a dab of glue to the inside of the bezel and glue your embroidered landscape to the inside of your bezel. My favorite glue is E6000 clear odorless glue .
I use clothes pins to hold the embroidery in place for 12-24 hours until the glue has set completely.
I get most of my embroidery supplies on Amazon. Here are some of my favorites:
Several months ago, I started a new job, working with young children with disabilities. Many of the kids that I work with are working on potty training, so I created some resources to help my families with potty training success. The kids that I work with have loved this Potty Training Social Story and the printable Potty Charts, so I thought I would make them available to anyone looking for potty training support.
You can find my printable Potty Training Social Story and Printable Potty Charts for both boys and girls in my new Etsy Shop.
For quite some time, I have been wanting to try out watercolor with embroidery and I decided that Easter was the perfect opportunity to give it a go. I bought an inexpensive set of watercolors at Hobby Lobby, but after testing them out, I realized that the colors I wanted were not in the palette. So I experimented with adding water to acrylic paint, and I have to say that I am very pleased with the results. Just a small quirt of acrylic paint mixed with water worked brilliantly.
My first attempt was a bust. I painted my fabric too close to the edge of the eggs and bunnies and it bled over quite a bit. With just a few tweaks, I found a good system. I embroidered the outline using a back stitch first. Then I added the watercolor, starting in the center of the egg or bunny and worked my way toward the outer edge, being careful to wait to see how far the watercolors spread. As I got closer to the edge, I made sure the brush was less saturated and dabbed very gently.
After letting the watercolors dry completely, I stitched the floral designs inside of the eggs and bunnies. I used a heat erasable fabric pen to trace out the pattern before adding the watercolors, and because the colors were pastels, it was easy to see the pattern inside of the bunnies and eggs, even after painting.
If you love embroidery or are interested in learning, here is what you will need to make these beautiful pastel Easter Patterns:
If you purchase my pattern, you will also get access to a full video tutorial for the egg pattern on my new YouTube Channel “thistles and rainbows,” as well as a tutorial on how to do the woven wheel rose stitch so that you can complete the bunny pattern.
Embroidery has become one of my favorite hobbies. I find it to be a relaxing way to get quiet in the midst of the noise and business of life. The pattern possibilities are endless and I have several more in the works right now. Keep checking my Etsy Shop for fun new embroidery patterns and more.
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, and you may be thinking about what you have in your closet with a pop of green so that you don’t get pinched. Well look no further! Add a whimsical touch of green to any outfit with a gorgeous hand embroidered shamrock necklace, now available in my Etsy Shop.
If you are familiar with embroidery, and want to make your own, I’ll include links to all of the products I used. You can also find tips on how to make embroidered necklaces in my previous post Vintage Style Embroidered Floral Necklaces.
Embroidering a shamrock is easier than I thought. I always use a heat erasable pen or a water soluble marker when drawing patterns on fabric. I just picked up this set by Pilot and they work really well for small details like these tiny shamrocks. For the leaves of the shamrock, I used a fly stitch, and for the stem I used a straight stitch. #commissionsearned
You can find these beautiful square gold bezels here and the gold chains here. They are both high quality and look amazing! I use E 6000 plus glue and white cotton fabric that you can find at your local fabric store. Any green embroidery floss will work for your tiny shamrocks. Just pick a color that you love and stitch away. #commissionsearned
I made a small collection of these necklaces, so here is what my little shamrocks looked like before I made them into necklaces.
And here’s the finished product! You can purchase one of these tiny clover necklaces in my Etsy Shop.
One of my favorite things to do in the month of February is to shower my kids with words of affirmation leading up to Valentine’s Day. I have done this several different ways over the years, but “LOVE BOMBS” are my favorite. I started this tradition last year and I loved the concept so much, that I decided to make a bunch and sell them. I made a new batch this year and you can find them in my Etsy Shop. But if you are crafty like me, and want to make some “LOVE BOMBS” of your own…
Cut out the three pieces of felt using the free PDF printable that I included. Then cut 2 pieces of ribbon, one about 5 inches to sew to the top of the 1/2 heart pocket, and another piece about 11.5 inches to use as the loop on the top of the heart. Cut some flower shapes if you want make a flower. I used my Cricut Maker 3 to cut these, but you can just cut some simple daisies in various sizes to layer for the felt flower.
Use a running stitch to attach the ribbon to the top of the pocket. Depending on the ribbon you choose, you can place it behind the pocket or in front of it. Next, sew the button to the center of your flower and then sew the flower to the pocket and front piece of the heart.
Loop the longer piece of ribbon, and add a couple of stitches to the inside of the back heart piece.
Now put all three layers together and use a blanket stitch around the entire heart with your embroidery floss in a color that closely matches your felt. If you don’t know how to do a running stitch and a blanket stitch, you can find many helpful tutorials on youtube. Be sure to leave about 2.5 inches of your heart open to stuff with the Poly-fil. #commissionsearned
Once you have stuffed your heart, complete the blanket stitch the rest of the way around, and your VALENTINE LOVE BOMB is complete. Hang it on your child’s bedroom door on January 31 and place a note in the pocket each night leading up to Valentine’s Day to fill their love tank to overflowing. Or you can start your LOVE BOMB on Valentine’s Day and continue leaving notes as many days in a row as you would like to.
I’ve included photos of the various styles of “LOVE BOMBS” that I created this year.
I also used my Cricut Maker 3 to make the little cut out heart cards, but you can just cut pieces of card stock in Valentine colors to fit inside of the little pocket.
Be sure to subscribe to my blog and leave me a comment to let me know if you make some “LOVE BOMBS” of your own, or you can purchase one of mine from my new Etsy Shop.
If you’ve been following my blog, then you know that embroidery has become one of my passions. I love learning new stitches and creating beautiful things, and these vintage style necklaces have become some of my favorites. They may look complicated, but they are actually easier than you would expect.
You can find countless tutorials on youtube on how to do various embroidery stitches, but one of my goals for 2024 is to create my own channel to teach people how to do embroidery. Stay tuned for more information about that. If you are wanting to learn how to make similar necklaces or keychains, here is what you will need.
cardboard for bezel inserts (I cut mine on my Cricut Maker 3, but you can use scissors and an empty cereal box)
#commissionsearned
Space out your embroidery so that you can easily cut around each one. I like to use a water soluble fabric marker to draw little circles in the same size as the bezel so that each one fits inside of the circle. I also use the fabric marker to trace around the fabric before I cut it. Leave enough of an edge to fit around the cardboard circle insert.
Optional tip: I like to cut a small circle of felt (the same size as the cardboard insert) to place in between the fabric and the cardboard circle to make the fabric and embroidery puff up a bit.
Cut a small circle out of cardboard to fit inside of the bezel. Some bezels come with glass or metal inserts so you don’t have to make your own. Use a running stitch around the excess fabric and cinch it to tighten around the back. Then use the rest of the thread in a criss cross pattern to tighten the folds in place so that the fabric lays as flat as possible against the cardboard.
Use a generous glob of E6000 crystal clear glue inside of the bezel. You should have a thin layer around the inside of the metal, but not so much that it will squeeze out over the edge when you press the embroidery on it. Place the fabric/embroidery inside of the bezel and hold in place with 2-3 clothes pins. Let them dry for 24 hours and then remove the clothes pins and gently fluff up any indents with your fingers. Add a chain and your necklaces are ready to wear. If you are making keychains, then attach the keychain holders instead of adding a necklace chain.
I’ve included a picture of my most recent craft fair so that you can see how I display my necklaces and keychains. I used my Cricut Maker 3 to create the necklace holders out of card stock. #commissionsearned I do currently have a small collection of St. Patrick’d Day embroidered necklaces in my Etsy Shop if you are looking to purchase one.
My favorite thing about making these necklaces and keychains is that each one is unique and there are so many variations you can create. Embroidery is a lost art, but it is making a come back. If you are interested in learning more about embroidery, follow along with me on my blog. I have a lot of fun projects and tutorials planned for the new year!
Wondering what to do with those leftover faux florals from Fall? How about using them to make these elegant natural Christmas centerpieces? You can’t go wrong with this easy DIY, whether you are making one to add to your own decor or several to put on each table for a holiday party. They would also make stunning centerpieces for a Christmas wedding.
Start your project by pouring white acrylic paint into your clear plastic ornaments. Tip: Before adding the white paint, swish a bit of rubbing alcohol inside of each ornament and then pour out the excess. Let it dry before adding the white paint. This will help the paint adhere to the plastic. Believe me when I say that this step is important! I ruined several ornaments by skipping this step, and ended up with a blotchy paint job.
Once the alcohol has dried, pour a bit of paint into each ornament. Swirl is around so that the entire inside of the ornament is coated with white paint, then turn each ornament upside down to drain the excess paint out. I left my ornaments like this overnight, and then turned them right side up for another 24 hours to make sure that the paint was fully dry before moving onto the next step.
Once the paint is dry, cut a piece of twine to loop around the top of the ornaments. I added a dab of hot glue to the back to keep the twine in place and then tied each in a double knot. Trim the twine to your preferred length.
Use floral tape to secure the stems of the faux florals together to form a small bouquet. Make sure to wrap the stems tightly and to keep it small enough to fit inside the top hole of the ornament. Leave out 3 small pieces to place inside of the tiny gold ornament.
Now you just need to use your hot glue gun to secure everything in place. I put a tiny dab of glue on the stem of the gold ball that I added to the gold ornament before I slid it into place to hold those florals in the right place as well.
I’ve included a short video tutorial so that you can see, step by step, how I created these gorgeous Christmas centerpieces.
Let me know if you decide to make some for your home or for your holiday gathering. You could even change the colors and florals to coordinate with any color scheme. And if you missed my last blogpost, you can see a peek of my Floral Embroidered Christmas Tree in the last picture on this post. You’ll find the instant download PDF pattern and printable instructions in my new Etsy Shop, thistles and rainbows.
When I was in middle school, I took a home economics class and we spent some time learning how to do embroidery. It’s something that I dabbled in a bit over the years, but recently, I have fallen in love with it in a new way. I have been working on a collection of embroidered pieces to sell locally, and am now branching out to create my own embroidery patterns for my new Etsy Shop, Thistles and Rainbows. This is the first full pattern that I created from scratch and I’m super proud of myself!
I was standing in line at the grocery store a couple of weeks ago and I saw a display of candles in this color pallet. I snapped a quick picture and decided that I had to create something featuring this beautiful array. With Christmas just around the corner, I set out to make my floral Christmas tree embroidery design.
Recently, I had the privilege of spending the weekend in a cozy cabin in the woods with my daughter and her orchestra class for a music retreat. I knew I would be sitting for hours, listening to middle schoolers practice, so I brought my traced out tree pattern, needles, and embroidery thread. I stitched out every flower, leaf, twig, and holly berry to the sound of stringed instruments. They even played a medley of Christmas songs, so it could not have made for a better setting to indulge in one of my favorite past times. I am affectionately calling this pattern “cabin tree.”
If you love embroidery as much as I do, and are looking for a new pattern to add to your holiday collection, or if you have always wanted to try embroidery, but haven’t known where to start, this is the perfect pattern. You can find the PDF printable instant download for “cabin tree” in my Etsy shop. I have included the printable pattern in two different sizes, as well as a detailed set of instructions, tutorials, and tips for making this a great project for beginners, and yes, seasoned creatives will enjoy it just as much!
If you are new to embroidery and need some supplies to get started, here’s a great list:
And if you have come to this blog post because you purchased my Floral Christmas Tree pattern on Etsy, first of all, thank you for supporting my small business. In addition to the PDF pattern and instructions you purchased, I’ve included some short video tutorials to help you with the various stitches.
I hope that these short tutorials made it easy to learn some of the most commonly used embroidery stitches. Follow my Etsy Shop for other PDF patterns and printables and have a wonderful Christmas!
If you are searching for a simple, yet elegant way to personalize your Thanksgiving table, look no further. These beautiful DIY place cards are the perfect addition to your tablescape and you will not believe how easy they are to make.
I’ve included a video tutorial to show you how to create these little beauties, and my instant download Thanksgiving place card PDF makes it easy for you to put together as many as you need so that each of your guests has a personalized place setting.
I’ve also included another simple place card idea that requires very little prep for those of you who just want to add name cards to your Thanksgiving table without any crafting.
How cute are these mini wooden easels!?! For this look, you will just need to order a set of easels and print off my Thanksgiving PDF. The rectangular cards are included in the same link as the circular ones, so you will get both options in the same download. Simply print as many as you’ll need, cut on the dashed line, write the names of your guests in the center, and place each card on an easel. #commissionsearned
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy the feasting and the fun with those you love!
It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just a couple of weeks away. And while some are ready to move onto Christmas the moment Halloween is over, I am not. I like to linger in Fall a bit longer, and in my house, the Christmas decorations absolutely do not come out until after Thanksgiving. Who’s with me?
My kids may be getting older, but I am a sucker for adding a bit of whimsy to my home. So this week I went to work on this adorable felt sugar cookie set featuring all of your Fall favorites: a pumpkin, acorn, leaf, sunflower, scarecrow, and of course the turkey.
Not only does this set create the cutest opportunity for pretend play for littles, but it also can double as a garland to hang along your mantle. You can even include some poms or beads between each “cookie” to make an even more eye-catching piece.
You will find detailed instructions on how to make this adorable set in my Etsy Shop. Click here to find the PDF Instant Download. Have fun crafting and be sure to leave a comment to let me know if you made a Fall garland or cookie set of your own.
kerricreates 