How to make a felt tree skirt

It’s the middle of December and I am in full swing holiday madness mode. I’m baking, I’m shopping, I’m wrapping, I’m adorning. I might as well just dress up like an elf and be done with it. This being my first Christmas with a little one around, my usual love of the winter season has been magnified into a crazed and frenzied Christmas-tastic explosion. Family members are concerned.

Instead of just buying a tree skirt from the store like a normal person, clearly I felt the needs to spend hours making one. So I’m tipping my hat to the Christmas décor of yesteryear with a new felt tree-skirt! The slightly gaudy, always campy look of those old felt skirts just light my little holiday fire. I got my original inspiration from The Felt Mouse here.

Want to make your own felt tree skirt? The tutorial below includes all the instructions you need, plus PDF print outs of my custom ornament designs for your cutting pleasure.

Let’s get to it! First, gather your needed supplies:

1. A plain felt tree skirt. I chose to buy mine because I found that Target sells plain scalloped felt tree skirts for $4.99, which is even cheaper than buying the felt.
2. A good SHARP pair of small scissors. Fabric stores are best for these. $10 or less will do you just fine.
3. Felt. Everyone says buy the expensive kind, I say buy the stuff from Michaels. Unless you’re planning to start your own tree skirt making business, which seems ill-advised, you can get the 29 cent stuff and be happy as a clam with it.
4. Felt Glue. That’s right, it exists. For all you non-sewers out there (and for you sewers who don't exactly relish the process) this stuff will rock your world. You can get it at any craft store! DON’T try to use Elmer’s or hot glue. I speak from experience, it doesn’t work girls.
   
5. Pom-Poms! Big ones, small ones, fat ones tall ones! No vintage tree skirt is complete without them.
6. Glitter. If you want to go old school – get the fat chunky glitter found in the kids section. You know what I’m talkin about.
7. Needle, Thread, Pins. You only need this if you plan to sew on some trim. If not, you’ll be fine with the felt glue alone. If you do plan to use trim, check out the new gigantic ric-rac. It’s whimsical, it’s retro, it’s only $1.99 a yard. It’s giant ric-rac; and you know you want it.
8. Designcandie Printouts. Printable patterns for the ornaments and accents are below.
   
   

I used a red skirt and picked bright colors for the ornaments to get the look I was going for – but you can change the color scheme and make something completely different to suit your own decor. There is a beautiful example here by Shabby Boutique – using light pink and aqua. I also think you could do something marvelous using just white. The texture of the felt alone would make it interesting. This one gives me so many ideas...

If you want to add trim around the skirt, begin at the opening either below or above the Velcro. This is where you need to start so the skirt will still open once you’re done. For a standard sized skirt, you'll need about 4 yards of trim if you plan to put it around the bottom. You can pin the trim down evenly using the distance between the tip of your finger and the tip of your thumb as a measuring tool. Place your hand in the center of each scallop and place a a pin in the center of your trim right above where your index finger hits. Pin all the way around the skirt and then use a sewing machine to stitch it in place. If you have major patience you could also hand sew it. Or, if you’re a non-sewer, just use your felt glue. Take the pins out one at a time as you glue it down to keep the even spacing intact.

Next, it’s time for the ornaments!!! First, decide how many ornaments you want on your skirt. I used 6, which seemed to work well visually. Then decide on your colors; I used green and bright blue for the base of each ornament with white accents to match my white ric-rac.

Go ahead and print out the template packet. Start with the large ornament pages – print them out on regular copy paper and then cut them out. Standard felt sheets from the craft store come in 8.5" x 11" sheets - so that's how I sized the designs as well. You'll need one full peice of felt for each large ornament. I used a disappearing ink marker (found at any fabric store) to trace out the designs onto the felt, but you can also use a regular sharpie for the tracing. If you do, be sure to cut inside the line you traced or you’ll be able to see the marker on the edge of the felt.

Then, use your sharp small scissors to cut out the ornament shapes. Once you have your large shapes done, go back to the same print outs and cut out the smaller pieces on each ornament for a secondary burst of color. You can either hand sew or glue these pieces down using your felt glue.

Next, print out the accent pages and decide which ones you want to use on each ornament. Cut out the accents to be used, and trace and cut them out of felt as well.

At this point, I chose to glitter up the surface of each accent – so I did this before attaching them to the ornament. If you want to add glitter, just use your finger to spread the felt glue evenly and then shake on the glitter. Don’t you be shy, use plenty of glitter to get even coverage. Once those pieces have dried, you can attach them to your ornaments as well.

Then sew or glue your ornaments down onto the tree skirt, and set out to dry.

Finally, just sew or glue your pom-poms to the edges and you are DONE! I used small white pom poms around the entire scalloped edge, and larger silver pom poms in the center of every other scallop for added sparkle-factor.

DONE and DONE.

Christmas Baking!

This year we made traditional sugar cut-out cookies and cakeballs. Yum!

Design: Baby Shower Invitations for Shelly

Are you as tired of pastel pink baby shower invitations as I am? Apparently so, because I was recently asked to create something a little different for my dear friends' upcoming shower.

She rocks. Her baby is going to rock. So her invitations clearly needed to match that level of awesomeness.

Design: Debbie Does Dallas leave-behind stickers

This week I was lucky enough to work with my favorite gal about town and yours, the elusive Debbie of the Debbie Does Dallas blog . Every girl needs a little something to leave behind - and Debbie is no exception. These little signature calling card stickers do just that; and now the world will know in even more detail exactly where she's been.




Look for her stickers when you're out and about, so you too can follow Debbie's trail as she does Dallas. In the meantime, follow her on twitter at twitter.com/debdoingdallas.

So, who is this broad that calls herself Debbie and enthralls us with her dirty delights? I'll never tell...

Creations: Fall Flowers and photos

So, everyone knows that the Dallas Arboretum is gorgeous and you should go there. But seriously, you should go there! It's nice in the summer, but it's amazing in the fall because you can actually enjoy walking around in the cool weather instead of the sweltering heat.

It's so beautiful, it gives even the most inexperienced photographer (me) a fighting chance for some good pictures. (even with a point and click camera)

And having the most gorgeous subject ever doesn't hurt a bit. But my point is that anyone can go and take pictures of anyone and they will come out great no matter what you do!

So, with all this flowery autumn inspiration abounding, I just had to try my hand at creating some felt flowers. Besides the fact that I’m obsessed with all things felt, I also just wanted a small project that I could keep by the couch and work on when I’m watching TV. Plus you can use these puppies for anything; from embellishing a plain t-shirt to wearing them in your hair. You can see a little chocolate brown one I made on the pink shirt below.

Even though all of the tutorials I've read say that you should purchase top quality felt, I took my chances with the cheapo craft store stuff for my first project. It worked fine - the only drawback is that you don't have as many color choices (the upside is that you spend $5 on felt instead of $50).

This tutorial from the pearl bee is really good and includes a free pattern. I got my initial inspiration from A Alicia Accessories, which I read about here on the Old Sweet Song blog. Another great tutorial from Mia Moo here.

This is how my first attempt turned out:

There are so many different ways to make the flowers, and I got so excited about the project I just dived right in. I started by cutting out a bunch of different sized circles and sewing them together in different ways. Some rolled up and sewn like roses, some sewn together as petals, and some sewn in bunches. Once I had a pile of flowers in all different shapes and sizes, I just sewed them together in little groupings for hairclips and pins.

The colors alone give you infinite combination possibilities, and the felt lends itself so well to giving each flower it's own personality - so no two are alike. It's so easy and fun to create gorgeous little collages, you won't be able to stop. This is a project that anyone can do - and all you need is felt, a needle and thread, and a pair of scissors. I can't wait to make more :)

Design: Stock Wedding Suite - mustard and coral

A few new stock designs. I had an intense urge to break out of the norm for this set - so I went for bold, solid colors and slightly sarcastic copy text.

The 'undo' button

Since my usual medium is digital - I try to balance it out by working with my hands whenever I can, whether that's doing hair or crafting or really anything that doesn't involve me sitting in front of a computer screen. However! After having worked as a graphic designer full time for 6 years now, I have trouble transitioning when I do things in 'real time' (vs computer time where everything is done instantly). It's like I'm so connected with my adobe suite that it has actually changed the way I think; and that is just gross on so many levels.

At the risk of sounding like a complete weirdo, I'm going to admit something embarrassing. When I'm doing something away from my computer and I make a mistake, I literally say the words "undo" (or apple z! apple z!) in my head and yes, sometimes out loud. And just for a split second, I sometimes think its going to WORK. And these are the moments that I remember exactly WHY it's so necessary for me to STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER and do something real.

So this is my partial justification for including everything I make and create on this blog, instead of just keeping it straight to graphic design; which would make so much more sense, though not nearly as interesting...

Not only do these seemingly disparate activities keep me sane, but they often become the inspiration I take to the computer for my next design project.

Design: Clementines Cupcakes Logo

When it rains, it pours.... cupcakes! This is the second cupcake logo design I've done this month - this one for the incredibly talented Cara Weatherby of Clementine's Cupcakes. This bakestress does custom orders for weddings, birthdays, and really any event where you'd eat a cupcake (which, in my opinion, should be every event). From the deliciousness of her vanilla bean cupcake with salted caramel icing to the unbelievable taste of her peanut butter and jelly cupcake - her work speaks for itself. And have I mentioned the cupcakes also happen to be gorgeous? See for yourself right here.

Since Cara makes all of her cupcakes from scratch, and each recipe is uniquely her own - we really wanted the design to reflect that handmade magic. I went with a warm muted color scheme and hand-drawn lines to whip up a logo that's almost as yummy as the cupcakes themselves. Don't you worry, I've tried every single flavor personally. For research, of course!

The logo:


The business cards:

Design: Sweet Belle Confections Logo

I recently had the chance to work with the lovely Michelle Metzger of Sweet Belle Confections, and we had a blast coming up with her logo. Not only does Michelle do amazing cupcakes; she also bakes up almost any other sweet treat you can possibly imagine. Check her out on facebook.

We wanted to create something warm, sweet, and southern - just like her baked goods! Here's what we came up with for the logo:


And the business cards:

Hairstyling: Sarah

Not only did I get to work with my friend Sarah Kelly on her invitation suite, I was also able to be a part of her big day by creating the hairstyles for her and her bridal party.

Just incase you're wondering, the spectacular photos below were taken by my friend Carter Rose of F8 Studio. Check him out, he's awesome.

Design: Invitation graphics used for a wedding cake

One of my favorite things about designing wedding invitations is being able to see how the couple carries the design through to other areas of their celebration, using it as the basis for a cohesive theme. For Sarah and Mike, this meant taking the floral illustration and color scheme from the invitation and using it as the basis for their custom wedding cake.



I love being able to see my work translated into such a gorgeous confection!

Design: Wedding Invitations for Sarah and Mike

I just finished some custom design comps for my friend Sarah and her fiance Michael. Invitation designs are one of my favorite projects to do, so I was thrilled when they asked me! Their wedding colors are pink, cream, and chocolate brown.

I was only going to do three options, but once I got started I couldn't stop! I ended up doing 4 comps and I just couldn't narrow it down.






The very first thing I did was decide on a few standard sizes that I would work from so that it would be easy to have the designs printed somewhere and so we could find the right size envelopes without too much trouble. There are lots of online digital printing sites out there right now, and I've used quite a few of them for work over the years. The quality, turnaround time, and prices are absolutely amazing to me after spending years being disappointed with places like Kinkos and Office Depot. Online printing stores are the perfect solution for someone who needs quality but can't spend the money it would cost to use a printing press.

I would recommend any of the following stores to a couple looking to have digital invitations printed. : catprint.com, printplace.com, overnightprints.com, and vistaprints.com.

Catprint is quickly becoming my favorite online choice because they have the most paper options available at the lowest prices. Most of the other sites only offer matte or gloss white cardstock, but catprint has almost 20 choices of paper sheen and weight, including a gorgeous heavy weight shimmer paper that I have used personally. This site is perfect for those needing short runs on invitations - some of the other sites have either a 50, 100, or 250 minimum.

Printplace is great if you know you'll need 250 or more of each item and you don't need a large paper selection. They have an extremely easy to use automated ordering system, and rock bottom prices. If you live in the DFW area, they have a plant in Arlington and will even let you pick up your finished products from there to save on shipping.

Overnightprints is a little pricier on some items, but the quality is great and the customer service is excellent. They also offer rounded edges for free or little cost on many products, which is a great extra option that really looks beautiful.

Vistaprints is a great option if you have a very tight budget or you need alot of promotional items. This is my source for save the date magnets and other little trinkets with the bride and grooms name and wedding date on them. The prices are amazing and they usually have a free product available. BUT- beware of free things from vistaprints, they are very 'gimmiky' and there is always a pop up trying to get you to buy something else. You should also know that many of their free products have a big ol' vistaprints logo on the back of them (like business cards) which is weird and annoying.

The best part about using these services is that you can take the money you save by printing online and spend it on a designer to have a gorgeous custom invitation created. There are some great designers on etsy, lollishops, poppytalk, and craigslist.

Hairstyling: Didi

I just had to share some of these photos from the last wedding I did.

I had a wonderful time working with Didi's beautiful long hair, and creating this soft and feminine side-style. Didi has aLOT of hair, so it took quite a bit of doing to get all of it up, but so worth it.

Isn't she just beautiful!?

Creations: Bathing Beauty Bath Caps

I've always loved shower caps... maybe because they remind me of women from the 1960's and their bouffant hairdo's. Actually, I think my obsession with shower caps started when I spotted the benefit bathina cap at a makeup counter years ago, and because my favorite book as a child had a little girl wearing a big frouffy shower cap and looking mighty pleased about it. Whatever the reason, I decided I wanted to re-create the same look of the old style bath caps with some modern fabric patterns. I found a great tutorial on the sew mama sew blog to make your own shower cap here.

Surprisingly, I found some gorgeous cotton fabric at JoAnn Fabric, and most of it was between $3 and $8 on sale. Using the rip-stop nylon was actually easier than I thought, and what a great idea to repel the water whilst still enjoying a beautiful patterned fabric! I had never used bias tape before, and let me tell you, now I LOVE IT. This stuff is amazing! It comes in millions of colors, you can sew right up the fold, and it makes your edges look great. Who could ask for more?


I made my second cap a little bigger, because the original pattern was a bit small for my head (maybe I just have a big head?). I also made a modification by using 2 coordinating fabrics, one for the inside and one for the outside with the nylon sandwiched in between.


It was a challenge for a beginning sewer like me to complete this project, especially pinning and sewing in the elastic. But I was so happy with the final results that I immediately started on the second one while the whole thing was fresh in my brain. This was so fun!

Creations: Hot Cocoa Gift Jars

Every year I try to find an easy to make inexpensive gift that I can easily produce for family and friends, or anyone else I need a quick gift for around the holidays. Recently I stumbled upon a recipe for a homemade layered cocoa mix , and I knew I should try it out for holiday gifts this year. The cocoa mix is added in layers into a clear glass jar, and it creates a beautiful visual- especially when you add chocolate chips or peppermint sticks. After all, who doesn’t love a hot steamy cup of cocoa in the winter?!

These are simple to make, require almost no prep time or kitchen space, and cost between 5 and 10 dollars to make. All you have to do in order to make the cocoa is dump all of the ingredients in a bowl, mix them up, and add 1/3 cup of mix with boiling water for each mug. What could be a better gift?

I found my recipe on Sunset, but there are lots of versions out there. Click here to get the recipe I used. Besides the ingredients, all I had to buy were a couple of glass jars with screw-top lids, which we found at The Dollar Store. You could also use Ball canning jars in the large size, which you can find at most grocery stores.

Making the jars was SO easy. I carefully measured out the ingredients and slowly added them to the jar in layers, shaking it down as necessary to level it all out. Lastly, I added the candy cane bits, which really sets everything off. To crumble up the candy canes, put them in a zip lock bag and smash with a hammer, (it's fun!) But, be careful not to smash them into powder or you won't be able to see their pretty red and white stripes.


To add my own personal touch, I created a custom label design in Adobe Illustrator and printed it out on self sticking Avery labels. You can buy the peel and stick labels anywhere they sell office supplies. For a simpler version, just hand write your message on the label with a cute pen or marker.




One of my favorite things about these jars is that they are too pretty to be covered up! No need to wrap these, just tie them with any little ribbon or string and you’re done. And look how pretty!


The possibilities are endless. You could layer the ingredients of almost anything in these jars, so long as most of the ingredients are dry. Whatever you cannot include in the jar (such as water, eggs, or any other perishable ingredient) just make sure to include it in the instructions you provide.

Sunset also has recipes for layered mocha cocoa, classic cocoa, and mexican cocoa; check them out here.