Souvenirs from the Fall: Felted Acorns

Last fall I went hiking in the beautiful surroundings of Cold Springs, NY. It was one of these gorgeous Fall days, when the soil is covered in a bed of crispy colorful leaves and the sun is shinning warm through the trees. As souvenirs, I brought back a handful of acorn caps that I collected on the way... I was thinking craft project!

Our First Christmas of Two

Christmas this year was nothing short of wonderful. For the first time, my husband and I decided to stay in New York instead of joining in the hectic traveling to spend time with family. That got me very excited to try some new craft projects and decorate our home. My favorite accomplishments were a funny looking Santa, made with felt and yarn, and our new quilted stockings. They were both very easy to make and I mostly eye-balled everything. 

Halloween Craft: Bat-Shaped Hair Accessory

Halloween has something for everyone and it's a great opportunity for some fun crafting. My level of commitment to Halloween varies every year, but I always need to acknowledge it, even if it's just with a little something. This year, I made a bat-shaped hair accessory, simply fashioned out of felt, cotton pads and thread. I wanted a piece that I could wear to work, without being too flashy, and this will be just perfect.

A Dash of Fascination

 

Crafting is always fun. But crafting with an excuse is even better! This past weekend I had the perfect excuse to wear something we all secretly, or openly, adore: a fascinator. The opportunity came in the shape of a beautiful English Garden wedding in Toronto. With a mix of Mad Hatter fun and royal family flair, I was determined to be very literal and, well… fascinate. 

A Kissing Hummingbird

"Don't be surprised if one day
A hummingbird invades
Through the door of your home
Gives you a kiss and leaves...
It was I who sent the kiss
To kill this desire
It's been too long since I saw you
And ah! how I miss you..." 

My project this week was a needle felted hummingbird, inspired by one of my favorite songs from back home. I should explain, too, that in Portuguese, a hummingbird is called "beija-flor" (flower-kisser). This was super fun to make! Choose a combination of bright colors and let your hands play until you get satisfactory results. See Needle Felted Gnome for more details on how to sculpt with felt.

Needle Felted Gnome

This week’s project was so much fun! How come I've never come across needle felting before? Sculpting wool into form is quite challenging, but oddly relaxing. You get to prick your stress away…! I started by trying to sculpt a strawberry, but quickly decided to switch over to a gnome instead. Gnomes are fascinating characters that have often been reinterpreted to suit the needs of different story-tellers, even as creatures fond of crafts! So, whether you want to decorate your plant pot, carry it around the world when you travel (“roaming gnome”), mischievously hide it around the house, or protect yourself from evil sorcery, this felted gnome will do it all! But be aware - gnome kidnappers may be around. ; )

Floweret Christmas Wreath

This has been a very busy pre-holiday week but I am proud to have squeezed in my Christmas Wreath! I couldn't have done it without the loving help of my husband, who diligently cut leaves and flowers while I sewed them. This project was very fun to make, as each completed piece of the puzzle made me jump with enthusiasm and kept me going. I have a small door, so I made a small wreath, but you can adapt the design to whatever size you want, with bigger pieces, more flowers, you choose it!