Make a mini Christmas Brooch!
Fancy something to wear to get in the festive spirit but need something that will go with your pinafore or is less obvious than a festive jumper? A little Christmas brooch may be the answer.
What you need:
- Download the template for this make here
- Cardboard for the middle section (to improve the structure, but you could leave this out if not available)
- Felt scraps in the colours of your choice
- Embroidery thread in the colours of your choice
- Brooch back
- Scrap length of yarn if making the bauble design
- Double sided tape
- Bondaweb scrap (optional)
- Interfacing (optional)
- Paper scissors
- Fabric scissors
- Darning needle
- Sewing machine if you want to add decoration on the sewing machine
1. Draw out the main pieces of your design onto the interfacing if using and attach to the felt (or draw directly onto the felt if not using interfacing) and cut out
For the stocking design, you will need to ensure that you cut one on the reverse side if using the interfacing.
Attach to the interfacing by placing the shiny side of the interfacing on the felt so that the non-shiny side is facing upwards. Press with an iron until it attaches.
If you are not using interfacing, you can trace the design straight onto the fabric and then cut out.
If you want to embellish on the machine, do this before cutting the shape out of felt as it will be much easier!
2. Attach the bauble top or stocking brim
I used interfacing to trace the shape and then attach to the main front piece, but you could just place on top and then sew in place.
Here, my partner used a straight running stitch to attach the bottom of the brim of the stocking, but you could choose a hand embroidery stitch of your choice. I used back stitch.
3. If you are adding any embellishment using hand embroidery, add this now to the front piece
On the blue bauble I made, I added some cross stitch shapes and running stitch to add a bit of detail in both orange and white thread. I used two strands of embroidery thread doubled (4 in total) – see the video for more about this.
4. Add the brooch attachment to the back piece
Secure the brooch piece on the back piece in the top third of the shape securely with some thread.
5. Add the cardboard middle, if using
I like using the cardboard middle to give the brooch a firmer shape and used some packaging rubbish for this.
Trace the shape of the middle piece onto the cardboard and cut it out. Next, attach right in the middle of the wrong side of the front piece with some of the double sided tape. This will help prevent it from moving when you stitch around the edges. Attach the back piece in the same way with double sided tape, by placing the piece over the front piece, wrong sides together.
6. Stitch around the edge - and add a yarn loop to the bauble design
You can choose your preferred stitch for the border. In the video below, Phill and I both used blanket stitch, but in the one I made with free machine embroidery decoration, I used chain stitch.
Finally, for the bauble design, I secured a small length of yarn in the desired colour to the top back of the shape.
Watch it on the Vlog!
You can watch Phill and I make these in the video below:
