DIY Felt Poinsettias

I can't explain my current obsession with felt, maybe it's some connection to some obscure childhood memory, I'm not sure, at any rate, felt is a fun medium, not to mention inexpensive! Earlier this Summer, I embellished a handbag with flowers and believe it or not tried making some poinsettias then while I was in felt mode. They are super easy to make, and you can make them any size you want. I used felt yardage, but you can use the sheets of felt too. I think a pillow would be great or make tiny ones for a napkin ring, or use white felt instead, anything goes, so many ideas!

Here's what you'll need:

Red Felt (or white)

Hot Glue Gun (or if you have patience, felt glue)

Scissors

Clothes Pin

Bottle Cap, or any other creative object for the center

Begin cutting felt rectangles in approximately three different sizes. My leaves started at about 2 inches down to 1 inch. Don't get technical here, unless you want to, I didn't really measure, and I didn't have a pattern, I just started cutting leaves out, there is no need to be perfect.

Rectangles seem to offer the least waste, basically cut off the corners.

Depending on the size you are creating, you need a base to glue the leaves on to. I cut about a 3 inch circle as a base. Start gluing on the largest leaves. I used a glue gun, which is a nightmare, felt and hot glue are not a happy couple, but if you can get over the glue strings, you can make it through. Felt glue is another option, but then you have to wait. for. it. to. dry.

Continue gluing a second layer of leaves on...

...until you reached the center and used your three sizes up. Again, this is not perfect, nor should it be, poinsettias in nature are not perfect, so neither should the felt ones be. Feel free to double up, or glue into spots that might feel empty, just cut some extra pieces.

For the center of the poinsettia, you can get creative, I used a bottle cap, spray painted white, but beads, or a jingle bell would look cute too.

Finally, I glued a clothes pin on the back to make it super simple to clip anywhere. They would look great on a package or clipped on a tree too, but I like them on the stockings.

So cute!

Thanks for stopping by! I think this will be my last project of the season! I can't believe it! I hope your Christmas Season is going well and you are staying warm! This weekend, I'll show you what I did with some of my stumps on the front porch.

I hope you are inspired!

Tidy Mom

Under the Table and Dreaming

Tatertots and Jello

Haul Out The Holly Tablescape

It is no secret that we are in the depths of my favorite time of year. Christmas always seems so far away, a distant thought as we are greeting trick or treaters at the door, a remote thought that is there in the back of my mind, yet sneaks up on me like no body's business! I've turned around and BAM, it's 10 days away! So that only gives me one maybe two more chances to inspire you for your holiday tables and parties! Yikes! So if you were with me yesterday, traditional reds and greens have appeared throughout the kitchen and eating area, so I followed suit with a traditional tablescape. Let's start with the centerpiece, for those are my favorite things to do, cylinder vase (used as a candle holder) and the Pottery Barn bowl that you might remember that I found at the Goodwill {score!} take a look at how I used it before: here. A cedar candle ring, that I souped up with holly and berries. I am not usually a candle ring kinda gal, but the cedar was good looking and had just a little dusting of frost, I couldn't resist. Combined together, it can hold it's own in the center of the table.

Vintage stocking hanging on the back of the chairs, with a little cedar and a handmade felt poinsettia. I've gotten a few emails about these so I hope to throw together a tute for this weekend.

Red placemats and napkins with a chevron detail that I've used from The 4th of July to Christmas, they are a great red.

I picked up a new Martha Stewart Christmas dinnerware set (Macy's) for a steal last year after Christmas ($13.00). I decked out the China Hutch but the dinner plates are all I used for this tablescape.

They napkin rings are something else I made, using plastic rings and ribbon, you can't go wrong with plaid! :) I used everyday glassware and flatware.

Little milkglass compotes with shiny beaded ornaments, it would fun to put Christmas cookies or a Christmas cupcake instead! Sadly, those things don't stay around long enough to actually photograph! :)

Here is another centerpiece idea, The Mother Huddle did a similar version with a taper candle, hot glue gun and real candy canes, here I used a 3x9 candle and plastic candy canes, but I really love both versions! This candle had grooves in it already, so putting the canes around was easy. I used a rubber band (I didn't want it permanent) to hold them in place and used ribbon to hide it. I have collected candy canes for years and you can find them anywhere from the Dollar Tree to Target, just about everywhere has an inexpensive version. This is so easy to do and great impact.

I love the red and white together!

I took some shots as the sun was going down (although I like natural light best) but it seems so cozy in the evening.

Lights all the way down...

Thank you for joining me, I hope you are inspired!

Joining Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch

Julia @ Hooked on Houses

Candy Kitchen

If you have one or several of these running around, I know you just can't help having a fun and whimsical Christmas dedicated just for the kids (even the one in you). So with my helper in tow, we created a little whimsy in the kitchen/eating area.

Candy canes and lollipops, gingerbread men and ladies, deck out the painted white shelf hanging on the wall in the kitchen.

Isn't she so cute with her green bow and ruffly dress?

I put a tree next to the china hutch, full of candy and gingerbread ornaments.

Have you seen this type of paper garland at Pottery Barn and other places? I made my own, punched circles out of reversible scrapbooking paper and sewed them together. I decided to hang it on the tree.

Last year after Christmas, I picked up a Christmas dinnerware set (like I need one more set of dishes) from Martha Stewart. It has a beautiful holly pattern and I blended it in the hutch with my everyday Gibson. I've done a tablescape with these so look for that tomorrow. I've been collecting "candy" for years and I displayed them in glass apothecary jars, it looks real and certainly last longer! :)

Some favorite ornaments

Gingerbread man, I just love this pair!

The advent calendar hangs in the kitchen too. Justin's Grandmother made it, circa 1985.

I hung vintage stockings with suction cups on the glass of the hutch, I added cedar and made the little felt poinsettias. I put a clothes pins on the back so they can go anywhere. I used a bottle cap for the center!

I just love felt!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you are inspired!

Here are some articles you might have missed:

O Christmas Tree 2010

Mini House Tour 2010

Christmas Mantel 2010

Joining Nester

Joining Gina

All Things Heart and Home

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,

How lovely are your branches!

In beauty green will always grow

Through summer sun and winter snow.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,

How lovely are your branches!

I have been working on this post on and off for a little over a week, so you will see pictures during the day, during the evening, with stuff, without stuff, and during stuff. Hope you don't mind. What I do hope, is that you will draw inspiration from, our Christmas Tree.

Nope, she's not real, she's not new, and she's not pre-lit (dang it). It's made a trip from North Carolina, to Missouri, her box is tattered and taped, barely hanging on, it's missing two limbs and one leg of her stand (which I permanently fixed with a DIY tree planter). I remember picking it out, Keegan was just a toddler, and we paid 46.oo at Wal-mart. So not only do I attach a lot of nostalgia to ornaments, I place a lot of it with the tree too.

This year has been a flurry of re-do's, remakes, and recycles. Using what I have, reinventing some things and thinking outside the circle (sorry, I'm tired of thinking outside the proverbial box, I've decided to be in a circle), for no other reason than because I can. I hope you've been inspired too, you can make a lot of the ornaments you see, here, here and here.

Some ornaments are from anywhere from high end boutiques to Lowe's, to my local thrift store, to Target, it doesn't matter to me, as long as I like it.

Fully dressed Tree:

Naked Tree :)

Gallery wall adjacent to tree, this is still a work in progress. I've been adding things to it for a week now....I finally remembered to get printer ink so I can print some pictures of the boys.

I took apart a grapevine wreath and let it naturally twirl around the whole tree. This was the absolutely last thing I did and am so happy with the effect. It certainly adds dimension and character.

I placed the tree in a different spot this year too. I normally put it near the fireplace, but I started thinking that it is just too crowded. So the fireplace dominates the one end of the living room, the tree is in the opposite end of the room.

How do you like my stumps? I have my dear father in law to thank for them, they are making great candle holders, not to mention how wonderful they smell! I will be creating a tablescape in the near future with these so be on the look out for that!

I will be incorporating some (a lot of these) out on the porch too, I hope to get the porch and outside lights done next week.

Thank you so much for stopping by, I really appreciate it, I know what a busy, busy time of year it is.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,

Your beauty green will teach me

That hope and love will ever be

The way to joy and peace for me.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,

Your beauty green will teach me

Joining Sarah