DIY Felt butterfly brooch

I know some people think that butterflies are kind of cheesy. Things that pink-loving little girls have in their room, but I really can't help but love them. Maybe there's still a pink-loving little girl somewhere inside me. Anyways, when I was dreaming up a new DIY project for MOOD magazine, this butterlfy brooch flew in to my mind.

Now I'm finally able to share this sweet little project with you. These pictures where actually taken back in March which is why they have sort of a wintery feel. But, hey, it's almost winter again, so it doesn't really matter.

 Here's what you need:

• 10 cm of thick felt in your color of choice
• Embellishments for the wings (rhinestones, embroidery thread, etc.)
• Craft wire and two 3mm beads
• 2 rhinestones: one 3cm-long oval and one 2cm-wide round stone
• Brooch pin
• Paper and pencil
• Scissors
• Strong adhesive or a glue gun

 Step 1
You can see all the important measurements in the photo above.
First, draft a template for the wings onto paper using the measurements given. Cut the template out and use it to cut out 4 wings.
Second, cut out 1 oval piece of felt with the measurements given. I know the photo shows 2, but I later discovered you only need one.

 Step 2
Time to embellish those wings. As you can see, I used embroidery thread to sew some colorful lines to the outer edge of the wings, and then added some iron-on rhinestones. You can let your imagination run wild and create the butterfly of your dreams here, so get creative!

 Step 3
Cut two 10cm-long strips of craft wire. Put the wire through the small 3mm bead and fold the wire in half. Holding the wire ends in one hand start twisting the bead until you get an evenly and strongly twisted antler/antennae for the butterfly. Repeat with the other strip of wire and bead.

 Step 4
Now you can put it all together. First, glue the antlers to one end of the oval felt piece. Then, start glueing the wings to the backing. Glue the upper wings first, and then add the lower ones so that they overlap the upper wings by about 1-1.5cm.

 Step 5
Once the wings are glued, glue the big rhinestones on top. Let dry before moving on to the next step.

 Step 6
Glue the brooch pin to the back of the butterfly. If you want a completely flat brooch, then you're done. If you'd like a more 3D wings effect, check out the last step.

 Step 7
To add a 3D effect to the wings, bend them and then steam from the backside of the wings with an iron. The wings are easily molded with steam, so you can determine how much you want the wings to stay up.

I love this fun little felt insect. She's cute! I think this would make a great gift for anyone who's into brooches, or insects for that matter. Also, easily customizable with different embellishments and colors. An easy DIY gift idea right there (hmmkhmm, Christmas is really not that far off).

Happy creating!

xo. Hanna

This tutorial first appeared in the April 2014 issue of MOOD magazine. Finished project photos by Rein Saar.

DIY Valentine's flower brooch at OEH

Hello, friends! Yes, I'm still alive, although it doesn't really look like it from the looks of this blog. However, to give you some proof of life, you can check out the Valentine's lower brooch DIY I posted over at Oh Everything Handmade.

I'll be back tomorrow with a more personal update. Until then, enjoy your weekend!

DIY Knitted Bow Brooch

As you might already know, I love bows. I mean, what's there not to love. They are cute, simple and a beautiful embellishment. As I was knitting my removable bow headbands, I had some bows leftover. So, I thought I'd turn them into brooches.

The process is rather simple and quick. It's a perfect first project for anyone interested in learning how to knit. It has all the basic stitches in it, it's not too complicated and doesn't take hours do finish. Instant gratification guaranteed!

Knitted Bow

Skill level: Beginner
Supplies: 4 mm double pointed needles, a little bit of yarn (suitable for 4mm needles). You can vary the needle size and yarn thickness to obtain a smaller or chunkier bow.

Pattern 
Cast on 15 stitches, and work in seed stitch:
1 row: knit 1, *purl 1, knit 1*, repeat from * across
2 row: repeat first row
Knit in the same way for 22 rows, then bind off all stitches.

Wind some yarn to the center of the bow, halfway through attach a brooch pin to the back, then continue winding until the center of the bow is as you like.

Finished!

My bow is currently attached to one of my hats. It so pretty and cute! Happy knitting, my friends!

DIY Upcycled Heart Pin Brooch

Valentine's week at Pearls & Scissors in in full swing! Today I have a very valentinesy DIY project to share. This cute heart shaped brooch is an easy upcycling project to make and wear on Valentine's Day to add a little romantic spirit to your outfit. It's also makes a cute handmade gift for a friend.

I used an old red t-shirt for this project and it really does come together quickly. Here's how to make your own:

1. Make a heart shaped template the in the size you want. I always fold the paper in half, draw half a heart and then cut on fold to make a symmetrical template. Using this template cut out 5 hearts from a t-shirt, and 1 heart from felt. Also cut a small circle from felt to later cover the pin on the back of the brooch.

2. Stack all the hearts on top of each other so that the felt heart is on the bottom of the pile. Now use a chip of soap to  draw 3 hearts inside each other onto the fabric. Try to leave even spaces between the hearts. Use embroidery thread to stitch along the the drawn hearts.

3. This step can be made either now or at the very end. Attach the pin to the back of the brooch with a glue gun or other adhesive. Now cover the pin with a small felt circle. To make the pin usable, cut two little holes into the felt circle to bring out the needle of the pin and clasp where the pin closes. Glue the felt patch into place.

4. Take a pair of small scissors (nail cutting scissors work well) and cut the first 3 layers of hearts between the embroidered hearts.

5. Use ironing starch to curl the edges of the cut layers and make the brooch a little bit sturdier. Spray the fabric with starch and mull the edges with your fingers to curl them.

I'm really enjoying small little projects like this brooch lately. It's perfect for calming that creative urge when you don't have a lot of time for crafting. Happy crafting!