Fall Wreath and Garland

Last year I got back on my kick of making decorations for all the holidays (which had totally gone to pot since moving again and not decorating for a single holiday yet this year... must get out halloween decorations.... ) We don't  really celebrate all the holidays because I just never seem to find the time for that. BUT decorating for them and adding fun bright temporary decorations to the house is totally something I can get behind. 

My fall section is severely lacking (as in I have NONE) so I finally came across this idea for a wreath and liked it enough to run with it with a bunch of changes. LIKE for one I am not going to knit a bunch of yarn into sheets and then felt them as the instructions said (I am all for crazy but what is Lion Brand smoking?!?) Instead I spent a ridiculous amount of time cutting out leaves from wool felt and then I washed them all to get the texture. Then I wrapped metal wire in yarn (see that is stupid crazy) and sewed the metal on to each individual leaf. Then I also made felt pinecones and berries... because it seemed reasonable (ahem) - there's more pictures below with progress shots

I also finally got around to making an acorn garland. I gathered the large acorns caps on the trip we took to Tennessee 3 years ago. I used Dad's drill press to put 2 holes in the top of each cap and then strung them on copper colored leather. It was a super fun project except that I really never want to felt tiny balls again... and I currently have a project in mind that would require me doing more of that.... 

Just so you know there are in fact a bazillion leaves on this wreath. And it definitely falls into the things I am so glad I made and never want to make again category!

Pine Cone Tutorial

I figured it out!!! Here's a quick tutorial- hope you guys enjoy. If you make them please link to yourself in the comments so I can see how they turn out for you!

Please do not sell anything made from this tutorial it was provided free to you for personal use only.

Please let me know if I made any errors and I will correct them.

Supplies

-styrofoam eggs 1 7/8"x 2 1/2"

-grosgrain ribbon

-1/4 yard of 36" wide felt by the yard will make 3 pinecones

-rotary cutter with wave blade

-hot glue gun

eggs are from Joanns

-Cut a 28" piece of ribbon.

-Fold ribbon in half and put a drop of hot glue at the center

-Stick ribbon to the top of your egg
-Cut out 1 1/2" circles

-Scallop your edges

-Cut diamond shape at the center

- Set aside
-Using a wave rotary blade cut (3) 36" strips at roughly 3/4" wide

-Snip at the center of each indented curve
-Start rolling the felt adding drops of hot glue as you go.

-Stop when the roll is about 1/2-3/4 thick.

-Push the center of your roll out a little to create the tip of the pine cone

-Add glue to the top (the non rotary cut side) allow glue to cool down for a few second and then adhere to the bottom of the egg.
-Start wrapping the egg with the felt gradually working up the egg until the top is reached.

-It might be necessary to cut a few pedals off the long strip and glue them on individually when the top is reached

Add a drop of glue at the top of the egg and then pinch the ribbon together at the top of the egg.

-Thread the ribbon through the scalloped circles and then glue over the top part of the pine cone to hide the edges.

-Clean all of the hot glue hair off the finished pine cone

Make a bunch more and wrap them up in a cute bakery box for a gift!
And just because here's a picture of the little guy. Seriously the double chin just KILLS me- he is so scrumptious!

Christmas Garland

It's been on my to do list to finish my Christmas garland ... and after a few weeks I can finally say it's complete!

Ridiculous right? I have no idea why I did this... it's just been in my head for a while... goodness knows I don't really have the time!
It took 4.5 yards of 3 different green colors and 1 yard of 2 different brown colors of yummy mixed wool felt, plus 2 yards of velvet ribbon to make this (roughly) 9ft long garland.... oh and brown grosgrain not sure how much of that but a 12 yard spool still has plenty left on it!
I know I made a bunch of the pine cones last year but I couldn't for the life of me get them to come out the same way... I wish I could remember I looked for a tutorial too but no one seems to be saying how they make them! They are fun to make but I was getting frustrated because I couldn't get any of them to go together the same way! If I figure it out I will try and draw something out to at least give people the gist.
I think this is going to be my new thing to have a really fun garland for every holiday- I already have valentines day done ... now I just have to get started on all of the rest of them... hahaha