Feeling Star Beanbags

You are the sky- everything else is just the weather.” – Pema Chodron 

Identifying feelings is tough for kids (and some adults) understanding feelings are temporary can be even tougher. These shooting star bean bags are designed to help with both. The weighted  bean bags are comforting and the ribbons are prefect for fiddling with. When your child is ready they can simply let go of the feeling and move on.

Great for preschools and toddlers. You can make these in any feeling or color scheme you can dream up. The star bean bags come together quickly and are prefect for developing a strong emotional IQ not to mention they are just plain cute!

You will need: 

Felt in star colors 4″ x 8″ per star. I used Crushed Coral, Teal, Aqua, Grey, Banana Cream Pie, Honeydew and Lavender. *

Scraps for details in blue, yellow, pink and black

Embroidery thread in black and white.

Stuffing beads, beans, rice (whatever you  are planning to stuff with.

Various ribbons in various lengths. I used 4 styles per star varying in length from 6-8″.

Star bean bag template (at the end of post)

  * And matching thread.

Stitch faces to bean bags, if you are nervous about placement you can stitch over tracing paper and then carefully tear it away. add white spots in the eyes with white embroidery thread and a french knot.

After adding details stitch of star to the back. Leave side open to add filler and ribbon.

Fill star beanbag.

Stack ribbons with the smallest on the top.

Tuck the ribbons inside and stitch closed with a running stitch.  Repeat with the remaining stars.

Happy Crafting!

~Andie

Star template print at full size.

Hai- Ya! DIY Felt Ninja pouches and throwing stars.

Fight school break boredom with this fun felt ninja craft.

These felt ninja throwing stars are lightning fast to stitch up and a great way to teach hand sewing your karate kid.

 A traditional throwing star has a hole in the center making it easy to string on a belt for transport. While you can easily add a hole in the center we think you’ll agree the ninja belt bag creates a far more adorable storage option.

Hai – Ya! Of course your stealthy ninja needs some place to put his felt weapons.

Kick it up a notch with ninja faced pouches featuring a front pocket for easy access to your felt throwing stars. Very helpful in the event your samurai is faced with a sudden attack. Or store them on your black belt in the pouch pocket keeping your weaponry secure during all the stealthiest of ninja maneuvers.

Ninja Throwing stars also make a great DIY ninja birthday party favor.

DIY Felt Ninja Throwing Stars

You will need for 6 stars:

2-  9″ x 12″ sheets grey wool blend  felt (I used Grey Flannel)

Grey thread and sewing needle

Felter’s Freezer paper (Optional)

Templates at end of post.

As with most weapons precision is key when cutting the felt throwing stars, I cannot stress enough how helpful using Andie’s or the freezer paper methods for cutting out these pieces is.

To use felters freezer paper print out your shapes, cut them out  to make the most of your felt, iron the shapes down.

Lay another piece of felt under the ironed on piece and cut out matching sets of throwing stars.

Carefully peel the paper free from your star and set aside (These can be reused at least 3 more times)

Overcast stitch along the edges with matching thread.

DIY Felt Ninja Pouches

Per Pouch you will need:

1-  9″ x 12″ black wool blend  felt*

4″ x 3″ flesh colored felt, I used  Bisque, Pastry and Toffee *

1 – 9″ x 12″ Ninja tie color, I used Pink Tutu, Egg Yolk, and Lipstick*

Matching Thread

Templates at end of post.

Cut out 2 pieces of template A from tie colored felt. Sew the centers together and fold in half.

Starting 1/2″ in sew long edges together leaving last 1/2″ open.

Set aside.

Cut one face piece from flesh tone felt (Template B)

Cut 2 felt pouches (Template C), 2 eyes (Template E) 1 corner piece (Template D) and 1 Belt Loop (Template F) from black felt.

Stitch face mask to one of the pouch sides (Template C pieces) with matching thread and a running stitch. Place eyes and stitch down with matching thread.

Attach triangle pocket (Template D)  as shown on template using a running stitch and black thread.

Stack pouch sides so that the face is on one side and the belt loop on the other.

Fold over can cut small slits as shown on template.

Thread the colored tie through the holes.

Overcast stitch around the outside.

Leave the portion where the tie is exposed open.

Happy Crafting ~

Andie

Ninja Pouch Template

Ninja Star Templates

Stop by our shop:

Stealthy Felt Greys, Whites, and Blacks by the sheet.

Thor Inspired Viking Helmet Hat

Just in time for Halloween and as part of our continuing commitment to turn hats into better hats we present the DIY Thor Inspired Viking helmet hat.

This retro Thor style hat couldn’t be any easier and in most cases you won’t even need to alter the hat!

You will need:

2 – 9″ x 12″ sheets off white I used Fresh Linen Felt

2″ Velcro AKA Hook and Loop I used Grey

Grey knit winter hat

Thor Hat Wings Template (at the end of this post)

Begin but cutting 4 of the larger wing and 2 of the smaller wing shapes from felt.

Stack the smaller wing over one of the larger ones make sure they mirror each other.

Sew along rounded portion with a running stitch and matching thread.

Place hook (scratchy) side of Velcro to the remaining large wing shapes and stitch down. Your wings should be facing two different directions as shown.

Match up large pieces so that Velcro is on one side and the smaller wing on the other, stitch around with an overcast stitch.

You should find that the felt wing shapes stick onto the hat without having to attach the loop (soft side) part of the velcro to the hat.

If your pieces don’t stick on simply try hat on and mark for placement.

Stitch soft side of velcro to hat where desired.

Because one photo of me in a Thor hat is all you really need.

Because they are attached with Velcro you can remove the wings to wash or dry the hat or to use on another hat (Golden Snitch Anyone?!)

 

Print wings at full size

Happy Crafting

~ Andie

A Collection of our Free Felt Food Patterns and Tutorials

This time of year I see a huge uptick in blog readers looking for felt food patterns. I suspect it has something to do with all those little kitchens Santa brought. In an effort to supply your chef with the widest choice of ingredients I present all of American Felt and Craft’s free felt food tutorials in one place. Just click on an image to see the free tutorial for DIY play felt food.

Cut apart felt Carrot tutorial

Simple carrot made in sections secured with hook and loop for an added dimension to your felt food crafting.

Felt Food Crackers Tutorial

My personal favorite free felt food blog tutorial  is ‘Salty Crackers’ patterned after the classic Saltine Cracker – they are just on the fun side of quirky.

Felt Cherry Pie Tutorial

A free felt cherry pie tutorial in six fun slices. Also looks great under a decorative cake dome.

Felt Petit Fours Tea Party Cakes Tutorial

Tiny tea cakes make a wonderful and simple addition to your felt food crafts.

Felt Jelly Bean Tutorial

Try your hand at wet felting with this felt jelly bean tutorial.

Mini Felt Pumpkins Tutorial

A fun felt food pumpkin pattern and tutorial –  a must for any felt foodies farmers market.

Felt rolled cigarette cookie tutorial

A simple no sew felt cookie for your cookie jar.

Felt Chocolate Chip Cookie Tutorial

The classic reins supreme these sweet felt cookies are made in minutes with our easy felt food tutorial.

Felt Popsicle Tutorial

Beat the heat with a sweet treat – our free felt Popsicle pattern will walk you through making them step by step.

Felt Fortune Cookie Tutorial

Add this felt fortune cookie pattern to your crafting  menu and the future looks full of fun!

Felt Candy Cane Tutorial

As Christmas tree decor or just a seasonal treat these felt candy canes are easy to make with our detailed DIY.

Felt Sweethearts Valentines Candy Box Tutorial

 This adorable felt and button  sweetheart stuffie is a fun felt Valentines day craft that doubles as the perfect V-day gift for the older felt foodie.

Eat your veggies. Felt Cauliflower Food Tutorial

DIY Felt Cauliflower and Broccoli Felt Food Veggies

Looking for something a little sweeter? Try some Felt Food Cake Pops

Cake Pops

Felt appetizers; spring rolls, edamame, crab rangoon

Fruit Empanadas

 

Felt Ice Cream Cones- DIY

Felt Avocado Pattern

DIY Italian Meal

Lemon Meringue Pie

REQUESTS REQUESTED! 

Sardines, Pickles, Oatmeal?

What fun or unusual felt food are you dying to learn to make?

Leave me a comment and who knows maybe you’ll see the tutorial on ‘The Blog’  soon.

And in case you need some advice on making felt food why not check out our Felt Food 101 series.

Also check out our felt food kits with nearly everything you need to make amazingly realistic felt food –  as seen on Zulily!

Get to crafting in minutes with our instantly downloadable felt food PDF patterns

All available online right this very second!!

Where you ask?

Happy Crafting!

~ Andie Clark