Valentine's Barrettes

"Tea pot is on, the cups are waiting, Favorite chairs anticipating,

No matter what I have to do, My friend there's always time for you"

One of the great things about daughters is getting to play with their hair.  I have received many comments from friends that are amazed that I still put my daughter's hair in pigtails every day, even though I have gone back to work.  I admit that my motivation is purely because she just looks so cute with them in.  It's a Mommy-ego thing.

As you can imagine, accompanying that love for styling her hair is a love for barrettes.  I particularly love the Korker Bows at Gymborree.  I have been trying my hand at those.  More to come on that.  However, for Valentine's Day, I thought I would give my daughter some felt barrettes.  Given all the felt food I have been making, it seemed like a natural extension.

My first attempt didn't go quite as I wanted.  The heart was upside down and the tutorial I tried didn't give me the result I wanted.  So, I made up my own.  I hope you enjoy!

FELT FLOWER BARRETTES

NOTE:  Please forgive the quality of these photos.  I have now learned not to take pictures at night in my Honeybird (yellow) colored living room... particularly if what I am photographing is white and red.  The colors end up... umm... well, they end up being "interesting."

Supplies:

• Felt in the colors you want (I used red and white.  The white felt is a stiffer felt to provide more support)
• Embroidery Floss (I used red)
• Buttons (2)
• Barrettes
• Cardstock and Pencil
• Template Design on cardstock, optional

Directions:

•  While other tutorials read recommended sewing around the barrette and then cutting it out, I discovered that I really preferred cutting the shape out first.  So, begin by tracing out your barrette shape on a piece of cardstock.  Then cut out the shape, leaving about an 1/8" to 1/4" gap around the barrette shape.  The space should be around the size you would want your blanket-stitch to be.

• Pin the template to your base color felt (red for my barrettes) and cut out.  Repeat.  You should have two matching pieces of felt slightly larger than the barrette.

• Cut out the shapes you want to use to embellish your barrette.  For this tutorial, I used a flower shape.  For a template, I found a SIMPLE flower design I liked in Microsoft Word's clip-art.  I then duplicated it and made one image smaller.  I printed the pictures out on cardstock and cut out the flower shape.  Voila... a template.  You may want to play with sizes in relation to your barrette to determine what you like.
• Pin the flower template to your felt and cut out.  I cut out the larger flower shape from a stiffer white felt.  I then cut the smaller flower shape out of the red felt.  At this point you should have two barrette-shaped pieces of felt and 2 flowers, one large and one small.

• Next, place your barrette on one piece of barrette-shaped felt.  Mark where the middle locking piece (any ideas for a better name?) is located and mark the spot.  Folding the felt length-wise, cut a tiny slit on that mark.  Slide the middle piece through the slit.  You should now be able to snap the felt within the barrette.  Set aside.

• Pick up the other barrette shaped piece.  Position the larger white flower where you want it.  Using your embroidery floss, stitch the center of the white flower onto the felt.  Next, position the smaller flower on top and stitch it into place.  Finally, position the button on top and stitch it on top of everything.  (Note: As you stitch each layer, make sure that your stitches will be covered by the next layer.  In other words, keep your stitching toward the middle.

• Place the top barrette-shaped piece on top of the barrette and use the blanket stitch to sew the two pieces of felt together.  Try to get your stitches as close to the barrette as possible.  Tie off at the end.  (Tip:  I try to start my blanket stitch underneath a flower petal.  I'm not always the neatest when I tie off my thread, so the petal hides it.)

That is it!  It is that simple.  I made two matching barrettes for my daughter and attached them to a valentine card.

Since these are a Valentine's gift, I can't demo them in her hair.  However, here's what one looks like in mine.

If you try this yourself, please post a link back.  I'd love to see the variations you come up with.  Until then... Happy Valentine's Day!

This project is linked with...






         

• Sumo's Sweet Stuff: Market Yourself Monday
• Keeping It Simple: Motivate Me Moday
• A Soft Place to Land: Do It Yourself Day

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