I all the time love a very good mix-and-match challenge, and this felt shamrock decoration is SO MUCH THAT! First, it combines felt and printed material. Subsequent, it mixes up the concept of ornaments and non-Christmas holidays. And at last, it makes use of two totally different deep-etch dies that I designed for Benzie Design, altering up how you utilize certainly one of them in an enormous means.
And amongst all of these issues that I believe are fairly enjoyable, one of many issues that make this challenge distinctive from nearly each different decoration sample I’ve made is that this has a really third-dimensional high quality to it. Plus, St. Patrick’s Day is simply kinda enjoyable, proper?
However first, let’s discuss in regards to the deep-etch dies.
I’ve designed a number of units of dies that you need to use with a guide slicing machine (I’ve the Sizzix Huge Shot). The primary set was known as Circles and Scallops and its major use is for slicing out decoration bases, however there’s much more you are able to do with them too.
Then I created a set known as Stamp of Approval, which has stamp base items, but additionally hearts and an X and O. Now, you may make a shamrock stamp with simply this set, however I went for a round decoration and the second to largest coronary heart.
I did not assume I wanted a die-cutter like this. However I LOVE utilizing it. And I like discovering new methods to make use of the dies that I’ve.
So in case you are nonetheless processing all this, the shamrock on this decoration is made with hearts. The stem half is simply minimize freehand. And whereas this tutorial does not have patterns (I am utilizing the dies, afterall), you may minimize circles for the decoration base after which minimize out some hearts if you do not have these dies.
I will additionally present you the right way to simply make this a 4-leaf clover, which might make this a fortunate appeal and never simply an decoration.
I preserve that hearts are NOT only for Valentine’s Day, and utilizing them to make one thing else fully solely provides to my level.
So let’s seize some provides and make a shamrock decoration!
You’ll need:
Wool mix felt in two colours
Circles and Scallops deep-etch die
Handbook die slicing machine
Inexperienced printed material
Paper-backed fusible internet (I used Surprise Below)
Iron
Stamp of Approval deep-etch die
Scissors
Inexperienced embroidery floss
Needle
Stuffing
Lower out a back and front circle in your decoration.
Iron the fusible internet to the again of the material, then peel off the paper and iron it to a chunk of felt.
It is a piece that is the proper measurement for one coronary heart, however you possibly can put together a bigger piece to chop all of your hearts. You may simply run them by means of the slicing machine one after the other.
You may want a complete of three hearts for a shamrock or 4 hearts for a 4-leaf clover.
Place the die on the material facet of the fused felt. Lower it out with the die cutter. Chances are you’ll discover just a little embossed line across the edge, however that may go away when you iron it.
You may place the die on the felt facet as a substitute of the material facet, however I discovered it had a cleaner minimize inserting the die on the material.
Lower a small stem from one of many fused scrap items. It may be so simple as a rectangle in order for you!
Fold the hearts in half with the material sides touching. Iron them to crease the middle.
Organize the items on the scalloped circle. That is how a 4-leaf clover would look, however I went for a shamrock, so the hearts wanted to unfold out just a little.
Use three strands of embroidery floss and working sew to stitch down the center of every of the shamrock items.
Place the back and front of the decoration collectively an sew across the edges with working sew by means of the sew markings. Go away a gap and add a little bit of stuffing inside.
End stitching the opening closed.
Add a easy hanging loop on the again of the decoration.
Share your completed decoration together with your favourite Irish pal or make a bunch to embellish an all-seasons tree!
After all, it’s also possible to hold certainly one of these in your automotive as a very good luck appeal. Possibly even fill it with lavender so it doubles as an air-freshener!
One of many causes I made mine as a shamrock, verses the 4-leaf clover has to do with St. Patrick himself. Nicely, kind of. Legend says that St. Patrick would use a 3-leaf clover or shamrock to clarify the idea of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Just like the leaves, they’re all separate but additionally one and the identical.
That will not have been one thing St. Patrick actually did, however I nonetheless love that this Irish image could be a reminder of the Trinity even at present!