Ladybug Hair Clip

Who doesn't love ladybugs? They're little and cute, and they're good for your garden. This ladybug hair clip is cute too--and it's super simple to make from felt, embroidery floss, a button, and beads.

First, measure the length of the plain hair clip you're using for the project and draw a leaf on paper that's slightly shorter than the length of the clip. Use two strands of green embroidery floss to stitch veins on one of the leaves.

To make the ladybug, use two black seed beads to attach a red button onto the embroidered leaf: Knot the floss and insert the needle into the back of the leaf, through one of the buttonholes, through one seed bead, and then back down through the same buttonhole. Make another stitch the same way, pulling the floss tightly so the seed bead sits snugly in the hole. Attach the second seed bead to the other buttonhole in the same way, and then knot the floss securely on the wrong side of the leaf. Use black floss to embroider the ladybug's head and legs on the leaf.

Almost finished! Now sew the embroidered leaf to the plain leaf using green embroidery floss and running stitch. Open the hair clip and sew the leaf to the top prong of the clip, stitching through only the bottom layer of the leaf.

That's it--your ladybug hair clip is ready for summer! Clip it in your own hair, or give it to a little ladybug fan--just keep in mind that buttons and beads can pose choking risks to small children.

Summer Sun Watch

This broken watch has been hanging out in my box of jewelry supplies for several years now. It's missing all of its essential pieces, so it's useless as a timepiece--but it still makes a cute bracelet. And in summer, who really cares what time it is anyway?

I made a tiny cross-stitch sun to fit inside the watch case. You can click here to download and print the Small Sun Cross-Stitch Chart. My watch is pretty small, so I used 22-count Aida fabric so the finished design would fit. If your watch is larger, you can use another fabric--18-count or 14-count, for example--to create a larger sun design. When the stitching is complete, measure the diameter of the opening on the back of the watch and use a disappearing fabric marker to draw a same-size circle around the sun. Cut along the line and fit sun the watch case. 

If your watch still has a back piece, you can snap it in place. My watch didn't have a back, so I used super glue to attach a flat orange button over the opening. For a finishing touch, I made a colorful stem for the bracelet. I slid a yellow seed bead onto a jewelry head pin, cut the pin to fit, and then used super glue to secure it in the stem opening.

That's it! Cute, right? And don't be disappointed if you're not a cross-stitcher. Just substitute a little picture of the sun--one you draw yourself or download from your computer--for the embroidered fabric.

Felt Daisy Pillow

This pretty pillow combines some of my crafting obsessions: wool-blend felt, embroidery floss, and a gray-and-gold color palette. The design may look a little complicated, but it's really easy if you take it one step at a time. You'll need felt (I used wool-blend felt sheets from Sweet Emma Jean, one of my favorite Etsy shops), white and gold embroidery floss, polyester fiberfill, and fabric for the pillow back. 

The first step is cutting out the felt pieces. Click here to download and print the daisy petal and daisy center patterns. Cut 8 daisy petals from white felt, and 1 daisy center from dark gray felt. Also cut the following pieces:

Diagram 1

From heather gray: Two 5¾" squares

From gold: Two 5¾" squares

From dark gray: two 1 ¼" by 11" strips and two 1¼" by 12 ½" strips

Diagram 2

Now it's time to assemble the pillow pieces. Following diagram 1, sew the pillow background pieces together using matching sewing thread or floss and ¼" seam allowance. Sew each of the gold squares to a heather gray square, then sew the gold-heather gray strips together to create a checkerboard pattern. Sew the gray strips to the edges of the checkerboard square as shown to create the pillow border.

When the background of the pillow front is finished, it's time to work on the daisy. Following diagram 2, sew the daisy center and petals to the pillow front. Use two strands of gold embroidery floss to backstitch the concentric circle details on the daisy center and a wavy pattern on the border (see photos). With white embroidery floss, embroider the backstitch details on the daisy petals.

Now cut a 12½" square of fabric for the pillow back. I used a gray cotton print, but you could use also use felt or another coordinating fabric. Pin the pillow front and back together, right sides facing. Sew the pieces together with ¼" seam allowance, leaving an opening for turning. Trim the corners, turn the pillow right side out, and stuff it with fiberfill. Stitch the opening closed, and your pillow is finished! Just find a cozy corner in your home to show it off. 

Close-ups of the embroidery details and the fabric I used for the back of the pillow.

Stamped Bug Note Cards

If you're like me, you enjoy receiving a hand-written note once in awhile, instead of an email. I also like sending cards that I've made myself for birthdays, holidays--or no occasion at all. I think rubber stamping is the easiest, fastest way to make cards that are pretty and personal. For these bug-themed cards I used scraps of colored card stock from my paper stash and just two inkpads--black and green. 

For the background panels, I stamped swirl, fern, and bamboo patterns on green paper with green ink. For the bug panels, I stamped tiny bugs with black ink on red, yellow, and orange paper. To assemble the cards, I mounted a bug panel on a slightly smaller black background panel with double-stick tape. I used wavy scissors on some of the black panels, but you can use pinking shears or any decorative-edge scissors you like. Next, I mounted the bug panels on the green background panels with more double-stick tape.

When all of the stamped panels were complete, I fastened them to the front of purchased note cards. I used my computer to print "Thinking of you," "Hi There," and "Hello . . ." on my cards in a cute typeface before I assembled the cards. You could also use hand-lettering or rubber stamps to add greetings to your cards. 

These are the stamps I used--swirl background: Penny Black Inc., fern: Rubber Stampede, bamboo: All Night Media. I bought the ladybug, butterfly, and dragonfly stamps many years ago. I don't have the original packaging anymore, so I'm not sure who the manufacturer is. If anyone recognizes them, please let me know so I can give them proper credit.