Appliqued Autumn Leaf Sachet

I am a great believer in the power of aromatherapy. I haven't studied the topic scientifically, and I'm not an expert on the use of essential oils. I just know that certain scents have an amazing effect on my mood. Citrus energizes me, lavender calms me, and cinnamon gives me a feeling of warmth. If you follow my blog, you know that pine is another of my favorite scents--and not just for Christmas. I use the cozy, homey aroma of pine balsam year-round. As you may have guessed, this appliqued autumn leaf sachet filled with pine balsam. It's easy to sew from wool-blend felt and embroidery floss.

To start, cut two 4-inch squares from orange and sage green wool-blend felt. Cut a simple leaf shape from gold felt and whip-stitch it to the orange piece with two strands of sage green embroidery floss. Use stem stitch to create a stem at the base of the leaf. With orange and gold embroidery floss, backstitch veins on the leaf.

When the applique and embroidery are complete, pin the orange and sage green squares of felt together, wrong sides facing. Sew the pieces together using gold embroidery floss and blanket stitch. Leave an opening so you can fill the sachet.

Fill the sachet with dry pine balsam, which you can find at craft stores or online vendors. (Be careful not to "over stuff" the sachet, or it will be hard to stitch it closed.) Stitch the opening closed with blanket stitch, and your appliqued autumn leaf sachet is finished! Tuck it in a basket or on a shelf to give a room a woodsy scent and a touch of autumn color.

Fall Craft Roundup

The official start of fall may still be a few weeks away, but fall crafting season has definitely arrived. It's time to pull out your gorgeous gold, orange, and brown fabrics and felt and start stitching up some autumn accessories. This week, I've collected six fall favorite projects that I featured on my blog last year. Just clink on the title of each project to go to the original post and instructions.


Tiny Pine Pillows--Super-simple pine sachets are sewn from camp blanket-print fabric and filled with pine balsam.

Squirrel and Crow Napkin Ties--Dress up an autumn table with napkin ties hand-sewn from felt and ribbon.

Acorn Treat Bag--An assortment of earthy buttons adorns the cap of a felt acorn bag that can hold treats for kids or grownups.

Oak Leaf Name Tags--Personalize embroidered felt oak leaves with hand-lettered vellum overlays.

Fall Patchwork Pillow--A patchwork pillow pieced from fun fall fabrics is a perfect project for beginning stitchers.

Oak Branch Cross-Stitch Pin--Cross-stitch a simple oak leaf and acorn design and mount it in a pin setting to create fall art you can wear.

Happy Fall! And happy stitching!

Easy Footstool Makeover

Have you ever had a project that you keep putting off? For one reason or another, you can't find the time to tackle it or you have other projects you'd rather work on. I have had many, but this little footstool wins the prize. I've been procrastinating about giving it a makeover if for years. Now that I've finally finished, I can only ask myself--Why did I wait so long?


I bought the footstool at a local discount store ages ago. It was perfect for stashing sewing supplies, and it was small enough to tuck under a chair. It wasn't this sad looking when it was new, but with each passing month, it became more obvious that it needed help. Luckily, it only needed a face-lift--not major surgery.


I didn't spend a penny on the makeover materials. I just chose a paint color (from the many cans stored in the basement) and a coordinating fabric (from my extensive stash) and got to work. First, I removed the padded lid and hardware and gave the wooden base a light sanding. One coat of primer and three coats of pale gray eggshell paint gave the stool a fresh new look.


When it came to re-covering the lid, I at first thought about removing the original fabric. I quickly talked myself out of that idea, which would undoubtedly involved a lot of time and frustration. Instead, I just measured my fabric so it wrapped around the lid with plenty of overlap, and then used a heavy-duty stapler to fasten the fabric edges on the lid's underside. I stapled a piece of gray felt onto underside of the lid to conceal the raw fabric edges. For the final step, I re-attached the hinges. Ta-da! The project that I had put off for years took me only a few hours to complete--and isn't it adorable? Make me think I should start tackling some of my other "procrastination projects."

Seaside Stars & Stripes Cross-Stitch Picture

If you follow my blog, you know I'm a bit obsessed with cross-stitch. I've shared a few simple projects over the past two-plus years. (You can visit the "Free Cross-Stitch Charts" tab above to see the patterns that are available.) I hope some stitchers have found them and enjoyed them. I also hope I've also inspired a few crafters to give cross-stitch a try.

This week I'm celebrating the (almost) end of summer with my Seaside Stars & Stripes Cross-Stitch picture, which was featured in the Summer 2015 issue of Craft Ideas magazine. The stars are white starfish floating in a blue tide. The stripes are made up of red crabs, fish, and lobsters, and white shells and sand dollars. I admit--it's a big project, but it may not be as difficult as it looks. Once you master each little motif, you just stitch the same design again and again.

If you'd like to cross-stitch your own sea-themed stars and stripes, click here to go to the chart and instructions on the Craft Ideas website. If you'd rather start with a simpler project, try the Cross-Stitch Lobster Ornament that I posted earlier this summer.

Happy stitching--whichever design you choose!

Pom-Pom Flip-Flops & Necklace

I've gone a little pom-pom crazy since I bought a pom-pom maker a few months ago. I love making pom-poms in different colors and finding new ways to incorporate them into my crafting. I had a bunch of red pom-poms left over from another project, so I used them to add some fun to summertime accessories.

Even though back-to-school shopping is in full swing, I have no intention of giving up my flip-flops any time soon. But I do think pom-poms gave my red-and-white pair an extra touch of cuteness. I used red worsted-weight yarn and a 1 5/8-inch pom-pom maker to create the pom-poms shown here. (Visit my Pink Pom-Pom Garland post to learn how to use a pom-pom maker.) After I trimmed and fluffed the pom-poms, I just tied them onto the flip-flop straps. And yes, they do tickle!

As you can see, the necklace is also a super-easy project. I just tied five pom-poms, evenly spaced, to the links of a silver chain I had in my jewelry-making supplies. A clasp finished it off, and now my pom-pom necklace is ready for a summer party.

Tricks, Treats and More in the Fall issue of "Craft Ideas"

I know, I know . . . it's only August. Too early to start thinking about Halloween, right? Not if you're a crafter. If you want to make your own Fall and Halloween decor, it's time to start stitching, painting, and gluing. Good news--the Fall issue of Craft Ideas magazine is coming to newsstands on August 23, and it's filled projects for fall, Halloween, back-to-school, and Thanksgiving.

One of those projects is my Trick-or-Treat Mouse. The cute little rodent is hand-stitched from wool-blend felt and wears a purple cape, green mask, and a tiny trick-or-treat bag. Click here to see a sneak peek of more projects from the issue!

Hand-Sewn Felt Seashells

When I was a young girl, I was fascinated with seashells, even though I lived far from the ocean in Northeastern Pennsylvania. A friend of my grandparents, whom my siblings and I knew as Uncle Bozo, would bring me a few shells for my collection whenever he visited. I even had a little guidebook that contained illustrations of hundreds of different seashells that could be found all over the world.

I'm not sure what happened to my original seashell collection, but over the years I have gathered many shells during my own visits to East Coast beaches. I keep them in jars and baskets around the house because I'm still fascinated by their shapes and textures.

I tried to celebrate--not duplicate--the beauty of seashells with a collection of felt shells that appeared in the Summer 2015 issue of Craft Ideas magazine. I used felt and embroidery floss to create replicas of a scallop shell, oyster shell, sand dollar, and starfish. (I think the scallop shell is my favorite.)

If you'd like to try to sew your own seashell--or the whole collection, click here to go to the instructions and patterns on the Craft Ideas website.

"Citrus Motifs" Design Featured in Just CrossStitch Magazine

Wow, summer is just flying by! The August issue of Just CrossStitch magazine is on newsstands now, and my citrus design is inside. The design features bright slices of orange, lemon, and lime--cross-sections of avacado and kiwi too (they may not be citrus, but they certainly are summery). The bottom left photo shows some of the detail. 

If all that fruit is intimidating, you can stitch just one slice of citrus on perforated paper and make it into a refrigerator magnet. By the way, don't you just love that beautiful flamingo on the cover by Marie Barber?

Farmer's Market Tote

It's farmer's market season again--time to stock up on the fresh fruits and veggies our local farmers grow. I bring this canvas tote along to carry the zucchinis, carrots, beets, and greens I buy. 

The vegetable shapes are cut from wool-blend felt sheets and appliqued to a felt background panel. Simple embroidery stitches--backstitch, split stitch, French knots, satin stitch, and straight stitch--add color and texture to the veggies. If you're intimidated by this project, don't be--it's easier than it looks. I purchased the canvas tote ready-made at Michael's and just sewed the appliqued panel to it. 

This design was originally published in the 2015 Garden Issue of Craft Ideas magazine. Click here to go to the instructions on the Craft Ideas website. You'll find a link to the patterns there too.

Summer Craft Roundup

Happy Fourth of July! To celebrate, I've rounded up six of my favorite summertime crafts. They're all simple projects that you can cross-stitch, crochet, stitch, or craft. Click on the title of the project below to visit its original blog post. 

Crocheted Sea Glass Pendant

Use embroidery floss and crocheted chain stitch to transform a piece of colored sea glass into a unique pendant.

Star-Spangled Garland

This simple paper star garland can be a family project--grownups can do the tracing and cutting, the kids can glue the layers of stars together with glue stick.

Crocheted Paillette Necklace

Another easy crochet accessory. This one uses paillettes (oversize sequins) and embroidery floss to create a frothy necklace.

Summer Sun Watch

A little cross-stitch sun replaces the clock face on this wrist watch. Who cares what time it is when you're on vacation?

Flowery Fabric Pendant

To make this summer accessory, embellish a scrap of pretty fabric with embroidery and mount it in a pendant setting.

Felt Watermelon Basket

This fresh felt watermelon basket looks good enough to eat. You can use it to hold coasters or other tabletop trinkets.

Fourth of July Napkin Ties

You can never have too many stars and stripes on your Fourth of July table, right? These cute napkin ties are a great project for using up stash from your craft closet. They're easy to stitch from felt, ribbon, and buttons.

For each napkin ring, cut three different size stars from red, white, and blue felt. The stars I used are 4 inches, 3 inches, and 2 inches wide. (Cut out two of the large star so you have one for the backing.) Use two strands of matching embroidery floss and running stitch to sew the small star to the middle star. Sew a button to the center of the small star, and then sew the appliqued middle star to the large star. To make the tie, center a 24-inch piece of ribbon over the backing star. Pin the appliqued star to the backing star, sandwiching the ribbon between. Stitch the two large stars together with running stitch, being careful to secure the ribbon in place. 

Repeat the process until you have enough napkin ties for all of your Fourth of July guests.

See My Cross-Stitch Goldfish in "Craft Ideas" Magazine

The Summer 2016 issue of Craft Ideas magazine is out, and my cross-stitched goldfish is inside. It's a beanbag that can be used as a bookend. (My kind of pet--no feeding required.) The issue is filled with lots of cute summertime projects. Look for it on your newsstand . . . Happy crafting!

Cross-Stitch Lobster Ornament

June has finally arrived, which means beach season is here! Even though I'm landlocked here in Pennsylvania, I love beachy decor in summertime. This little lobster ornament is quick to cross-stitch, and it looks so cute hanging in the kitchen. You can make a bunch and use them to decorate your patio or picnic table.

This project uses just three colors of DMC 6-strand embroidery floss: 310 Black, 321 Christmas Red, and 498 Dark Christmas Red. My lobster is stitched on 14-count white Aida fabric, but you can use 11-count or 18-count. Follow the chart and key below and use two strands of floss to cross-stitch your lobster.

Little Lobster   ©2016 Kathleen Berlew

When the stitching is finished, cut the lobster from the Aida, leaving a border of six fabric squares on all sides. Cut two pieces of red felt to the size you want your ornament to be and sew the cross-stitched Aida to one of the felt pieces with white thread. Make your stitching line three squares beyond all sides of the cross-stitching. To finish the ornament, pin the to felt pieces together, wrong sides facing, and sew them together with red embroidery floss and running stitch. Sew a piece of red-and-white gingham ribbon in place at the top of the ornament. Leave an opening at the bottom, fill the ornament with fiberfill, and stitch it closed.

Pink Pom-Pom Garland

Even though the weather hasn't been cooperating lately, spring flowers are blooming like crazy in our garden. The peonies are getting ready to pop, and I see cherry blossoms and dogwood trees blooming all over the neighborhood. Those pretty pink flowers gave me the idea for this week's blog project--a super-simple pink pom-pom garland. Just perfect for warm-weather decorating, don't you think?

The first step is making a bunch of pom-poms. I used this pom-pom maker--one of my favorite recent purchases--which makes the process much easier than the cardboard template method.

Follow the directions that come with your pom-pom maker. For the model I have, you wrap the yarn around the "wings" on both sides . . .

then cut through the loops and tie a piece of yarn tightly around the center.

When you open up the pom-pom maker, you have a perfect little pom-pom. Just trim the ends even and fluff it up a bit. Be sure to leave the tail ends of yarn as is.

When you make as many pom-poms as you like, tie them to a piece of baby rickrack and trim the tails even with the rest of the yarn strands.

I love the look of this pink-on-pink garland, but I must confess--I chose the color scheme because I had some pink yarn and rickrack on hand that I wanted to use. Now that I've made one garland, I think I'm going to have bunches more in lots of different colors.

Cross-Stitch Veggie Hoop

I love veggies--cooking them, eating them, and stitching them. I'm not much of a vegetable gardener, but I did make this little veggie cross-stitch hoop to celebrate gardening season. I stitched the radish, carrot, asparagus, peapod, and tomato design with DMC embroidery floss on 18-count white Aida, and it fits perfectly in this little 3-inch hoop. If you would rather use a different size of Aida or even-weave fabric, just adjust your hoop size. Click https://drive.google.com/open?id=129TwXRUZYatKSpLYfDA8DlnpKNXakwUxto download and print the chart and color key.

If you're new to cross-stitch, this is a good beginner project. There are only seven floss colors, and it stitches up really fast. I finished this carrot in a few minutes while I was watching TV (or, more accurately, listening to TV).

And here it is, all finished and framed. Those veggies look good enough to eat, don't you think?

Crochet-Covered Earrings

Who wouldn't love a pair of crochet-covered earrings for Mother's Day? They're cute and cool and--best of all--easy to make. I started with a pair of plastic earrings that I found in a jewelry box and some bright blue worsted-weight yarn. 

If you don't have any earrings just like these, don't worry. You can crochet over many types of hoop earrings--use your imagination. And of course you can use any color yarn you have on hand. I had just bought a big skein of this beautiful blue, but you really only need a small amount. You could also try yarn of a different weight, but I really like the coverage and texture that the worsted-weight created.

There are no tricky stitches involved--just single crochet. To begin, wrap the end of the yarn around one of the earring hoops and start working in single crochet. Just stitch through the center of the hoop as if you were working through a crochet stitch. As you crochet around the hoop, work over the starting end of the yarn. I spaced my stitches so they were close together, but not bunched up; I wanted to let a little of the hoop peek through. When the stitching is finished, cut the yarn and knot the last stitch closed. Use a large-eyed needle to pull the yarn ends under the stitches, and then trim any stray ends that try to poke through your crochet stitches.  

Repeat the process for the second earring and you have a one-of-a-kind Mother's Day gift--or a new pair of earrings for yourself.

Jelly Jar Sewing Kit

Mason jar projects have been popping up all over the place, so I guess I may as well join in on the fun. I've had this pretty little jelly jar for a while, and I finally found the perfect way to use it. So here are my super-simple instructions for making a jelly jar sewing kit.

It all started with this emergency sewing kit I picked up at a dollar store. It's very functional--but not much to look at--so I gave it a makeover.

I knew I wanted to use the top of the jar as a pincushion, so I chose a few coordinating fabrics from my stash. Use whatever prints or solids you have around; you really only need a few scraps. For the pincushion top, cut a circle about one inch in diameter larger than the jar lid insert. Baste around the edge of the fabric circle and set it aside for a minute.

Use double-stick tape to secure a puff of polyester fiberfill to the top of the jar insert and then place the basted circle over the lid. Pull the thread tightly so it fits snugly over the insert and knot it. To cover up the underside of the lid, cut a circle from another print fabric--or from a piece of colored heavyweight paper--and tape or glue it over the bottom of the insert. (You'll see the end result in the final photo.)

When you turn the insert right side up, you'll see your finished pincushion. Now pop the pincushion into the jar ring. The fabric held my insert firmly in place--no need for glue or tape.

Now it's time to gather your sewing kit supplies. I used the thread and cute little scissors that came with the kit, but I added a few extras. To hold the needles, I swapped a piece of bright felt for the flimsy foil, and I replaced the plastic thimble with a pretty vintage one. I also added a few colorful buttons to the kit and topped the pincushion with some ball-head straight pins.

All the supplies fit perfectly in the jar--and see how nice the underside of the lid looks covered with print fabric? I admit that my jelly jar sewing kit isn't something I can carry in my purse for button emergencies, but it really looks cute in my craft room.