Category Archives: Fall Decor

Oct22

Felt Applique Tutorial – How to Make Felt Appliques

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I love to make cute felt appliques to add a special touch to my kids tee shirts or pants. I have honestly tried every way possible to make them and I feel i have mastered the whole process well enough to share it with you.

For this felt applique tutorial I will be making Halloween appliques. This year my family is being The Frankensteins, so I decided to make us a a set of “The Bride Of Frankenstein” and “Frankenstein” himself. You can use the craft felt found at Michael’s and Joann Fabrics or polar fleece if you happen to have some in your fabric scrap pile. These Fabrics do not fray so you are good to go once your shapes are cut out . Of course, there are many ways to make a felt applique,  but for this project I chose to use a hand cut template I drew myself and then fabric glue to attach them to the fabric. Yes, I know ALL about using fusible web….but they really don’t last more than one trip in the washing machine. If you go the Heat ‘n Bond fusible web route, you really have to sew the whole applique down to the fabric after you iron it on. I have tried about five different highly recommended fabric glues over the years and the winner is Aleene’s Flexible Stretchable Fabric Glue. It is non toxic, stays put through machine washing, and leaves your applique soft and pliable once dry. A lot of the other ones dry to a stiff board texture and can feel and look too stiff, especially on a kids shirt. If you need a more rigid applique for your particular project then I suggest Aleene’s Fabric Fusion. Both glues are pictured above.

After you have set aside your different color felts, you will need to print the following full size templates. This is the actual scan of my felt shapes and the  easiest method is to print theses on sticker paper.

Next, cut out the stickers and place them on the back of the matching color felt. Now, you have an easy sticker template attached to your felt. Grab your favorite scissors and cut out your shapes.

Before glueing your felt applique onto your fabric you will need to protect the inside of it with a sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap. This will prevent any fabric glue from soaking through to the back of the tee-shirt, etc. Use a light coat of fabric glue on the back of your felt pieces and lightly pat them into place on your fabric. Once the entire applique is glued down, set it aside in a flat dry place for 24 hours. This method is great for anytime of the year and I hope you enjoy the Halloween templates.

Oct8

How To Make Apple Candles

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Make a beautiful arrangement straight from nature or add a unique accent to your existing Fall decor. This craft couldn’t be simpler and the end result is so rewarding! All you need to do is take your candle or votive and trace the shape onto your fruit. Take a knife and carve out the shape you traced. All that is left to do is scoop out to the depth of your candle and place it inside. This also works well with any fruits or vegetables, like mini pumpkins, gourds, or pears.

Sep23

Spiderweb Balloon Craft

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I wanted to share this amazingly simple and fun Halloween craft to do with your family or school kids. The directions couldn’t be easier and you can really take this idea and tweak it a million different ways to suit your decorating needs. With little ones in the house, I have been forced to tame the dark and scary decorations , so I chose to keep it classic white. My 2-year-old loved making this craft and he calls them his spider family. Some other variations include spraying the finished spiderweb with glow in the dark paint, adding glitter glue to make it sparkle, and of course using a variety of colors. I will make some more in different sizes to create a grouping and hang them from different heights. Here are the directions:

  • Inflate a balloon and hang it above your table . I used a chandelier to hang my balloon.
  • Pour white glue out on a paper plate. Put newspaper under the balloon.
  • Dip yarn of your choice into the glue and squeeze it through your fingers to remove excess. It should still be coated with adequate glue.
  • Place the glue covered yarn onto the balloon in a random fashion overlapping until you are happy with how it looks.
  • Let It dry overnight .
  • Pop the balloon and remove the balloon pieces.
  • Marvel at your masterpiece and then hang it with toy spiders attached to the web.

Sep18

Apple Shrunken Heads Craft

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If you are looking for a simple and fun craft to do with the kids, then look no further than the classic Apple Shrunken Head Craft. I remember doing this in class as a little girl and getting so excited to watch my carved apple transform into a shriveled up little face. The best part is that no two apples turn out the same, it’s inexpensive, and anyone can do it. I am the room mom this year in my oldest son’s first grade class and I am going to do this with the kids next week.  Here’s how to do it!

  • Peel your apples. I prefer Granny Smith, but a variety of apples will provide different results.
  • Draw a face on the peeled apple with a pencil or marker to map out the places to carve. You can skip this step if you want to free hand cut the apple face.
  • Carve away at the apple to sculpt a face. Be sure to carve off all marker or pencil. Kids can carve with a plastic knife with adult supervision. I have also let the children use Play Doh utensils for different effects.
  • Next, you need to make a mixture of 1 CUP Lemon Juice and 1 TBSP of salt.
  • Spoon Lemon Mixture over your carved apples
  • You can use uncooked grains of rice for teeth and a bead or a seed for little eyes.
  • Poke the bottom of the apple with a stick. You can use a pencil, stick from outside, anything you have available.
  • Place the apple heads upright on their sticks in a DRY, WARM environment. Each day they will transform with the final process taking 1 -2 weeks.

I know the kids will be so excited to bring their creation home and display it for everyone to see. Pictured above is a simple, yet effective, way to display a group of Apple Heads. Just fill any glass bowl with river rocks and top with moss to create an eerie decoration. You could use anything in the bowl, like candycorns, pinecones, or anything your creative little heart desires.

Sep14

Festive Fall Wreaths

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Fall is here and it is time to treat your front door to a beautiful, festive wreath. The great thing about making a wreath , is that you can make it as simple or as elaborate as your want. I have found some amazing tutorials to inspire you to create your own Fall wreath. This is such a great project to let the kids get involved with.  A handmade wreath is such an inviting way to welcome friends into your home.