Circles Have No End ... To Ideas

 

The theme for this months blog is “Four Seasons Crafting with Chapter 3 Dies”, I chose to use the Ornament Box die. Sunflowers seem to be perfect for Summer and Autumn decorations. Using the simple circle shape set my mind searching for ideas. What different ways can this shape be used? Can any of the other shape designs on the die be used? Combining three of the shapes included on this die brought a out the sunflower garland. ***An added bonus of two other ideas are also included using the circle cut in simple ways. 

TIPS & NOTES: 

(Please read these tips and notes before beginning the project.)

Before listing the steps to make the sunflower garland here are some tips on materials and process that I used.  The garland can be made with any amount of flowers needed for a short expanse to a larger one.  The projects colors lend itself to the summertime and autumnal seasons but using a different color pallete with the same instructions can make lovely decorations for any season.  

Being a lover of paper, of course papers can be used to make these flowers, but it’s always fun to experiment with other materials to combine for texture and uniqueness. After paper my “go to” is always fabrics! 

Crepe paper is used for some of the petals but petals can also be cut from coffee filters that are colored by dying them with inks or diluted paints. The coffee filters are stronger then tissue paper. Make sure the grain of the crepe paper is running vertically on the elongated oval die shape before cutting out the pieces needed. 

The zig-zag design on the die is used for added embellishment around the centers of the flowers. A light weight cotton print was backed with a light weight cotton fusible fabric to help keep the shape to these pieces. (This is optional but wanted to use/show as many shapes from this die as possible.) A ready made rick-rack or other trim could also be used as an extra embellishment. 

The leaves were cut from two shades of green felt using a shape from a nested set of thinlit dies by Sizzix (likely retired now), use another leaf die or make a paper pattern, trace and cut your own leaf design. 

These steps can be altered as needed or desired for your own look or interpretation.

Materials

Eileen Hull Ornament Box die

Leaf dies

Sizzzix Big Shot 

Fabrics 

Felt

Fusible adhesive

Crepe paper, yellow/gold 

Coffee filter, colored with ink or paint (optional)

Metallic mesh ribbon (optional)

Ribbon 

Corrugated board

Double sided adhesive

White craft glue

Ribbon or cording 

Iron

Pressing board

Instructions:

• After choosing fabric for the circle centers of the flowers, adhere a fusible interfacing between two layers of the fabric. 

• Cut the circle shape from the layered fabric for each of the flowers needed.  
• Cut circles from a mesh ribbon for each flower.

• Glue the mesh circles over the fabric circles, by applying glue around the outer edge.
• From the crepe paper, using the narrow oval shape on the die, cut 18 pieces for the petals of each flower. (If using an additional type of material for the petals cut half the amount (9) from each). 

• Fold each of the petals in half. 
• Slightly crease the folded edge and glue the fold in place.  
• When glue dries, shape the petals by slightly pulling out from the center. 

• Glue the 18 folded petal shapes around the edge of the fabric circles.
• Space evenly around to fill and slightly overlapping if necessary. 
• Cut leaves from green felt, two large, one small. 
• Cut a circle from corrugated to back each flower.  
• Apply a double-sided adhesive to a green fabric and cut circles to match the amount of flowers made.  
• Apply the adhesive backed circles to one side of the corrugated circles.  
• Glue leave in place on the back of each flower (refer to photo for placement).   
• Lay a length of ribbon along the top of each flower and attach with glue to hold in place. (Space the flowers apart as evenly as possible.) 
• Glue the green fabric covered circles to the back of each flower.  
• Cut 3 zig-zag shapes for each flower. These are glued around the center of the flowers for added embellishment. (Refer to photo below) Overlap the end of each zig-zag shape slightly. Adjust the curve of these pieces to the circle shape. 

Close-up of petal, trim, leaves

Half Moon Felt Garland

Cut circles from felt.  Fold each in half and press in the fold. On a length of thin cord, glue the half moon shapes along the cord.  Leave a small space between each.  Loop a strip of torn fabric between each. It these to the length desired. Embellish the felt pieces with embellishments if desired or leave plain. Refer to photo for placement of components.

Tiny Notes

Cut four circles from decorative, double sided papers. Fold each circle in half. Place the four together as shown.  Hold in place with some small clear pieces of tape on the inside.  Apply a 3” square of solid paper onto the inside center, along the folds. Make a band from a strip of the paper to wrap around the tiny note card. Tuck one in anywhere with a special message! How nice to find a little note in a lunch bag or box, a backpack pocket, a coat pocket and more.

Spring Foward with Cheery Ideas

Spring brings with it more sun, more daylight, longer days, green grass, budding trees and plants ... what's not to love! 

Here are a few little projects, old and new, to show the versatility of Eileen Hull's dies and other Sizzix dies. 

I'll begin with the basket created with the older LOAF PAN die. The die-cut piece was then  embossed and filled with little felt flowers made from another Eileen Hull thinlit die.  Wire handles are added that are made by using the TWIST & STYLE tool by Eileen also. You can find a link to the older blog post here (LINK).

Next comes one of my very favorite dies, the GIFT BOX! This die makes a great square box that can be refigured in so many ways.  Here I used it to create a square basket to hold some spring flowers. I covered poster board with fabric before cutting the shapes. The scalloped edge is also from the die and made with more poster board covered with white fabric.  The basket handle is twisted strips of torn, green fabric, again made using the TWIST& STYLE tool. 

The second piece in this photo used the Eileen Hull 3D VASE die-cut to hold the handmade, paper mache primitive bunny. 

Here is the latest little projects made using Sizzix dies.  The little bunny pins are made using the oval shape from Eileen Hull's TINY BOOK die.  The ears are cut from a leaf die-cut from the FOLIO PAGE & FLOWER thinlit die set.  The tiny felt flowers, leaves, bow and hearts are other various Sizzix dies.  Again I layered a muslin fabric to a sheet of kraft colored card stock to cut the oval and ears. I sealed the edges of the fabric shapes with some clear gesso to keep the edges from fraying too much.  A pin tack was glued to the back side of the oval.

Also the TULIP were made from a different Sizzix die and the sculpture foam. All placed on a TAG cut from another SIzzix die. These were made as little gifts to give to a few friends that I was recently able to finally see, actually in person, in a safe setting after months and months of FaceTime or Zoom meetups!

NOTE: Some of the dies used in these projects are not available through Sizzix any longer. They may possibly be found by searching online.