Thursday 3 October 2013

How To: Make a Mini Felt Apple Tree

To celebrate the launch of my new book, Super-Cute Felt Animals, I'm sharing a collection of free tutorials that you can mix and match with the projects from the book.

This week's projects coordinate with the "On the Farm" chapter. Today, learn how to sew a little felt apple tree!


To make the apple tree, you will need...
- the template sheet at the bottom of this post
- green felt, approx. 3 ¼ x 5 in (8 x 12 cm)
- brown felt, approx. 2 x 2 in (5 x 5 cm)
- red felt, approx. 1 x 2 in (2.5 x 5 cm)
- a small piece of spring green felt
- green, brown and red sewing thread
- stuffing & a pencil or other small stuffing tool
- needle, pins & embroidery scissors (great for cutting out small felt shapes!)

If you want you could also add some sparkle to the apple tree by sewing a round red sequin on each of the felt apples. 


1. Use the templates provided to cut out two brown trunks, two green trees, six spring green leaves and six red apples.

2. Sew the two trunk shapes together using whip stitch in matching brown sewing thread. Leave the top edge open and stuff the bottom three-quarters of the trunk.

 

3. Place the trunk on one of the tree shapes – this will become the back of your tree. Sew the trunk in position with a line of whip stitch in matching green sewing thread, sewing into the green felt but not through it. Set this piece aside for a moment.

 

4. Decorate the front tree shape by adding the apples and the leaves, as pictured. Sew the apples on with whip stitch in matching red sewing thread. Then add the leaves with green sewing thread, sewing a line of backstitch down the centre of each leaf.

 

5. Place the front and back tree pieces together and sew around the edge with whip stitch in matching green sewing thread. Turn the tree back and forth as you sew past the trunk to help keep your stitching neat on both sides. Leave a gap large enough for your finger and stuff the tree. Then sew up the remaining gap with more whip stitches and finish your stitching neatly at the back.

 

Click here to view the template sheet in another window/tab, and print it at 100%.


This tutorial is for non commercial use only: you can use it to make as many felt apple trees as you want for yourself or as gifts, but please don't make any for sale. You may borrow a few photos if you want to blog about this project, but remember to credit me and link back to the original source, and do not reproduce my entire tutorial on your site. Thanks!


Super Cute-Felt Animals is published by CICO Books, RRP £12.99. It includes 35 fun felt projects, each with illustrated step-by-step instructions. It's available to buy at Amazon UK and Amazon USA and many other bookshops.

Please note: the Amazon links in this post are affiliate links.

Enjoyed this free tutorial? Buy me a "coffee" and help support my blog!

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Subscribe to my newsletter for a monthly free pattern and visit my crafty tutorial archive for lots more free projects.

Visit my shop to buy my printable PDF sewing patterns:

3 comments:

Kay said...

This is absolutely darling.

Bugs and Fishes said...

Thanks Kay! x

Bugs and Fishes said...

Thanks Carmen :)