Creative Budget - Easter Egg decorations

It's Creative Budget time again and here is the little bundle of goodies I received from Abakhan for my latest challenge.
 

• 5 balls of Hayfield Bonus DK acrylic yarn in lovely pastel colours
• 5 squares of felt in same lovey pastel colours
• pack of stranded embroidery cotton in gorgeous spring brights!

 
Today I am going to show you what I did with all that lovely felt...


Easter Egg Decorations

These cute little embroidered felt Easter Eggs are just the thing for bringing a little Easter cheer into your home and they are so easy to make.

Draw yourself an egg shape template onto card (I used an empty cereal box) You can make you eggs whatever size you like - a display with a mix of sizes would be cool - mine measure approx 6.5cm x 4.5cm.









Fold your felt square in half and draw around your template. Pin through the two layers of felt before cutting out your egg shapes.





Cut a small piece of ribbon to match (or clash beautifully) and pin it between the layers to make a loop at the top of your egg.

Now take a length of embroidery floss in a coordinating colour and stitch around the edge of your egg with small running stitches or, if you refer you could use a blanket stitch. (I used 2 strands doubled for both the outer seam and the embroidered detail) Stuff lightly for a padded effect before finishing the seam.

Now you can decorate your egg - I used different colours of embroidery floss and decorative stitches but you could do anything you want - let the littlies join in and glue feathers, sequins and googly eyes on the the eggs or go for something a little more sophisticated and use tiny seed beads to embellish your stitching.

Hang your pretty Easter Egg decorations around the place to bring a little eggy cheer to your home!

How about making a whole stack of hanging eggs and hiding them around the house or garden for an Easter Egg hunt? 

I still have a little pile of these to decorate - as the Little Man has finished school for the Easter hols I may even let him have a go too! I promise to show you the results later in the week...

But what about all that lovely pastel coloured yarn? Well, I'll save that for next week but if you want a clue just visit my inspiration pinboard here  ;-)

Happy Spring

Happy Spring people!

Let's do our best to ignore the snow (both fallen and forecast) and focus instead on the vivid flashes of colour poking through, reminding us that warmer days really are just around the corner.

Honestly...

Wordless Wednesday 27/02/13

Half term - Cathedral, Craft, Cats and Colour

I know many of you are having half term holidays right now but ours was last week. I like half terms so much better than the main holidays. A week out of the routine is just long enough for us both to recharge our batteries - it's amazing what difference not having to set the alarm makes.
Not that we slept in very much later, mind you, but it is nice not having to rush out of bed!

I really wanted to take the Little Man to visit a castle, as that is what he has been learning about at school. There are several good ones locally - Chepstow, Raglan and Goodrich are all wonderful to visit - but it is just too early in the year for them to be open. I think we may have to save that trip for Easter or maybe summer hols.
Instead we had a mooch around Gloucester Cathedral (you know - where they filmed bits of Harry Potter ;-) ) Little Man just loved it and it I loved seeing him gazing around in awe.

Later in the week we went to my mum and dads for a few days.

I always like going to my parents place for a little break. I like not having to run around and do everything. I like eating big meals together as a family. As someone who normally does supermarket shop online for delivery, I love that we can spend three hours in a big supermarket mooching around looking at the clothes and magazines (my dad's not so keen on this one, neither does he relish the Ikea trip - which I am saving for next visit ;-) ). I love that there is usually a cat in every room I go into. I love that I get a cup of tea in (sofa) bed every morning. I love watching the Little Man interacting with Grandma and Grandad, and this time he had some fun with his little cousins too. Most of all I love that I can spend all day looking at crafty magazines and knitting while Little Man does colouring or chases round the garden with the dog, or goes for a walk with his Uncle and the dog down by the canal, leaving me to enjoy the peace for a while . . .

 My mums house is full of stuff - whilst not *technically* a hoarder, she is certainly a collector of a great many things! Pretty china, ornaments and books are everywhere. Then there are projects both she and my dad are working on and finished articles are dotted around the house. They love to knit and needlepoint/cross stitch. Their walls are covered in beautiful pictures and samplers, the conservatory furniture is draped with hand knitted throws and made comfy with tapestry cushions. It's all so very inspiring!

Now I am back home and the Little Man is back at school. Right now the sun is shining (although we have been threatened with more snow later in the week!) The primulas are looking colourful, the bulbs are all coming up and I am expecting a parcel from Abakhan any day now so I can start my Creative Budget project for Easter.

Spring is definitely in the air!!

#SilentSunday 04/03/12

#SilentSunday 26/02/12

A hint of Spring...

Hard to believe that only two weeks ago I was posting pictures of our ice-encrusted Winter Wonderland. The weather has taken a (brief?) turn for the better this week, reminding us that the dark time is nearly over and very soon Spring will be here...

Crocuses

Mini Daffodils - I love these so much more than their  full-size cousins

Pink!

Ron enjoys the sunshine

Getting stuck in...

Ladybird takes a pollen bath!

The garden is just revving up and getting going now. Before long we will actually have sunshine in the back again and then I will really feel like Winter is finally over!