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Welcome back to Craft Fair Week with Benzie Design and Therm O Web! We're sharing a new project every day that you can easily make in batches for craft fairs and fundraisers. Today we're offering our take on the purse flair trend with felt Mushroom Bag Charms from Camille of @notsomodernmillie. By mixing and matching the materials, you can achieve an awesome variety of fungi from this tutorial. After all, a bunch of the same would be so spore-ing.
I've participated in several craft shows and it can be tricky to create items that hit the sweet spot of cost and time to make. These Mushroom Bag Charms are the perfect combination and on trend for the season. In addition to Benzie's gorgeous felt, I've upped the ante with metallic accents from Therm O Web's transfer foil - a personal favorite! Make a whole brood of mushrooms but be sure to save one (or several) for yourself. Let's get started!
Skill Level: Beginner
Time: 30 minutes per Mushroom, plus drying time
Additional Supplies:
Heatnbond Fabric Fuse Liquid Adhesive
Deco Foil Transfer Foils - Shades of Brown
Deco Foil Liquid Adhesive
Die Cut Machine
Hole Punch
To streamline the process and reduce production time, I am using the Stitchable Mushroom deep etch die and a die cut machine. As an alternative, you can download this Mushroom PDF + SVG file and print it on sheets of HeatnBond.
Directions:
To make multiple mushrooms, decide on colors and quantities and perform each step for all charms before moving to next step.
Preparing Felt Pieces
1. Use Stitchable Mushroom Die and cutting machine to cut mushroom elements in various colors.
Each mushroom needs:
CAP - Two in Wool Felt, One in Stiffened Felt
STEM - Two in Wool Felt, One in Stiffened Felt
SKIRT - One in Wool Felt
2. In addition to die cut items, each mushroom needs one 3/8 x 1 1/2" felt strip matching the mushroom Cap.
3. Thread felt strip through swivel keychain. Add Fabric Fuse to bottom portion and glue both ends together, securing it to keychain. Use a Wonder Clip to hold in place and set aside to dry.
4. Trim stiffened felt pieces just inside the stitching holes.
Mushroom Stem
5. To begin stitching Stem, thread needle with one strand of matching Eco Vita thread. Thread needle through a small portion of felt inner layer in the upper corner.
6. Draw a line of glue inside perimeter of Stem (within stitching holes) and place stiffened felt piece onto glue. This will hold stiffened felt in place as well as the beginning of thread, reducing knots and bulk in the finished product.
7. With stiffened felt sandwiched between matching wool felt Stems, stitch in and out of pre-cut stitching holes. It is not necessary to stitch along top as this will be stitched in a later step. Once the other side of Stem is reached, stitch back in opposite direction to completely fill in stitching along edge.
8. Thread needle through last hole and bring out between layers of wool felt. Tie two knots and insert needle back into Stem and through outer layer. Tug gently until knot is within stitching and trim thread close to felt. Set Stems aside.
Mushroom Cap
9. To begin stitching Cap, thread needle with one strand of matching Eco Vita thread. Thread needle through a small portion of felt inner layer in the bottom corner.
10. Draw a line of glue along bottom half of Cap within stitching holes to hold stiffened felt in place as well as beginning of thread.
11. With stiffened felt sandwiched between matching wool felt Caps, stitch in and out of a few of the pre-cut holes along bottom edge. Decide where selected Stem and Skirt will be attached (there are two sizes and options) and stop to add.
12. Place Skirt and Stem between layers of wool felt and continue stitching, being sure to go through aligned stitching holes of all components.
13. Continue stitching around perimeter. At top of Cap, place felt attached to keychain between layers of wool felt and stitch through all layers. The felt attached to keychain does not have pre-cut holes, so it will be harder to push needle through.
14. Once the full perimeter of Cap has been stitched, go around once more to completely fill in stitching along edge. Thread needle through last hole and bring out between layers of wool felt.
15. Tie two knots and insert needle back into Cap and through outer layer. Tug gently until knot is within stitching and trim thread close to felt.
Finished stitched mushroom charms will look like the examples below.
Finishing Details
16. Use hole punch to cut dots from wool felt. Select matching or contrasting colors and attach felt dots to Caps with Fabric Fusion.
17. Add Deco Foil Liquid Adhesive to top of each felt dot and let dry until tacky and almost entirely clear. This can take 1-2 hours. Transfer works best when glue is no longer wet but still tacky.
18. Select transfer foils that you'd like to add to each mushroom. I've suggested a Harmony Pack since it has various shades and patterns to choose from. Place back side (silver) of foil transfer over tacky glue dots to cover.
19. Rub transfer foil over glue dots with medium to firm pressure. Gently peel foil away. Design should be transferred to tacky glue on felt. If there are blank spaces or more coverage is needed, return foil and rub again.
Whether your bag charms are to sell or gift, this is a great project to make in large batches because mushrooms never spring up alone!
Consider adding the Amber Glow felt palette and other Transfer Foil Harmony Packs to your supplies to exponentially increase the combinations and fun of your mushroom bag charms!
Thanks to Camille for designing and writing this tutorial! You can follow her on Instagram @notsomodernmillie or visit her website. And check out Therm O Web tomorrow for one last Craft Fair tutorial!
