BLACK FAUX LEATHER CLUTCH DIY

Are you still looking for that perfect handmade gift?  With Christmas right around the corner, you need a DIY that’s fast and easy but still looks fabulous.  This black faux leather clutch fits the bill.   It costs less than $5 to make and can be sewn in under an hour – the perfect afternoon sewing project!  I’ve even added a cutout to the clutch to display your favorite fabric.  I used some fabric left over from my up-cycled backpack project to make my clutch a one of a kind gift.

Materials:

12 1/4" x 24 1/4"  Black costume pleather

12 1/4" x 24 1/4" Black felt

Contrasting fabric for cutout

Velcro

Fusible webbing

Cardboard / thin plastic folder

Black thread

Scissors

Sewing machine

Method:

1]  Cut 1 piece of costume pleather and 1 piece of black felt according to the measurements below.

2]  Lay the felt on top of the pleather (wrong sides together), and fold it to form the clutch.  Use chalk to mark points where Velcro will be attached. 

3]  Separate felt and faux leather and sew Velcro to these points.

4]  Cut a triangular opening in the faux leather flap of the clutch, leaving a ½” edge on all sides. 

5]  Cut a piece of contrasting fabric and fusible webbing to the size of the flap of the clutch.

6]  Sandwich the fusible webbing between the wrong side of the contrasting fabric and the wrong side of the felt. Fuse fabrics according to manufacturer’s instructions.

7]  Line up the faux leather and felt and sew around the cutout.

8]  Cut a piece of cardboard/plastic 11” x 8”.

9]  Insert the cardboard/plastic between the faux leather and felt, positioning it in the front of the clutch. 

10]  Sew the front top edge of the clutch.

11]  Fold fabric to form the clutch.

12]  Sew side seams and you’re done! 

Take it out for a spin at your next Holiday party or gift it to someone special.  Please feel free to leave any questions/comments below.  If you enjoyed this tutorial please share the love by liking The Felted Fox on Facebook. Also, don’t forget to follow The Felted Fox on Bloglovin to receive free tutorials and patterns to your inbox.

Happy sewing!  Nicole.

MARBLED NECKLACE DIY

With Christmas around the corner, why not forgo the mad shopping dash by making family and friends personalized homemade gifts?  One of the presents I’ve decided to make this year is this pretty faux marbled necklace.  These necklaces require only a few supplies and you can make several simultaneously.  For the full tutorial (in English and Spanish) hop on over to Marta’s blog, 2ndfunniestthing. 

THE FELTED FOX GOES TO NORWAY: Felt Fox Pillow DIY

Jeremy recently traveled to Norway to visit his family.  We usually try to make the trip together during the summer, but given my work schedule this year I couldn’t take the time off.  I love these family pilgrimages - staying on the organic apple farm, picking wild berries, swimming in the lake and watching the midnight sun.  Visits also always include pulling out family photographs, apple cider and wonderful homemade cakes!  His family members are among the most welcoming and loving people I have ever met. 

Though I couldn’t visit Norway this year, I wanted to send along a few small gifts for cousin Tone’s adorable little girls.  As a wildlife biologist, I am always looking for ways to bring nature into my designs (if I had my way our home would be filled with animal figurines, wildlife-themed tea towels, duvet covers, and much more!). Having spent much of my early career working with leopard populations in South Africa, I have a particularly soft spot for predators. 

On previous visits to Norway, Jeremy and I had seen beautiful red foxes on the family farm.  Although still widely regarded as pests and persecuted for their pelts, red fox populations in Scandinavia suffered their most drastic decline in the 1970’s and 80’s, due to the spread of mange.  Thankfully, populations have now largely recovered, and I was delighted to see these beautiful creatures frolicking in the apple orchards.  They are amazing to watch: graceful, fast and usually very shy.  As I wanted to share a bit of my passion for wildlife with Tone’s little girls, I decided to make felted fox pillows.  Hopefully, the girls will grow to admire the breathtaking nature that surrounds them—especially the foxes—as much as I do.

To make your own felted fox, you will need:

My free pattern 

Inkjet printer

Freezer paper

X-acto knife

Cutting mat/board

White felt 15” x 22”

Non-toxic fabric paint in grey and red

2 Paintbrushes

Iron

Sewing machine (the pillow is also small enough to be hand sewn)

Sewing needle

Thread in white and grey

Polyester fiberfill (small bag)

NOTE: this pattern is for domestic use only and cannot be used commercially or sold. 

Step 1:

Print pattern directly on to 2 sheets of A4 sized freezer paper. Make sure to print the pattern on the matt side.  Place a cutting board underneath the freezer paper and cut out solid black lines.

Step 2:

Place freezer paper shiny side down on to the felt and using a dry iron, adhere freezer paper to felt.

Step 3:

Using small paintbrushes, paint over stencil. I used grey fabric paint to outline the body and red to fill in hearts. 

Step 4:

Once the fabric paint has dried, cut the felt along dotted line and remove freezer paper. Use the front piece as a template to cut back of fox pillow. 

Step 5:

With right sides facing, sew a ½ “ seam, leaving an opening at the base of pillow wide enough to fit you hand through. 

Step 6:

Trim excess felt around ears and tail.  This will allow the pillow to curve more easily.  Turn pillow right side out.

 

Step 7:

Use grey thread to add a few running stiches along face and tail of fox pillow.

Step 8:

Stuff pillow and sew base. 

Your felted fox pillow is now ready to put a smile on a little face. 

For those who are interested in experiencing the Norwegian countryside, the stabbur (first image of Norway) has been converted into a rental cottage. Visit grenske.no for more information.

If you have any questions/comments or would like to send photos of your finished foxes, please leave a note in the comments section or send me an email.  I’d love to hear from you, Nicole.