Project Highlights:
- Put your stash of embroidery, crafting and sewing supplies to use.
- Make gifts for family, friends or residents in nursing homes and senior centers.
- Experiment with color!
- Relax with this creative and productive outlet.
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As a hoarder of scrapbook paper, I don’t actually make anything. Instead, I flip through the stack of paper to admire the colors and patterns. The papers are too pretty to waste on just anything. Someday I’ll make something special.
That someday is now!
I volunteered to make Easter cards for a local senior center.
It was a bold and confident move to volunteer. But then reality set in. Exactly how will I make the cards?
The answer was easy: with my embroidery machine!
Embroidery Designs
Floral Easter Eggs from Kreations by Kara. (I used Egg 5.)
The inspiration came from two cards I received from a dear friend, and regular contributor to the magazine, Joanne Banko. She used felt to embroider the cards. The cards were so fun to receive and I love the technique. I keep one on my desk at work and one on the refrigerator at home.
Materials
- Assorted colors of embroidery thread
- Card stock Paper
- Felt: I purchased 8 sheets of pre-cut felt from a big box store in several colors. I fit 2 Easter eggs per sheet. Once I stitched 16 Easter egg designs, I realized I was committed to this task. I purchased yardage of felt (on sale at this time of year!). I was able to hoop the fabric to fit more designs. I chose to use white felt because it gave me more freedom with thread colors.
Instructions
I cut the felt into long strips wide enough to fit a 5″ x 7″ standard hoop or Snap Hoop Monster. I rotated the embroidery design 90 degrees to make the design horizontal.
Stitch the design on the entire strip of fabric. Leave enough room for trimming around each design. The design I used has multiple thread colors. For variety I stitched some eggs in one color while others I stitched in multiple colors. If you have little ones that want to help, consider having them select the thread colors. You can’t go wrong with this project.
I also considered the recipients and what colors they might like. Some embroidered eggs are more masculine with navy blue, brown and emerald green. Those turned out to be among my favorites.
As the embroidery machine was stitching, I cut card stock paper. I used 12” x 12” sheets of card stock. I cut the sheets in half to make two cards per sheet. Then I scored the card to make the fold. To conserve paper, you could just make a single sided card.
Once the Easter eggs were finished stitching, I trimmed close to the edges, leaving about a ¼ inch around the design.
I took the opportunity to pull out all my craft supplies, including ribbons, trim, buttons and brads. I’ve also made it my challenge to use up nearly all my scrapbook paper—even the ‘special’ paper with extra sparkles. It doesn’t do me any good hoarding the supplies and it is fun to find interesting ways to decorate each card.
I was bored with the solid colored card stock so to add texture I pulled out my little New Home sewing machine. It doesn’t have as many features as I’m used to (where’s the automatic needle threader?) but it has decorative stitches ideal for my cards.
Once you’re happy with the added embellishments, use a hot glue gun to attach the design to the card stock. Be sure to add a sentiment inside the card.
Can you tell which one is my favorite? 😉 I was excited to find a use for the hounds-tooth paper and the bow button.
At the time of this blog post, I’ve stitched 45 Easter egg designs. My first goal is to reach 50—which will be done tonight. Then the new goal will be 75… because that’s the Blue Hair Girl way!
26 COMMENTS
JD
8 years agoThese are so cool! What a clever idea. Thanks so much for sharing it with us. Happy Easter to you and everyone at DIME.
Denise Holguin
8 years agoThank you, JD. Happy Easter to you and yours as well!
Denise
Dalene
8 years agoWhat a great idea! Thanks for sharing
Betty Burkart
8 years agoWonderful idea…and so thoughtful!
Diane Cockman
8 years agoI love your idea. What a wonderful gift to the beholder.
KATE HARTWELL
8 years agoThank you & Love the cards! Did I miss where you purchased the design?
Denise Holguin
8 years agoHi Kate,
The design is from our friends at Kreations by Kara. “Floral Easter Eggs”. They always have great designs.
https://kreationsbykara.com/collections/floral-easter-eggs/
Denise
maria elena blecha
8 years agowhat a great idea, I was going to clean out my mags stacks this rainy morning, now am doing cards!!!!
Estella
8 years agoWho cares? Larry will be lined up to the pull the hoecheyangpr lever come Nov 7.actually I'm waiting to hear Romney make his case.so far, he's about as feckless as the rest of the GOP.The GOP is your basic spineless hypocrites these days… you know…
Colleen
8 years agoThese are great! Oh my! 75 is way over the top!! That nursing home won’t know what to do with all them. The leftovers would make lovely place cards and a decorative banner. Thanks for volunteering.
Denise Holguin
8 years agoColleen,
That is a great idea. I love the visual of the residents going in to the dining hall and finding the cards.
Denise
eileenroche
8 years agoThese are adorable!
Ennis A
8 years agoLove these!! Yes for nursing home, grandchildren, secret pals,……..
Thanks so much for the inspiration!!
Denise Holguin
8 years agoI’m so glad you like them, Ennis. Colleen commented with another good idea– making a decorative banner. Can you imagine how cute that would be? Oh my!
Denise
Joanne Banko
8 years agoBeautiful Denise! You have encouraged me to bust into my pretty paper stash.
I can just imagine the joy and excitement your lovingly made cards will bring to all who see them!!!
Greeting cards are so much fun to make and GIVE! Glad to know you liked yours!
Denise Holguin
8 years agoThank you, Joanne. If it hadn’t been for your cards I’d still be wondering how to make mine!
Sara Redner
8 years agoI also save things that are too pretty to use and am trying to get over that. Love that you are doing this for a nursing home! I worked in one for awhile and know how much this will mean to the residents.
Denise Holguin
8 years agoThank you, Sara! I found it strangely liberating to use my best supplies. During the last night of production, I ran out of pretty paper. All I had were brown/tan colored card stock. I had to pick up more pretty supplies– which was quite fun to do!
Sara Redner
8 years agoDenise, shopping for more pretty supplies is the best (most fun) part of the project!!
TNC
8 years agoThank you for sharing, it looks great
Heatherlynn clark
8 years agoYou are amazing, creative, and inspiring!
Karen W
8 years agoAnother source for pretty paper & much larger pieces is wallpaper sample books. Some shops will give them away for the asking, when they get replacement books.
Bruce
8 years agoYou really have an amazinh creativity! Its lools cute. Thanks for sharing.
Bruce, https://www.printavo.com
Fredrick Peterson
8 years agoWOW!!! The idea of floral Easter Eggs is too cute when combined with making for nursing home. It might be lovely to try all by myself.
Denise Holguin
8 years agoHi Frederick,
It was a lot of fun. Once the task was complete, I kind of missed stitching them! I’m looking forward to doing it next year.
You should definitely give it a try in your area. It’s a great way to brighten someone’s day.
Denise
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