December 2020 – Pops of Paper

Hi Friends! Wanted to stop by real quick and let you know I was over on the Trinity Stamp Blog with a Handmade Felt Coffee Cozy project using the Coffee Cozy Hand-Stitching Die Set and Seasonal Cup Decor & More Die Set. The stitching and assembly was simple and fun and the result was a felt cozy perfect for those winter walks with a nice cup of hot cocoa/coffee/tea.

For the felt colors and matching floss I used the Benzie Design Trinity Stamps Palette for the Graphite sleeve along with Rainstorm for the scallop trim, Ecru for the snowman & snowflakes and Black for the top hat. The Wool Blend felt from Benzie Designs works perfectly with metal dies—smooth cuts every time.

Felt Coffee Cozy Tips & Tricks:

To keep the pieces held together while sewing, I added little strips of Peel n’ Stick tape to the scallop border. This way the border stayed in perfect place while I did the running stitch to completely connect the scallop border to the coffee sleeve. I followed the same process for the Snowman.
For the snowflakes, top hat and carrot nose, I used Peel n’ Stick sheets. You add the felt to the sheets and then add your metal die and run through our die cut machine. This creates little felt stickers/patches that you can apply directly to your felt piece.
Before sewing the ends of your Coffee Cozy together, make sure you measure the size of cup you intend to use. This helps mark the spot so you can easily slide the Cozy off and on your coffee cup.
To make sure I can see all the sewing holes, after die cutting I used the Tim Holtz Retractable Craft Pick to poke out any remaining circles from the cut out.
Speaking of Tim Holtz, I have to say that the Non-Stick Titanium scissors are perfect for cutting felt; especially when cutting small pieces for the smaller die cuts. Love!!
For sewing, I recommend two needles: a beading needle to thread the seed beads and a standard embroidery needle to make it through the double felt layers.
Rosy Cheeks on felt: Look no further than your make-up bag. Find a rosy blush and apply with a cotton swab!