Simple Super Hero Cape

I originally came across this tutorial on the Southern Institute for Domestic Arts and Crafts a few months ago, and knew it would be something my two year old would love. Plus it's super easy and requires zero sewing (unless you want to), so I knew it would be something I would love! Little boys and girls alike will love pretending to be a super hero, or super villain!, with his or her very own cape! All you need is a t-shirt and some felt and you're good to go.

Supplies:

The first thing you will need to do is cut the sleeves off of your shirt. Then you will cut up each side of the shirt so that you can open it and lay it flat.

 

Next, cut the front of the shirt off, making sure to leave the ribbed neck and part of the shoulders in tact like so:

Flip the shirt over and trim the back so that it's the shape of a cape you want, and then trim the ribbed collar to fit your child's neck. Make sure it's not too tight of course!

 

Now you can start on your felt design! For your design, you can use a template or freehand it. I chose to use a template for mine. I don't trust myself enough to just go all willy nilly on the felt! This particular cape was made for a little boy named Jack, so I did a basic triangle for the design and a capital letter "J" for the initial. Simple!

Trace your design and initial onto pieces of paper then cut them out. Flip them over and trace them the wrong way onto your felt. This will ensure that the pen marks are on the side of the felt that will be attached to the cape.

 

Once you have all of your felt pieces cut out grab your felt glue (or glue gun if you don't have felt glue), and glue them together. If you're using felt glue you will need to let it completely dry for 24 hours before completing your cape.

When the glue is dry, flip the decal over and add velcro to the back. Then put velcro on the cape. You can skip this step if you'd like and just glue it onto your cape, but trust me...use the velcro. I learned that the hard way. Felt starts to get pretty nasty after a few washes!

Do the same for the ribbed neck of the cape. This helps make it easier for little people to put it on and take it off.

I decided on a whim to make a little felt piece to put on the closure of the cape. I felt that it really completed the whole look!

And you're finished! The first time you make a cape will take you a little while, but the more you make them the faster you get at it! This one took me about 45 minutes to make because I had to take pictures of each step. It's also a great project for the little ones to help out with. They can choose the colors they want and the design to go on the back. If you're feeling brave, you can even let them help you cut the designs out!

Five Minute Brooch

I was browsing around Hobby Lobby the other day (I know big shock there) when I came across an adorable owl pendant. I knew I wanted it, but I didn't want to use it for its intended purpose of going on a necklace. I scooped it up because it was the last one they had and continued looking around. Then I saw a package of feathers formed into a circle and knew exactly what I was going to make with my cute little owl pendant. A brooch for my sister. She's been on a real owl kick lately, and this is perfect for her.

This project was a cinch to make. I call it the five minute brooch because that's exactly how long it took me to throw together. It's a fast and easy (not to mention cheap!) way to make an impact or spice up an otherwise drab outfit. The best part about this owl brooch is that it can be used on practically anything. Let's get started shall we?

Supplies:

The felt circle is optional if you don't want to use it. I used it just to have a little extra reinforcement on my brooch. 

The first thing I did was cut off the little loop at the top of the pendant for a necklace to slide through. I didn't feel it was necessary for it to be there. I just hacked away at it with a pair of scissors until it came off. :)

Take your pendant and add a generous amount of hot glue to the back like so:

Now place it onto your feathers. It would be a smart idea to figure out your placement BEFORE you start gluing though. That way you don't ruin your pretty little feathers!

Let your glue set for a minute, then flip your brooch over. Grab your pin and decide where you want it to go, then slap some glue on the back of it and put it on the back of the brooch like so:

Here's where the felt circle comes into play if you decide to use it. Put glue on the back of the felt and place it over the inside of the pin (the three circles). I don't have a picture of this step, but it's pretty self explanatory.

And that's all she wrote folks! You now have a one of a kind brooch that you can wear on basically any article of clothing or even put it on a bag. And you can whip it up during a commercial break of your favorite TV show. ;)

Go forth and craft!