How To Make a Felt Shamrock

The last time I tried to do anything for St. Patrick's Day was about 6 years ago...and then I left the green food coloring in my purse, got on a plane and it exploded all over everything. I had green(er) money, green makeup, green hands. After that I steered clear of the greenness. Until this year. But now I feel like I have waited long enough to give St. Patrick's Day crafts and treats another shot!

This is so easy...really easy...and in expensive First let me say this (because I don't want to be one of "those bloggers.") I saw this on Facebook from Nanalulus Linens and Handkerchief's via Pretzels and Punch. In my research I have also seen this photo on tumblr and on Pinterest...but no one has ever seemed to give specific credit (as far as I looked).

These shamrock are very versatile.

Of course you can jazz one up with a vintage button, lace, or a jewel.

I decided to make mine a garland for the window I have on my porch

and a few larger ones for my coffee filter wreath on the front door.

SUPPLIES

• Green Felt: I made different versions. For the wreath decor, I used a better quality wool felt (about $4 per piece). I also just used the very inexpensive craft felt for the shamrock garland.
• Leaf pattern (download it here)
• Green Thread
• Needle
• Scissors
• Optional: glue, pipe cleaner (for stem)
• Optional: buttons, beads, gems, ribbon
• Optional: hot glue for attaching to ribbon, pins, barrettes, etc.

MAKE IT!
Download the pattern. Size it as you wish.

There are 2 ways to make these shamrock's.

 They are basically the same, the second method

(the one I prefer because it gives a tighter shamrock)

just requires a few more stitches.

For BOTH USE THE TEMPLATE ABOVE.

EASY TO DO #1 

• Trace the pattern onto the felt and cut out the leaves - 3 per shamrock. 
• Thread your needle and knot one end. 
• Lay the three leaves flat and do a running stitch through all three leaves about 1/8 - 1/4 inch up from the bottom. Make sure the knot is "good" so that when you pull the thread it does not pull through.

• Pull the thread to "ruffle" the shamrock

• Pull the thread so that the bottom of the shamrock is tight. Then run the thread through the bottom of the shamrock to hold it together.

 

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EASY TO DO #2

• Print the template shown above.
• Trace the pattern onto the felt and cut out the leaves - 3 per shamrock.
• Thread your needle and knot one end. 
• Fold the shamrock in half, and then fold each side down (basically making a pleat). 

• Push your needle through the first leaf; then pleat the second leaf and push needle through it and move the second leaf right next to the first; repeat with the last leaf.

• This step is optional (I chose to do this because it seemed to keep my shamrocks tighter when sewing the other leaves on): Then sew it back through the leaf, and then back through again.

•  Repeat with each leaf, push the subsequent leaves right up next to the other leaf.

 

• At the end of the third leaf, loop the thread back to the front leaf and sew the bottom of the shamrocks together (I looped it a few times).

OPTIONAL: If you want to add a stem, just slip it in now and it may need to be secured with a dab of glue.

OPTIONAL: Add a button, a ribbon, a gem to the center for some detail!

You can use these shamrocks for so many things.

Hair clips, decorative pins, garlands...

anything you can imagine!

GARLAND Using hot glue, I applied glue to the back of the shamrocks and attached them to a 1/4" string of ribbon about every 4". You can also do a simple stitch or attach the shamrocks to a ribbon (it will be visible though).

DECOR ACCESSORY
I also just made a few larger shamrocks to tuck into my coffee filter wreath to dress it up for the day. I just finished off the shamrock with a pretty vintage button and then used hot glue to attach a skewer (divided in half) to the back of the shamrock to create a "pick" of sort.

BROOCH/PIN/CLIP
To make it a brooch/pin, use a simple pin backing from the craft store and glue it down to the back. Here is a quick shot I took of my girlie with her clip in!

Be sure to check out my other St. Patrick's Day ideas!

Lucky Burlap Banner

&

Shamrock Surprise Pound Cake

Do you decorate for St. Patrick's Day?

This post is written and created at 504 Main by Holly Lefevre