how to make a felt needle book

In the spirit of New Year's resolutions, I've been slowly organizing my craft stash, even down to my little needles. For Christmas I got something I've been wishing for for a long time. "Left-handed pinking shears!" Well, they're not actually left-handed, but my husband says that line every time he sees them out. (You'll know the voice he's using if you're a Simpson's fan.) ANYWAY, I wanted to try them out on my felt stash, so I put together a simple needle book with pinked edges (there are several optional steps that you can cut out to make it even easier). Now I look for reasons to hand-stitch just so I can pull my book out!

Felt Needle Book Tutorial

Supplies:
*Felt for the cover
*Matching felt piece for button tab
*Coordinating felt for pages (1 or 2, depending on how many needles you have)
*Rotary cutter or scissors, pinking shears (optional)
*Button
*Matching thread and sewing machine
*Additional felt for embellishing cover
*Fabric glue for embellishments

1. Cut a piece of felt 8" x 4" for the cover. Cut 1-2 pieces 7.5" x 3.5" for the pages. I cut mine with pinking shears, but that's optional, of course.



2. Cut a matching piece of felt for the button tab 1" x 1.5". This part is really optional, too. You don't have to have a button closure. I rounded one edge with scissors for extra cuteness. If you don't dare cut it free-hand, trace half of a soda bottle lid.



3. Pin the tab to the short, right side of your cover. Stitch around the entire cover piece, attaching the tab and creating a cute decorative edge.


4. Lay your pages in the middle of the inside your cover. Using a ruler, measure to the middle draw a line with chalk or a fabric pen.



5. Pin the pages to the cover and stitch down the middle to secure.



6. If you have any blunt-edge needles (for yarn), you can create a little pocket to hold them in as well. Cut a piece of felt 1.5" x 2" and pin near the bottom edge of one of the pages.


7. Stitch around three edges, then stitch parallel vertical lines about 1/4" apart. Slip blunt-edge needles inside.


8. If you decide to do a tab closure, wrap it around to the front and lay your button where you want it. Mark it with a fabric pen. Using scissors, snip it open. Be sure to make it snug so it stays buttoned.




9. Stitch your button in place on the front of the cover directly beneath the buttonhole.


10. You could call it good now, but if you're like me, you love to play with felt! So let's add a little felt embellishment to the front cover.

I had just cut a little butterfly out with my Slice machine, so I used the negative of the die cut to trace a butterfly on my coordinating felt. Then I hand-stitched it in place with a little embroidery thread. You could also glue it with fabric glue.



For the red book I cut two felt flowers, layered them, and attached them together with a fancy brad. I also hand-cut leaves and added a little stitching, then glued the flowers and leaves on the cover with fabric glue.


That's it! Now get organized by sticking your needles in the felt pages. Don't they look cute all lined up?