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Have fun with felted wool!

Pin Cushions

These small, incredibly cute pin cushions are made from big wool beads! Approximately 2" in diameter, they fit in the palm of your hand. Simple and fast to make - they are sure to bring a smile. Make them for yourself and to give as presents.

We are not currently stocking the felt beads on our site but here are two sources for them:

You will need to order:

Pin Cushion Instructions

Be sure to hide your knots - unless they are a design element.

A. Tomato

Cut a strip of green felt 3/8 x 1 long. Fold or roll the strip to make a stem 1-inch long. Sew it closed with 2 strands of green floss.

Cut a green, leaf-like top for the tomato. Center it over one of the holes in the bead. Blanket stitch it in place with 2 strands of gold floss.

Cut a small slit in the green tomato top. Insert the stem. Sew it in place as invisibly as you can. Embellish the top of the stem with some wraps of gold floss if you want to.

If you want to flatten the tomato a little cut a 3/8 x 3/8 scrap of green felt. Use 2-3 strands of matching green floss and a long needle. Sew through the area at the base of the stem through the center of the bead and out the bottom. You may be going through the hole in the bead, or not. Sew through the scrap of felt and then back up through the bead. Squash the bead with your fingers and pull the thread tight. Do this a few times. You will need to catch some of the bead itself on the bottom side of the tomato so that your scrap of felt is not pulled into the hole.

B. Flowers & Leaves

Cut several green leaves - we cut 7 in varying sizes. Arrange leaves and flowers on the bead. Use pins to hold them in place.

Blanket stitch the edges of the leaves and flowers with 2 strands of floss. Run a line of stitches down the center of the leaves. Add some random stitches in the flower centers.

C. Stripes & Flowers

Cut 6 green strips 3/16 x 2 1/2. Arrange the strips around the bead - start at the top hole and end at the bottom hole. There is no need to overlap the strips, trim as necessary. Use pins to hold them in place. Space them an equal distance apart. Sew the strips to the bead with a running stitch and 2 strands of floss.

Using 6 strands of floss, sew a cluster of french knots in the center of each of the 2 flowers. Center a flower over north and south ends of the bead. Blanket stitch the edges of the flowers with 2 strands of floss.

D. Leaves & Flowers

Cut 10 green leaves approximately 1 1/2-inch long. Find the hole at the top of the bead. Arrange 5 leaves around the hole - one point of the leaf is at the top hole in the bead, the other end of each leaf is pointing toward the bottom hole. Use pins to hold them in place. Sew the leaves to the bead with a blanket stitch and 2 strands of floss. Add a stitched vein in the center of each leaf.

Repeat, adding 5 leaves to the other side of the bead. These new leaves fall between the previously sewn leaves.

Using 6 strands of floss, sew a cluster of french knots in the center of each of the 2 flowers. Center a flower over the north end of the bead. Blanket stitch the edges of the flowers with 2 strands of floss. Repeat for the south end.

E. Felted Flowers

Using 6 strands of floss, sew a cluster of french knots in the center of each of the flowers. Place a flower on the bead and felt it in place. Continue adding flowers and felting them to the bead until you are happy with it.