Ta-Da! (Kind of....)

Okay, so after my last post I was determined to make those darn cute little birdie napkin rings. So, I got some felt, black beads, and dug out some ribbon and got busy...

First, I made a template using just a scrap of poster board.

Then, I traced it on some felt. I cut out two pieces, one for the front and one for the back. **NOTE! Trace and cut carefully so that they match up well when layered on top of each other! I had to do a little trimming later...

After cutting out the pieces, if you are going to stitch on the eye (like I did) so this step now. Otherwise you could attach it later with a little hot glue.

Next, I used my same poster board template and traced it on some double-sided fusible webbing. I cut inside the lines so that it was slightly smaller than my felt pieces.

Sandwich the fusing between the two piece of felt and iron with LOW heat!

I hot-glued on a little beak and a little ribbon and flower around the neck. Here's the final result:

The original is on the right...mine is on the left. I think it turned out cute, and only took about 15 minutes total time! However, next time I do it, I will invest in some good quality wool felt -- not the cheap stuff that costs 25 cents off the shelf at the craft store. That will result in a more finished look I think. Also, if you want to do the stitching around the edges, that will make it look more polished as well.

Don't you think this is a cute idea? It could totally be used to make lots of different kinds of napkin rings using wool felt. You could personalize some for family members with monograms or initials...or make different shapes for different holidays. Cute, cheap, and easy!