Thursday, March 28, 2013

Felt Food Lettuce Pattern and Tutorial



Hey everyone, welcome to a simple felt food pattern for lettuce. Great to use in pretend play for kids; making sandwiches or salads. The little chefs can coordinate any entree' they imagine.
My son is only 23 months old, but I'm prepping my sewing skills now so I'm ready to make him all the fun stuff. Imagination is a great key to a healthy childhood.

Anyways, starting with the simple play food lettuce. First off, print the template below to obtain your free felt food lettuce pattern or you can draw one up on your own and use my steps to give it some character. Read below the pattern for the Felt Food Lettuce Tutorial.

If you don't need any steps then enjoy! Just click link below to print for free.

Free Felt Food Lettuce Pattern



Felt Food Lettuce Tutorial
Supplies:
- 1 piece of Green Felt
- 1 piece of matching Green Embroidery Thread
- 1 Scissors, sharp
- 1 Sewing needle
- 1 copy of pattern
- 1 Roll of tape (scotch tape or packaging tape)

Craft Time:
- 45 minutes



Directions: 
STEP 1 - Cut out each lettuce pattern leaving 1/4" - 1/2" trim around the edges (what ever you feel more comfortable working with) so when you give it it's final cut it comes out clean. If you are wonder why there are lines around the patterns, it's just to help beginners with basic stitching. You can do you're own size and spaced stitching to your liking.


STEP 2 - Cut out a square of felt the size of the lettuce pattern you just cut. Then I have a little trick that I use to get a clean cut around the edges. You're going to tape the pattern to the square of felt, so all edges are covered by tape. This allows the felt not to move when you're cutting.


STEP 3 - Now, cut out your patten along the stitched line with the felt taped to it.  



STEP 4 - Next, pinch the center of your lettuce leaf and whip stitch it a few inches up. 

NOTE: If you do not know what a whip stitch is then I will elaborate. Fold your leaf in half; begin at your starting point from the bottom and push your needle through both layers of the felt. Then pull the thread all the way through and do it again. Start from the bottom layer of the felt and push your needle up through both layers. You will start to see the thread wrap around the folded part of your lettuce leaf.


STEP 5 - Knot off your threading and tuck in end into stitching.

NOTE: If you are unfamiliar with knotting of your sewing work, that's no problem. When you get to the end take your needle off. Grab each piece of thread in each of your hands and tie it as if you were tying your shoe. But instead of make a bow, make a knot. I recommend doing this 5 or 6 times to give a strong knot to hold your work together.





And, Wah-la! You are finished! Easy, fun lettuce that you can use in your child's play food sandwiches and salads. Bring out the little chef in your child!



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Do you want felt food for your child to play with but don't have the time to make it. Check out my online Etsy store "Happy to be Crafty" and you can purchase already made felt food.