Find inspiration EVERYWHERE! Even in a child’s Christmas book!
The idea for this blog came to me while reading my 10-year-old son a Christmas book. Yes, he still indulges me that simple pleasure and I love it!
Here are just a few of our favorites…
We were reading Christmas with the Mousekins by Maggie Smith when I stopped on this picture…
I instantly fell in love with these ice skates hanging on a tree!
So I did what any responsible crafter would do: rifled through my office drawer to find the nice big paper clips, grabbed some felt, scissors, needle, embroidery floss and sat down to make them.
The author aptly captured that as well as my pre-Christmas mess in her book too!
Ta da! They turned out just how I wanted!
Here is the pattern I drew up that you can use as a template. Sorry its a hand drawn pdf, Debbie wasn’t around to do it fancy on the computer!
PDF template for paperclip skates!
1. Trace the template onto your fabric using a disappearing marker and cut out four pieces of felt. Cut just inside the line you traced as my marker was a bit thick on the template. The fabric I used is hand felted wool but a wool/rayon blend of felt or bamboo felt would be equally nice.
2. Embroider your design onto one or both sides of the skate. I used three strands of Christmas red (DMC 128) instead of two since my fabric was so thick. Pearl cotton #5 might have been better here for me. Thinner felts can use two strands of floss or Pearl #8. Starting at the toe of the skate I embroidered simple lazy daisy stitches. Here is a link to all the basic stitches. Our Handstitches Pinterest page has tons of wonderful ideas for embroidery designs too!
3. Whipstitch your skates together with rights sides out. I used green thread because that’s what the artist used in the picture. Stitch down to the toe and add your paper clip by stitching over the metal and tucking in between the layers of fabric on the sole of the boot. You just have to remember to pass your needle through the opening of the paper clip before your next stitch. Finish stitching up the back of the boot.
4. Attach a string to both skates so they can hang together! I used inexpensive baker’s twine from the craft store – our good Angela Liguori was just a bit too thick and didn’t look right.
I love them! They are the perfect package topper or ornament. You can dress them up or down with embroidery, ribbon, baker’s twine or just leave them beautifully plain.
Here is another pair I made by lacing up the skates like they were real! I also the skate pattern with the heel for these.
Here is a link to Ms. Smith’s blog. Of course…she sews!