Loomed Hat Instructions

Join us in a simple project to bring warmth and joy to the hearts and heads of people in need. We will be making hats on simple looms. They will be given to children and adults who need to stay warm this winter. This delightful craft is easy to learn and enjoyable to do! Loomed hats are a cozy way to brighten and warm the lives of those who receive them. 

Loomed Hat Instructions

To thread hat ring: Make a slipknot about 4 inches from end of yarn, place over thumb tack or outside peg. Pull yarn to the inside of loom and wrap around first peg to the right, going around the peg in a clockwise motion. OR wrap to the left, counterclockwise, if desired. Do not wrap too tightly! Wrap each peg around the loom. Continue wrapping until you have two (2) rows of double yarn wrapped around each peg. Place working yarn around thumb tack or peg as well. (Or hold the working yarn in place with your fingers while you work the last peg you just wrapped.)

Work the yarn: 
With the hook, pick up the bottom yarn and lift up over top yarn and off the peg. Continue around the ring. You now have one row completed. Unwrap the working yarn from the tack and start wrapping each peg again. This time once around the loom gives you two (2) rows of yarn to work. Hook the lower yarn; lift up over the top yarn and off the peg. After working 3-4 rows you can taking the beginning slip knot off the tack or peg and let it hang loose on the inside of the hat loom.

Sizes:

Infant: (23 peg loom)

Work hat to 4 1/2”

Child: (31 peg loom)

Work hat to 3” fold for Brim then work until hat is 5”.

Youth/Women: (36 peg loom)

Work hat to 4” fold for Brim; then work until hat is 7”

Adult/Men: (41 peg loom)

Work hat to 5” fold for Brim; then work until hat is 8”.

You may make a hat without a brim—simply let bottom of hat curl up. Finishing hat length is the same with the curl acting as a brim.

To make the brim: After working hat to needed length (see above), reach inside the loom and pick up the first row of stitches. Find the first stitch of the first row and place it over the first peg, wrong sides will be together. Tuck the starting yarn inside the fold and continue to match up each stitch from the first row, placing it over a peg. This gives you two (2) yarn rows on each peg again. Lift the lower yarn up over the upper yarn and off, forming the brim.

Continue the hat as before, wrapping the pegs and lifting the lower yarn up over the upper yarn and off the pegs, until desired length is reached.

Taking off loom:  Using a needles with about 16” of yarn—as your hook—go up through the yarn on first peg; lift the yarn off the peg and onto the string by pulling the yarn through the loop. Continue gathering the yarn from each peg onto the needles and yarn until the hat is off the loom. Turn the hat inside out and gather the top of the hat together. Secure with square knots of yarn, securing the beginning string with the knots as well. Clip the threads about 1”.

For printable instructions, click here.

Infant Fleece Blanket Instructions

 These precious fleece blankets will be all the sweeter with your loving touch. The simple blanket stitch is used to finish these treasures for newborn babies born to underprivileged moms. You begin with fabric and thread and end with a cherished token of love and warmth.

Infant Fleece Blanket Instructions-How to Make a Blanket Stitch

To make the blanket stitch, working from LEFT to RIGHT, after securing thread at point A (outer edge), insert at point B (use about half an inch spacing and half an inch height), then with thread below the needle, come out at point C directly below.  Continue in this manner, noting that point C now becomes point A for the next stitch.  Be sure to keep the spacing even between stitches.  Pull snug, but not tight! 

Keepsake Envelope Instructions

Losing a newborn child is heartbreaking for any family. Keepsake envelopes are stitched on soft felt and given to grieving families at the hospital to carry home all their paperwork and documents when they leave. This sweet, handmade token can help bring comfort during a time of grief.

Keepsake Envelope Instructions

1. Thread the needle with the floss from the colored stick.

2. Tie a knot in one end of the floss.  Do not tie both ends of the floss together.

3. Insert needle in the inside top corner of the flap between the 2 pieces of felt so the knot will not show from the outside.  Stitch around flap and down opposite side.  The floss should be started with needle entering the seam around the outside edge of the envelope. 

Once the flap has been stitched, rethread needle as needed and continue the buttonhole stitch until entire envelope has blanket stitching around the outside edges.  Always end the stitching with the knot on the inside. 

 Important Notes!

When adding more floss, start with the knot on the inside between the two felt edges entering where last stitch stopped.  This will keep the knots from showing and continue the uninterrupted flow of the stitch around the entire envelope.

After the stitching is finished, add the embellishments.  Layer the circle or heart cut outs on top of each other going from smallest to biggest.  Place the button in the center, and using the floss, sew the circle or heart embellishment on the black dot on the front center of flap.

For printable instructions, click here

Courage Cape Instructions

These capes will be going to little boys who are going through difficult or traumatic

situations, who are in need of a little extra courage.  Have fun and do your best work.

The secret ingredient is love, so add plenty. 

 Courage Cape Instructions

• Cut thread into lengths of about 36” (this will be easier to handle than longer lengths).
• Tie a knot at one end of the thread.  Start between the layers of fabric to hide the knot.
• Take one stitch backwards before starting the running stitch (running stitch - - - - - - ).
• When you are close to the end of your thread, take a stitch back and tie a knot between the fabric.

 

1.      Center the yellow star on the red shield and pin it in place.  Using yellow thread, sew the star onto the shield, using a running stitch, sewing close to edge of star.  When finished, remove all pins.

 

2.      Pin the shield 6" from the top and centered onto the front (shiny side) of the blue cape.  To find the center, fold cape in half.  With red thread sew the shield onto cape, using running stitch.  When finished, remove pins.

3. Use the blue thread to make a 1/4" running stitch hem around the sides and bottom of the cape.

 

4.      Form a casing (large hem) by folding the top of the cape down 1 ¼” opposite the side with the shield and star, stitching close to the edge.  (Be sure to start and finish with a back stitch to reinforce the stitching.)

 

5.    Pin a large safety pin to the fuzzy end of the neck strap (ribbon with velcro sewn on each side).  The rough side should be face up on the left and the fuzzy side should be face down on the right.  Pull the neck strap through the casing, gathering the cape onto the neck strap.  Be careful not to pull the end into the casing.

6.      Adjust the cape on the neck strap.  The left side should be pulled a bit past the velcro and the right side should have about an 8” strap.  Sew through the cape and the neck strap at both ends with several large stitches to hold cape in place on the neck strap.

7.     Double check to make sure no pins are left in the cape.

For printable instructions, click here.

Crocheted Burp Cloth Instructions

Help to welcome our newest spirits to the world by crocheting around the edge of a flannel burp cloth. These burp cloths will be given to mothers and babies who will treasure such a soft, sweet token of love.

Crocheted Burp Cloth Instructions

If you are familiar with crocheting it is a single crochet stitch one time around the burp cloth. Crochet loose. To finish, connect the last 2 stitches and pull the thread through your last loop. Tighten and secure with a knot in the thread.
Note: Thicker yarn tends to buckle. To prevent this, complete 5 or so stitches and then skip a hole. This helps with buckling and allows the burp cloth to lay flat.

Basic instructions:

1) Hold burp cloth in front of you. It is best to start on a side. Push the crochet hook through a hole from the front with the thread behind the burp cloth.

2) Grab the yarn with the hook and pull the thread toward you through the hole, leaving a 6 inch tail.

3) Reach the hook up and grab the thread. (Not the tail)

4) Pull the thread through the loop.

5) You now have one loop on your hook. Push the hook through the next hole and
grab the thread.

6) Pull the thread toward you through the hole. You will now have two loops on the hook. Bring the thread over the hook.

7) Pull the thread through the two loops that were on the hook. This will leave a single loop.

8) You have now completed one single crochet. Repeat all of the way around.

9) End the burp cloth by enlarging the loop on your hook. Cut the end about 3 inches long. Pull the thread through your last loop. Tighten to secure a knot in the thread.

For printable instructions, click here.

Pocket Heart Instructions

These fleece–stuffed hearts are soft and comforting to children who are in hospital environments or in the middle of a crisis.

Pocket Heart Instructions

Place one front heart (with embellishment) and one back heart wrong sides together. Use a blanket stitch to sew hearts together (instructions below). Beginning on one side, sew about three quarters of the way around. Stuff the heart lightly with stuffing.  Do not overstuff; you want the heart to be soft. Finish sewing the rest of the way around. End with a straight backstitch

Blanket Stitch Instructions

Knot the thread end after threading the needle. Insert the needle between the two layers of felt and through the edge at the starting point.

Making even stitches 1/8 to 1/4-inch apart, work from left to right with the cut edges towards you (see figures 1, 2 & 3). After finishing the heart, end with a small, straight back stitch to secure the last blanket stitch.

Help is available at the Garden Court from 10:30am - 3:00pm, Thursday and Friday.




For printable instructions, click here

Fairy Wand Instructions

“And they lived happily ever after” is a storybook ending, but it doesn’t always happen in real life. These “pretty in pink” wands can spark the imagination and help to bring joy to little girls who are in crisis.





Fairy Wand Instructions

POM POMS (make 2)

1.     Place cotton string between two discs as pictured and hold discs as pictured with one hand. 

2.     Separate bundle of tulle and thread one of the strips of tulle from back to front around the two discs; holding the loose end with thumb. Thread the tulle from back to front repeatedly until all tulle is on the disc.

3.     Place the scissors between the discs and cut the tulle all the way around.  (Do not cut the string!)

4.     Pull the discs apart about 1”. 

5.     Use the string to tie the tulle in the middle tightly using a double knot.  Trim the string to ¼ “.

6.     Repeat the instructions above to make another Pom Pom. 

RIBBONS ONTO STICK

1.     Take the SILVER AND COLORED ribbons and make a half knot around your finger tip leaving a piece of ribbon about 1 1/4 “ extending as shown.  Take it off your finger.

2.    Thread the WHITE BEADED RIBBON through the hole to its half way point so it hangs  evenly.                                              

3.     Slide RIBBONS onto the END OF THE DOWEL. This will give you four tendrils.

4.  Put a dab of hot glue inside the knot.

     Cinch the knot tight about ½ “ from the top of the dowel.

GLUEING THE POM POMS TOGETHER

1.     Hold the string knot in one hand and grab the bulk of the pompom in the other hand leaving a dome of tulle exposed.

2.     Put about a nickel size amount of glue on the exposed “dome” of tulle.

3.     Place the dowel on the glue.  The top of the dowel is about 3/8 “ above the knot.  Hold in place until GLUE IS SET.

4.     Repeat these steps for the second pom pom.  

ATTACHING THE BUTTERFLY

1.   Slightly bend the butterfly wings

2.   Apply glue to the backside of the body of the butterfly

3.   Press the butterfly firmly onto the tulle

For printable instructions, click here.