Little Pink House Tutorial (Wool Felt Applique in Hoop Frame)
Melissa from Checkout Girl and Little Pink House shares her house hoop how-to today. Read her intro, browse through her fantastic shop, and then grab some felt and get to work!
From Melissa:
This hoop, with its little pink house and garden of wool felt flowers is an excellent way to use up felt scraps if, like me, you have drawers full. (If you don’t have drawers full of scraps, then this project is an excellent way to make some for future use!)
Materials:
- 7” wooden embroidery hoop
- Linen fabric to fit hoop with approximately 2 inches overhang all around (I’ve used a creamy-beige linen, but this project looks great with a sky-blue background as well. Cotton works, too.)
- Felt scraps (I use wool felt or wool-blend felt exclusively in my projects because the look is rich and lustrous and the felt never pills. You can, of course, use whatever felt you have on hand.)
- Thread and/or embroidery floss (either will do). You can use a single thread color (like white) for the entire project or match your thread to each piece of felt appliqué. (I have used green to attach all my flower pieces.)
- Wool Hoop Template (This is optional, as you can freehand this project if you wish.)
Tools:
- Sharp scissors
- One or two straight pins
- Hand sewing or embroidery needle
- Pinking shears
- Tacky glue
Ready?
The House:
1. Stretch your linen on the hoop, and alternate tightening the hoop and pulling the fabric taut until you have a nice, smooth, drum-like surface on which to work.
2. Using the templates, cut your house piece (pink) and your roof piece (gray), along with all your window pieces (the pink background for the dormer and all the white pieces for the glass).
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3. Pin your house piece so that it’s centered left to right and approximately 1 and ½ inch from the top of the hoop frame. |
4. Use a simple, running stitch to attach the house piece to the linen, taking care to make your stitches small and as even as possible.
5. Pin your roof piece so it overlaps the house piece and sits approximately ¾ inch from the top of the hoop frame.
6. Use the running stitch, again, to attach the felt roof to the linen.
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7. Because the window pieces are small, you won’t pin them before you sew. Position the pink dormer piece so it’s centered left-to-right and top-to-bottom on the gray roof piece, and attach the dormer to the roof using a small, neat whipstitch. |
8. Repeat this process for the dormer glass (white), centering it inside the pink piece.
9. Position a window piece ¼ inch from the left edge of the pink house piece and approximately ½ inch from the roof’s bottom edge, and attach with a whipstitch. Repeat for the remaining window.
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10. With white thread or one or two strands of white embroidery floss and using a back stitch, create “stripes” from left to right across the pink house piece, approximately 1/3 inch apart. (Note: for much of the embroidered detail in my work, I use cotton thread doubled up and knotted off at the end, creating a double strand. For larger details that I want to stand out more boldly, I use two strands of embroidery floss doubled in the same manner to create a four-strand thickness. Whew. That’s a lot of math.) |
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11. With black thread or one or two strands of black embroidery floss, use a backstitch to trace the outside of each white window piece and to create a crossed/pane effect inside each window. |
The finished house.
The Flowers & Petals:
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12. Now for the fun part! Using your desired colors of scrap felt, cut circles that vary in size from a bit smaller than a dime to a bit larger than a quarter. (You can cut these freehand, use the templates I’ve included, or even trace coins if you like!) Some of these will be the “petals” part of the flower and others will be the centers, so you can experiment, before attaching to the linen, with different configurations and color combinations, trimming pieces to fit as necessary. I made sixteen flowers, so I needed 32 circles, but I always make loads, and I think you should, too! You will also need to cut approximately 8 leaf shapes from green felt. (I’ve included a templates, but these are fairly easy to cut freehand.) |
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13. You can use the photo of the finished hoop as a model or experiment to your heart’s content with the placement of your circles. Attach each “petals” circle to the background with a small, neat, running stitch, until all your “petals” circles are in place. |
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14. Create “stems” for the flowers that flank the house, using green thread or floss and a backstitch.
15. Attach a center circle inside each “petals” circle using a small, neat whipstitch. |
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16. Attach leaves to your stems and in other nooks and crannies around the garden, using green thread or floss and a backstitch. (I’ve begun the stitching at the inside point of the leaf and worked my way out, stopping shy of the other end point of the leaf.) |
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17. At this point, your appliqué is complete (Good job!), and all that remains is to secure the back before hanging. I like to trim some of the excess fabric to make gluing easier. Then lay the hoop on your work surface so that back is facing up and run a bead of glue around the inside hoop. (Tacky glue works fine, or you can use a glue specifically made for use with fabric and wood.) Using your thumbs, smooth the fabric down over the inside hoop, all around the edge, affixing the fabric to the inner hoop. Sometimes I have to go around the hoop with my thumbs two or three times to smooth and affix the fabric properly. |
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18. Once the glue has dried, use your pinking shears to carefully trim excess fabric, cutting as close as possible to the hoop. |
Voila!
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168 Responses to “Little Pink House Tutorial (Wool Felt Applique in Hoop Frame)”
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Oh this is so beautiful! Thanks for showing us how to make it.
How lovely & such a great idea! Would look so pretty in a room!
The house is soooo cute. I must make one!
that is so cute – I am inspired to start some hand sewing like this! It looks quite quick and easy too!
This project is so cute! I’m going to make a “little yellow house” for my daughter’s room. I love wool felt and have scraps perfect for the job. Thanks for the great tutorial and sweet design.
These are so lovely. I might have to make one for my doll quilt swap partner! Or I might have to make one for me! I’ll be looking for wool felt now. Thank you for the great tutorial.
That is so cute. I think that I may attempt one for my little one this winter. Thanks for the tute!
How adorable!
What a cute little summer time project. I can’t wait to try it! Thanks for the templates.
Thankyou for this great tute!
This is so adorable! I’m think I can modify this just a tiny bit and make it look like my house! Thanks for the tutorial!
Absolutely stunning!!!
Ok I am completely blown away. I just got back from browsing Checkout Girls blog. She is awesome and I am in love with her applique.
Melissa is so talented!
I’m sooo going to do this. My daughter & I were just looking at the new pbkids catalog & they showed embroidery hoops on the wall. As we are planning to redecorate her wall, she said she wanted to do that – and this design is perfect. Thank you for the tutorial! (now to get my sewing skills up to par!)
Lovely decorative piece!
Lovely project! Like I need another project/craft in my life…but I may dive in and have a go at something like this.
What a cute little tutorial. Can’t wait to try it!
this is such an adorable project! I can’t wait to try it! Thanks for the tutorial!
This is so adorable! I can’t wait to try something just like this.
Warm and romantic, and even achievable… just the kind of home I want!
You do such precise work. I am in awe. Thanks for the templates.
That is so cute…. I can just imagine this in bright holiday colors or with little green trees.. Thanks for the wonderful tutorial!
Help, I tried downloading the pink house templates and NOTHING ?? Are the computer gremlins at work or am I too addle-brained to figure it out? Inquiring mind wants to know….
thanks for the wonderful tutorial.
It’s lovely! I’d like a house like these one !!
what a cute idea! thank you for the excellent instructions!
I love this project. The house is so cute and the tutorial is great. I am definitely going to make this. Your blog is full of wonderful ideas also. Thanks for sharing.
I have been looking at the Little Pink House shop for months because I just love the little hoops with the houses. Such beautiful, inspirational designs. And now a tutorial! It’s so wonderful. I can’t wait to get started on my own version! Thank you so much!!
Very cute!
Oh how lovely! Time to head to the thrift stores for hoops.
Wonderful!
Love this project – it’s so cute! And it makes me want to hand sew!
I love this! Now I guess I am going to have a wool felt stash in addition to my fabric stash…
I absolutely love this project! I also love your site, Melissa!
This is so cute!!!
Thank you!
I love it! So beautiful…
I love the way this looks, but applique scares me!
Adorable! I can’t wait to try it out!
This is just adorable! Thanks so much.
This is such an adorable tutorial~
I especially love the photos of the work-in-progress
The only felt I’ve worked with is acrylic (for crafts) and wasn’t impressed. This project has inspired me to branch out into the world of wool felt. Thanks for the templates!
This is so pretty and cute. I’m loving all the hand work this month…
Thanks, this is so beautiful.
how cute!!! maybe I’ll be brave and try to make one that looks like my house
This is very cute and I would love to try this as a gift for my daughter!
That is adorable!
I love this little house. Thank you for sharing a great tutorial. I especially appreciate the how to finish off a piece in the hoop, I have made up my own way that was not as tidy.
Very nice!
I came so close to buying your picture of the girl lying in the grass. I loved it so much. Now I’ve been kicking myself ever since, so now I keep checking your shop to find something similar. Thank you for sharing your process!
Oh, I love this so!! Thanks so much for sharing…I’ll be making one for sure!
Really lovely project! Love the detail on the house … thanks for sharing the tutorial
This house is so sweet – thanks for a great tutorial!
Lovely tutorial – can’t wait to give it a try!
This a great tutorial! I love the idea of creating something so colorful!
This would be so adorable in a little girl’s room. I’m going to have to make one for my girls! Thanks!
This may be my first project with felt!
I really love this. I have a daughter that loves pink anything. i might have to make it for her if I can give it up after finishing it.
What a lovely project – I particularly like how some of the leaves hang outside the hoop/frame.
This is beautiful! It makes me want to go out right now and start making a village of little houses for myself! Great tutorial!!!
I love this little pink house! I can’t wait to try it.
Thank you for sharing this. I love it.
This is so cute. I foresee wonderful teacher gifts for my daughter to create! I think I’ll make a blue cottage, like our house, for the front entry. Thank you so much for sharing this adorable idea.
so cute!!
I have been looking for a wool beginner project – now it’s found. Thanks so much.
Loved it!!! Can’t wait to try my hand at this too! Thanks for the tutorial!
This is my favorite hand made project this week.
What a happy embroidery project! I don’t like cross stitch at all, but I DO love simple embroidery projects. This one packs a good punch for something so simple and sweet. Thanks!
Oh this is pretty – and it looks absolutely doable and wanting to be done! Looking forward to finding enough scrap felt and starting on it…
So cute! Just adorable! Thanks for the tutorial!
Lovely Just lovely. Everyone is so creative.
The instructions make it sound so much easier than it looks – thanks!
Thanks so much for the tutorial! This is really cute, and i can’t wait to try.
Darling! A group of those would look great on my daughter’s wall.
This is just the gift idea I needed for my friend’s housewarming present! Thank you so much for the idea and the template.
How lovely – love this project.
This is so pretty and inspirational. I’d love to try to do something like this with all three of my kids – ages 9 and 6!
I really like this type of work. Thanks for the tutorial.
I love this! I am definitely going to have to make one of these.
I’m gonna try this adorable project. I think it will be fun! Thanks for the tutorial.
Not only is this a beauty, it actually looks doable! Thank you!!
what a treat to have this tutorial. i’ve admired her work and am so happy to be able to follow this tut (someday). thank you!!
So cute! I love it!
i love, love, love it!! i can’t wait to make my own. she did a family portrait for me. perfection my friends.
I had just found her etsy shop today…what a coincidence!
-Heather
http://www.crafteegyrl.etsy.com
I have no scraps for this! I need to find scraps for this! Que bonita!
That is one of the cutest things I’ve seen lately. Love it!
Love the felt house. Thanks for the tute.
This is so great! I think I’ll give it a whirl. Thanks for the tutorial!
wow that is so cool!
I love, love this. What a sweet housewarming gift this would make!!
Great design, I also like your quality of felt. Thanks for the “how to”.
How cute is that! An Inspiration to create other felt hoop projects.
I love this! I have a Ziplock bag full of felt scraps so I know what I’ll be doing this weekend.
this is such a beautiful little project. i am definitely going to give it a go. i think it would make an amazing housewarming present!
So cute! And so colored!!!
it’s gorgeous! I’m going through my wool scraps now so that I can give this a try!
This is lovely! not my usual thing – but this appeals to me.
What a bright, cheerful project! Thank you for sharing
How cute that is! It would be fun to see everyone’s version of their own houses in the hoop!
Thanks so much for the great tutorial. I can’t believe it, but I am actually thinking hand sewing might not be so bad and I have always dreaded it. I love your little pink house and beautiful flowers.
What a great tutorial! I will show it to my daughter, she really likes to embroider.
Such a cute little house. Lovely…
This is so cute. I need to go get some felt!
What a fun project! I think I have found how I will spend the afternoon tomorrow! Thanks
What an adorable project. Your tutorial looks so easy to follow. I would love to make something like this with wool felt. Thanks!
That’s so adorable!
This is so gorgeous. I am so excited about hand work.
Thank you for sharing.
Well this is just ridiculously cute!!
I LOVE this!! I’m keeping it in my files for a possible Christmas gift. So cute!!
Thanks for the tutorial. I need to make one of these with my daughter.
I think this is going to play a big part in decorating for a room for a new baby very soon!
Wow. Thanks for the tutorial. This is a beautiful piece of art.
This is so cute! Can’t wait to make one!
Very beautiful….I love the little felt foliage.
Ooh, I like to try this out. I am going to have to create some scraps for it though.
Cute!
This is adorable! I just inherited a bunch of felt scraps in different colors, and now I know what I want to do with them. Thanks!
This is so sweet! I am kicking myself now. At our last quilt group meeting, someone was giving away felt. I was thinking “i dont have a use for it” But now I do… I love this!!!!! Will save for next time. if there is one. THANKS BUNCHES for sharing this.
*HUGS*
Jackie Davis
Wow I really like this idea, very beautiful. Thanks for the great tute.
Oh my gosh! These would be perfect as house warming presents for all my crafty friends! But then hey, who needs a reason for gift giving something this cute! Lovely hand work
Wow thank you so much. I have been looking for something to do that I could hang in my office that was cheerful and this is it…
Sharon
I love it! I love the 3-D leaves hanging over the edges.
Awww….I could actually try this one. I don’t usually have the patience, but it’s so adorable it’s hard to resist. These would make lovely Christmas gifts. Maybe a set of three with different houses… Or if you put a bell in the upstairs it would be perfect for a teacher’s gift. Or with a steeple, something nice for the Pastor’s wife…
Fun! i love the striait and circular clean lines together!
This is so cute! I love it!
Of course I will be saving it to do with my daughters for gifts because the oldest is happiest with glue in hand.
That’s a really adorable project. I love working with felt, although I don’t get to do it as much as I want. i’m not commenting to try and win, just wanted to tell you how cute it is!
love it! the colors are so cute and the layering of flowers and leaves is just so cute. Saving for inspiration!!!
I am so inspired by this very cute tutorial. This would be great for a nursery or a little girl’s room…..
As personalizing for teacher, just making the color of the recipient’s house could make it a special housewarming gift, and would be quick to whip up. The hoops are usually available cheaply at thrift stores. Thanks for the cute idea!
So cute! I really want to try this one!
this is definately going on my to make list!
its so cute!!!!
simple and yet it’s gorgeous
how adorable!
I love this cute little project. The bold colors work well together.
This is such a cute project! Thank you for the tutorial – I love the crisp, detailed photos!
What a beautiful tutorial by one of my favorite Etsy artists! Thank you so much for sharing.
adorable!
b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l-l..AMAZING…YOUR SOOOOO INSPIRING…Loved it. I have never worked with felt before and now i wonder…why not!!! Thanks for sharing
Adorable!
Hooray, I have so much felt to use up I will try my own design after this. Thanks!
rockin!
This is adorable! Would something like this also work as an applique on a t-shirt, for a little girl maybe?
This is so beautiful! Thanks for sharing it. The flowers and the colors you use really make the design pop.
This is so cute! I need to get some felt soon!
Soo cute…I have added a link to my freebies blog…thanks for sharing..hugs Khris
This will be a great project for my guest bedroom…can not wait to get some felt!
this is just adorable..thanks for showing us the way..
This is gorgeous! I love it! There are many ways that this could be adapted as well, like embroidering names by different flowers to represent family members.
Excellent tutorial! Where do you buy your felt? Are the circles pre-cut and if so where can I buy some?
And also posted at 1:05 Monday at Twitter.com/popsiclestick: it’s just so cute!
Got so inspired to try this project that I even bought new pair of scissors
Now I have no excuse… Cannot wait…
This is fantastic! I won first place at our State Fair this year with a paper coil bowl I made, & I am looking for something adorable yet easy (I don’t know how to sew!) to enter next year. This is going to be my project!!! Thanks so much for the great tutorial, and I can’t wait to begin my project. Very, very cute and it looks like a project I can tackle!
i absolutely love this. Especially the little flowers! I have recently become a fan of felt and i think making something like this would be a lot of fun! Thanks so much
Anne
That is so cute, it looks just like my old house in Boston. I had a mansard roof and I painted my house pink with white trim and planted a rose and flower filled garden out front. This makes me miss my old house so much!
I love your design and your stitches are beautiful. You have inspired me to try this. Where do you get your wool felt pieces? I have found several sites but don’t know which to order from? Thanks.
LOVELY! What a terrific housewarming gift! We’ll be linking…
Great work!!! Just love it!
This is so beautiful. What a fun project and thoughtful gift. I also love your store about how you left your job, moved, and are living you dream. I wish you all the best and tons of happiness.
very sweet applique!
i do felt birds applique necklaces:)
So beautiful…
I love it. Thank you for sharing.
This was a great tutorial. Thanks!
Melissa, thank you for a lovely tutorial on a truly irresistible project! I would love to do this for my own bedroom. What is it about house and flower doodles, I simply get giddy over them. I have trouble choosing fabric for embroidery so thanks for the suggestions. I know that tutorials are VERY laborious so I offer you my most sincere thanks for taking the time to compose and share this!
How sweet is THIS!!? And how generous of you to share it, Cant wiat to make one for my home…..
Thank you for sharing! This is absolutely lovely!
Thank you for the tutorial. I so admire your work and look forward to your postings.
What a cute patter to share! Thank you.
Thank you for this tutorial!!! it is perfect! for sure I will try to do it!!
) thanks again
Anita (Spain)