First up I have a new pattern in my shop today: Ruby the Reindeer. Get a jumpstart on your holiday sewing with this fun softie! You can find the pattern, and 33 others, in my shop. Thank you!
And now, onto cutting felt circles…
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I love felt circles, but cutting perfect circles freehand is a little tricky. Even when I use my awesome freezer paper cutting technique my circles still tend to be slightly imperfect. I often use felt circles to make eyes for my softies and an imperfect circle really stands out when it’s used as an eye.
A few years ago I solved this problem and since then I’ve used hundreds of perfect felt circles in my projects. The trick? Sizzix paddle punches.
Sizzix is a company that makes die cutting tools for scrapbookers. Their tools are really intended for use with paper, but people do use them to cut fabrics. The Sizzix die cutting machines can be rather expensive, but the simple paddle punches are cheap and work really well. Sadly, the paddle punches are actually a discontinued item, but the good news is that you can still find them on Etsy and eBay for between $4-$6.
Here’s how I make perfect felt circles with a Sizzix paddle punch:
1. Press your felt to remove wrinkles. I recommend using wool-blend felt because it’s sturdy, yet inexpensive.
2. Place the felt on an old cutting mat or an old magazine. I don’t recommend using your regular cutting mat because the blade of the punch will leave a mark and may well cut through your mat!
3. Choose a punch. I’ve got a whole collection of punches and my favorites are a bit broken by now, but they still work great.
4. Place the punch sharp side down on the felt and wack it with a mallet four or five times, working your way around. (Sometimes I have to punch things in garage because it gets kinda loud when the baby is napping.)
Viola! Perfect felt circles.
Get creative! Layer the circles to make a pupil, eyeball, and the white of the eye (Yep, that large circle is a balloon! Just cut off the tip.). Add a few white embroidery stitches to create a highlight and the eye really comes to life! For Ruby the Reindeer I inserted a safety eye through the felt circle to make the eyes more prominent and cuter!
Sizzix punches come in all kinds of shapes including leaves and flowers, hearts and bows, all kind of holiday motifs. I punched a ton of little hands and make the feathers for a bird.
By layering the shapes, and cutting them in pieces, you can make some seriously neat stuff.
Sizzix punches are one of my favorite craft tools!
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Do you have these punches? If you do, what have you used them for? Do you use another die cutting tool for making fabric shapes? Any other tricks for cutting perfect felt circles?
I love my Sizzix die cutter, but wasn’t aware of these cool paddle punches. Thanks for sharing!
I buy pre-cut felt circles. They are available from a number of etsy sellers, in a range of colors and sizes. You can usually buy 25-100 at a time. I always have black and white in a range of sizes – between 1/2 and 1/4 inch in black seems to be a good size to start for eyes, plus some white in slightly large sizes for the ‘whites’ of the eyes.
It saves me a ton of time and frustration to have them pre-cut and there when I need them!
this is really cool i didn’t know about those paddle punches! Ruby is adorable 🙂
and I like how you layered the punched fabric on your bird
I really love the layering of the hands as bird feathers idea.
I don’t have a die cutter. I’ll bet it’s pretty fun to play with!
Emily, you’ve opened up a new world for me! I just did a quick Etsy search for “felt circles” and look what I found: http://www.etsy.com/search?search_submit=&hp_ref=primary&q=felt+circles&order=most_relevant&view_type=gallery&ship_to=US
There truly are a ton available. This is a great option for crafters who make a lot of the same product. Thank you so much for the idea!
-Abby
Thanks, Kim!
Thank you, Michelle. I made that bird so many years ago. There was a time several years back (2008-2001) in which I only made birds! Hard to believe. It’s fun to look back on all of them!
I love your new pattern Ruby the Reindeer! Very attractive presentation.It puts me in the holiday making spirit!
Tracing a circle on freezer paper then fusing that to the felt and cutting it out works great. I know some people use a paper punch. I have another trick that’s hard to explain but involves using a button that is the size circle you want. Place it on top of the felt then keep the button and the felt pinched between your finger and thumb. Cut it out guiding the scissors around the button. You have to keep the scissors at the same angle as you cut, so it takes practice. I use this for teeny circles. Love those paddle punches too!
It’s really phenomenal if you work with felt, fabric or paper a lot. I have one die that has about 10 1-inch circles on it and will cut through 2 or 3 layers of felt at a time. It’s awesome for cutting bunches at one time.
These paddles look wonderful. They remind me of cookie cutters for sewing! Yummy!
That’s a great description, Allison. If you didn’t know about cookie cutters you might be amazed when you saw someone with a dozen perfectly heart-shaped cookies. Once you know about cookie cutters, though, you see that you could easily make heart-shaped cookies, too. Sizzix paddle punches are totally the cookie cutter of sewing!
That’s neat. The button acts as a solid template. I’ll try it! Sometimes I need a circle and don’t have the right sized punch!
Oh good! I’m Jewish and have never celebrated Christmas so it always feels funny to make the Christmas-themed things. I think, “Am I doing this right?” I’m glad it put in you in a holiday making spirit!
Thank you so much! I’m Jewish and don’t celebrate Christmas so it’s always a little tricky to make a Christmas themed item. I think, “Am I doing this right?” I’m glad it put you in a holiday making spirit!
Okay, now I’m drooling. 10 at a time! I love awesome crafting tools.
I need to punch 1/2″ circles in 2mm thick felt and am having trouble finding something that will do it – cannot find something that goes through this thickness. Will this do the trick?
I bought the punches and I am so disappointed in them they just left a slight mark didn’t go through. Do you have to use a special felt?
No, but you have to hammer them quite a few times with the hammer. Use a mat you don’t care about and whack the punch 3-4 times, going around it and whacking several times. They do work!