Quick & Easy Halloween Decor

We've been thinking about Halloween all summer and are super excited that we can finally start to trot out spooky decorations without getting funny looks.

Naturally, every year we make more and better Halloween decorations than in years past. This year is no exception, but we've added a rule to our creepy fun: recycle as much as possible as we decorate.

There must be something in the air because Jennifer Perkins from Naughty Secretary Club and I Love to Create gave a set of canisters new life when she decorated them for Halloween.

Jennifer uses both felt and yarn on her canisters, which gives a nice dimension. However, if you don't have any yarn, you can use felt for the entire project. Plus, if you have some Quick Stick felt handy you can make this project that much faster.

Now go scare up some supplies and get crafting!

Tips for Adhesive-Backed Felt

After spending some quality time working with our Stick-It Felt Sheets, Letters, and Shapes and our Quick Stick lines of products, I uncovered some fun tips to help make their use that much more enjoyable and your project longer-lasting.

1) To help remove the adhesive-backing on your felt, place the object in between your thumb and index finger and gently roll back and worth to help break the seal.  From there, just peel and stick to your space.

2) To acheive a stronger hold on your projects (as long as you are doing fabric-to-fabric), use an iron set on the lowest setting and a press cloth and gently press for a few seconds on your items.  This will help create a stronger hold.

Do you have any tips you picked up along the way?  Let us know!

Felt is Felt?! Take another look!

We here at New Image, and especially CPE, often hear this dreaded phrase from family and friends when we start getting passionate about what we do: "What is the big deal?  Felt is felt!"  Well, you couldn't be more wrong my friends.  We have a wide range of different styles of felt that are appropriate for different projects.  For some inspiration, check out our project pages to see all the different ways to use it.  Here is a quick cheat sheet for your crafting needs:

Soft Felt

• These are the typical felt sheets you see in craft stores.  They are great for all general purpose needs.  You can buy them in 9 x 12 Sheets, 36 x 36 Craft Packs, or by the yard.
• Our Classic Soft Felt is also sold by the yard in 72" width and is perfect for costumes, banners, drapery lining and general crafts.  We achieve our soft hand by using a fine fiber and needling over 3000 punches per square inch.  You have to feel the difference!
• Our Quick Stick felt is soft felt with adhesive backing.  It is great for creating your own stickers to embellish your projects, scrapbook pages, or add a little extra touch to your accessories.

EZ Felt

• Our EZ Felt is made up of Soft Felt that has been stiffened.  It allows you to add some structure to your felt projects by being a bit more durable than standard craft felt.  Available in 12 x 18 sheets.
• Our EZ Felt also works with a variety of personal cutting machines.  You can create your own beautiful shapes for your crafting needs!
• Stick-It Felt is our EZ Felt line with an adhesive backing.  These are available in 9 x 12 Sheets and the majority of our Felt Stickers are made up of Stick-It Felt.

Premium Soft Felt

• This style of felt works better for the majority of your sewing projects, as it is designed to withstand wear and tear. Premium Soft Felt also has a great anti-pill quality so the fabric will remain as lovely as the day you brought it home. Available by the yard. It is machine washable and again the use of our fine fiber gives a great soft hand to the felt.
• We recommend projects such as making purses, mantle covers, play mats, and other decor out of premium felt.

I had a blast making this hopscotch mat with most of the different felt varieties. Now that you know there is so much more to Felt, what will you make today?