Felt Sugar Skulls

Dia de Los Muertos is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico. It’s a celebration to honor our loved ones who have passed away. It’s a beautiful and colorful holiday that occurs around Halloween. One of the traditional items attached to the holiday are sugar skulls; colorful candy,shaped like skulls and decorated with candy flowers and designs in bright colors. I created a quick and easy Sugar Skull felt hoop project to make in case you wanted to explore another culture’s rich tradition this year.

Skill Level: Beginner

Completion Time: 1-2 Hours

YOU WILL NEED:

• 9” X 12” Sheet of Kunin Premium Felt in Black and White
• Sugar Skull Embroidery Pattern by Laura Bray Designs
• Iron-on transfer pen
• Embroidery needle and floss
• Small scissors
• 4” Wood embroidery hoop
• Craft Paint

STEP ONE:  

Paint the embroidery hoop in a bright color. I used Apple Barrel™ Bright Magenta paint. Set the hoop aside to dry completely.

STEP TWO:

Print out the Sugar Skull Embroidery Pattern. Transfer it to a piece of 4” x 4” white felt. Instructions for using an iron-on transfer pen or pencil can be found on my YouTube Channel. Remember, when ironing felt, use a low heat setting. Felt can melt!

STEP THREE:

Using embroidery floss, stitch in the design on the skull. Go bright and use different embroidery stitches to give it texture and interest. Note: There’s no need to load the felt into an embroidery hoop. Felt is thick and you can stitch without a hoop.

STEP FOUR:

Once the design is completely stitched, carefully cut around the skull shape, making sure you don’t clip any of your embroidered designs!

STEP FIVE:  

Pin the skull onto a 6” x 6” piece of black felt. Pin in place and then stitch the skull onto the fabric using either a running stitch or a blanket stitch.

STEP SIX:  

Load the finished design into the painted embroidery hoop. Make sure the skull is centered in the hoop. Tighten hoop. Flip it over and cut off the excess felt.

You can now find an expanded color line of Kunin® Classicfelt and Kunin® Premium felt non-wovens fabrics in cut by the yard at your local Walmart; please inquire as to what is available in your area.

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About Designer Laura Bray

Laura Bray lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, their daughter, and a guinea pig named Oreo. She loves to create beautiful and functional projects with felt and embroidery. To see more of her creations and to learn how to embroidery, visit her at http://laurabraydesigns.com