Mini Make - Candy Cane Mouse

Candy Cane Mice

This month I have been asked to do a Mini Make activity with the WI ladies on the theme of Cheese and Wine. When I was asked, I thought of cheese and mice, but since watching Winterwatch I discovered mice don't actually choose cheese! But I stuck with the mice idea anyway!
This is really more of a Christmas tutorial, but you can be prepared, or give one as an Easter gift to someone who doesn't like chocolate (is that even posssible?!!!)
To make a mouse you need a small amount of felt, a candy cane, some fabric glue and some eyes. For my eyes I used black brads from here, but you can use buttons or just felt pen them on.I have checked, and candy canes are available on ebay if you don't have any left from Christmas.

Cut out a body, an ear piece, two inner ears (if wanted) and a nose.

Fold the mouse and pattern in half together and use as a guide to cut the two sets of slits.

Roll the ear piece up

Carefully slide the ear through the two slits at the head end, stopping in the middle.

Glue or sew ear patches on if you want - don't forget a nose!

Add two eyes you can use buttons, brads or even draw them on

Slide the candy cane through the slits in the tail and the loop created by the ears.

A wobbly template with sizes!

Mini Make Jars

Chris from Heavenly Hedgerows

I have been asked by my W.I. to come up with some 'mini makes' for us to do at a meeting. Last Tuesday we had Chris from ' Heavenly Hedgerows' join us for a talk on foraging and some basic plants and ideas to make, I have to say the rose hip jelly looked beautiful - far too good to eat!
The mini make I came up with was a decorated jar, that you could fill with jam, or sweets, or pickles, or bath salts, or buttons or .... 

Mini make - jars

Each jar (from IKEA) contained a square of the Cath Kidston Rosali fabric from IKEA, a length of ribbon, some small pieces of felt, two buttons and a small strip of paper. I had made two sample jars to share using those 'ingredients' one with paper bunting tied round the neck with a felt label and one with a felt heart on top.
The fabric was cut into a circle with the edges scalloped. I then cut a heart and a small label from the felt. If you were giving this to someone special you could embroider their name on the label. Ribbon and button detail was added. To get the fabric circle to stay in place I used a rubber band first before tying the ribbon on. But if you're making this with someone else they could hold it for you!
The paper bunting was made by cutting little triangles out of pretty paper and then using a double thickness of sewing thread to sew it as a length and then tie it round the lid.
I have to say that I was very pleased with them and so were the ladies! I thought they would also make pretty presents for a teacher or teaching assistant at the end of term filled with sweets or paper clips or a voucher ...

mini make lids

I'm joining in with Handmade Monday this week as it's half term - see you there!