In case you missed it, the flowered earmuffs

In case you missed my swap with Crystal this past week, here is the project I did for her blog!!

It's starting to get a little cooler here, which means it's time for cute winter accessories! To make one of these flowered earmuffs, you will need the following.

• Sweater-like material with a bit of stretch to it (it can be an old sweater, but I found mine in a gigantic remnant bag)
• Coordinating felt (optional)
• Pin back (can be found in most crafting stores, optional)
• Glue gun (optional)
• Regular sewing notions: scissors, sewing machine, needles, thread, etc.

Got everything? Let's get started! Keep in mind that I used 1/4" seams unless otherwise noted.

First, we need to cut the strip for the basic earmuff. Wrap a tape measure around your head, making sure that it touches your ears. This is your length, no need to add any seam allowance, we want it to be a little bit smaller so it fits snugly around the ears! (This is why the material needs a bit of stretch.) Your width will be 7 inches. So, if your head circumference is 22 inches, you will need a strip of fabric 22"x7".

Fold your strip in half (the hot dog way!) with the right sides together. Pin in place.

Sew all the way down your strip. (The fraying of the fabric makes it look like I used a larger seam, but it really was 1/4" seam.)

Turn it right side out, so you have a tube. To make it look a little nicer, position the seam in the middle of your strip, instead of on the top. See in the picture? That was the seam is always hidden. That side is now the "wrong" side. We need to turn it into earmuffs now, so pin the right sides together and form a circle. Sew in place.

We now have the earmuff! Way to go! Put it on to see if it fits right and adjust it as necessary. Now we need to make it pretty, because let's face it, you deserve something pretty!

To make the roses, you'll need to cut some more strips. It should be about an inch and a half to 2 inches wide, the length will depend on how big you want the flower to be. (To make flowers my size it's about 6 inches long.) Fold the strip in half, wrong sides together. Using the longest straight stitch on your machine, stitch along the bottom, folded side up (don't backstitch!) Next, gently pull on the threads, and the flower will start to curve, just like in the picture! (You are essentially making a ruffle.)  If you're making more than one rose, repeat this step as many times as you need to.

Here is another example of what you want it to look like.

At this point, you can choose how you want to attach your flowers. I wanted mine to be removable, so I cut a circle of felt to glue the flowers onto. If you want to sew them on, go for it! To make your rose simply roll up your ruffled strip! Trim excess threads as necessary.

Tadah! Either glue it onto a piece of felt or sew it directly on your earmuffs.

I made three for mine, but you can make as many as you want!

Because I wanted mine to be removable, I added a pin to the back of it with hot glue. Pin it on your earmuffs aaand...

You're done! Pull it over your cold ears and strut your stuff!

Just make sure it actually is cold, not almost 90 degrees out. :)

Happy sewing!