As part of KIDS KORNER, the kids craft section of Studio-259, I will be offering some simple how to’s.

The first in this series is how to do a blanket stitch. These pictures are an excerpt from a kids felt bag project that I am currently working on to post on the site. Check back in a week or so for the free pattern.

The blanket stitch is a fun and simple stitch that can provide hours of fun for kids and adults. A great stitch that adds color and texture to any projects you are working on. It’s a great stitch to use on felt projects. Felt comes in bright colors and my local Joanns also sells felted wool which comes in more autumn like colors. Felt is also a very affordable way for kids to make projects that are inexpensive.

The blanket stitch is a simple stitch and this post will give you some images to show you how to do it.

You start by cutting out a shape, here is a funky flower we cut out of tye dye felt and we are sewing it to another layer of lime green felt. Using a crewel thread, not embroidery floss we take the first stitch.

You start by bringing the needle up at the edge of the flower and bring the needle into the flower approximately 1/4 inch from the edge and you come up at the edge of the flower as in the photo below.

Be sure to keep the thread loop behind the tip of the needle as you pull the needle thru the felt.

Keeping the thread behind the needle tip is what makes the loop of the blanket stitch. See the loop forming below.

You have made your first blanket stitch!

You are going to repeat this process all the way around your cut out piece until you reached the end.

Here is the blanket stitch completed on one section of my funky flower.

Here is the whole flower blanket stitched onto the background. Try to keep your stitches close and uniform. It takes just a little practice to master the blanket stitch , soon you will be making projects of your own.

My daughter made these samples, she is 11. She is having so much fun working on blanket stitched felt projects this summer.