Upcycled Pencil Jar and Topper

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

Upcycled Pencil Jar:

• DMC Pearl Cotton Variations:
• 3 skeins Water Lilies
• 3 skeins Monet's Garden
• 1 skein Wild Fire
• 1 skein Morning Sunshine
• Charles Craft 14-ct. Aida, black
• Embroidery Transfer Pencil
• Upcycled jar
• 1 sheet of white paper

Upcycled Pencil Toppers:

• DMC Embroidery Floss:
• 4 skeins Lt Parrot Green
• 4 skeins Pumpkin
• 4 skeins Light Topaz
• 4 skeins Light Melon
• 4 upcycled marker or pen tops (that fit on the pencils)
• 4 pencils

Both Projects:

• Embroidery scissors
• Tacky glue (such as Aleene's)
• Fabric stiffener (such as Mod Podge Stiffy)
• Foam brushes & disposable bowl
• Craft sticks, wax paper and latex gloves (optional for ease of handling)
• Mini hot-glue gun and glue sticks

DIRECTIONS:

Upcycled Pencil Jar:

1. Cut 36" strands of Pearl Variations Water Lilies and Monet's Garden thread and fold in half.
2. Begin on the bottom outside of the jar. Wearing gloves, use a craft stick to spread a thick layer of tacky glue over the entire bottom of jar.
3. Holding the center of the first strand of embroidery floss strands at the center of the jar, begin to spiral around and around until the spiral spreads outwards to the outer rim of the jar. Spiral the strands so that they hug the previous strand closely. If strands run out, simply begin with new strands which could now be in a different color combination until bottom is completely covered.
4. Spread more tacky glue generously around the sides of the jar.
5. Holding the jar steady from the inside, begin wrapping more strands around the bottom edge of the jar and continue wrapping all the way around the sides.
6. Be sure to have sufficient glue to cover the top rim of the jar and again, pack the floss down closely to each other.
7. Using the foam brush, paint thread-wrapped jar with a coat of Modge Podge.
8. Set aside to dry over waxed paper, checking periodically to ensure it isn't sticking to the wax paper.
9. Make the flower: create a small paper template of a flower, beginning with a circle (about an inch in diameter) and adding 5 simple petals around the center. Cut out template. Using this template, pin to the Aida cloth and cut out.
10. Spread Tacky Glue on the center of the Aida flower.
11. Cut a 36" strand of Pearl Variations Morning Sunshine and fold in half. Begin in center of the flower with a folded strand and coil around until you reach the petals.
12. Spread Tacky Glue on the Aida flower petals.
13. Cut a 36" strand of Pearl Variations Wild Fire and fold in half. Begin in the center of each petal and coil Pearl around until you reach the outer edge.
14. Using foam brush, paint flower with a coat of Modge Podge. Let dry completely.
15. Hot glue the flower to the thread-wrapped jar. (Optional - instead of a flower, cut simple shapes such as triangles, squares and circles of Aida and decorate with Pearl before adding to jar).

Upcycled Pencil Toppers:

1. Cut 36" strands of floss and fold in half.
2. Coat one old marker cap lightly with tacky glue and wrap tightly with embroidery floss Parrot Green. Repeat for each cap and each color of Embroidery Floss. Add a spiral strand of contrasting Pearl Variations used in the Pencil Jar project to each wrapped cap.
3. Using foam brush, paint each wrapped cap with a coat of Modge Podge. Allow to dry completely.

Make 2 pom-poms:

1. Holding all 4 colors of floss strands together, wrap repeatedly around 3 fingers held together.
2. Carefully remove your fingers and wrap a 12" strand of floss around the middle and tie off tightly in the center between folds.
3. Cut through both folds and fluff to create a nice full pom-pom.
4. Trim pom-pom as needed with embroidery scissors.

Make 2 tassels:

1. Holding all 4 colors of embroidery floss strands together, wrap floss around 3 fingers and tie off close to one end with a 12" strand of floss.
2. Carefully cut through the fold at the end opposite the side you tied off.
3. Wrap a contrasting color on top of where tassel was tied off, dabbing some tacky glue at the beginning and end of the floss.
4. Use a dot of hot glue to adhere pom-poms and tassels to the top or side of the marker caps.