Winter Pins

Looking to add interest to your winter wardrobe?

Want to make a gift for a friend or favorite aunt?

Consider making your own pins! Four Fiskars design team members join us to share their ideas for creating winter pins. With a few Fiskars tools, some fabric, felt, and other supplies you can be creating wearable little works of art in no time!

Designer: Patti Milazzo
With the holidays fast approaching, we’re busily creating some handmade gifts we have planned for family, friends and teachers.  In our home, creating with shrink plastic is a favorite craft with my kids but I’ve also found that it’s a really fun medium to use with a variety of Fiskars tools and stamps as well.  For this pin, I wanted to create a winter scene with dimension so I designed the pin to have layers and added beads for a little extra sparkle. 

I started by stamping the snowmen and snowflake using the ‘Tis the Season Clear Stamp set.  Then I colored in my images partially to highlight the designs and trimmed them with scissors.  Next, I traced a 4” circle using the Circle Shape Template for the background.  I stamped my designs within the circle using the Christmas Joy set of clear stamps and highlighted the designs with colored pencils.  I cut out the 4” circle and punched 3 small circles at the bottom with the 1/8” Circle Hand Punch.  Once all the pieces were colored and cut out, I baked them in a toaster oven according to the shrink plastic instructions.  After the pieces cooled, I then glued the snowmen and snowflake to the surface of the background circle.  To complete the design, I used Fiskars Pliers and Wire Cutters to add beaded headpins and jump rings.  Once this was dry, I simply glued on a jewelry pin clasp to the back of the circle.

One suggestion I have is that when you’re stamping on shrink plastic, keep your stamp images as clean and light as possible.  Try not to press too hard.  The rough textured side tends to absorb the ink and can give you a smudged appearance several minutes later should you press too firmly when stamping. 

Designer:  Lisa Storms
I love all of the handmade, layered felt brooches I have been seeing.  I decided to create a similar pin of a snowflake for this winter season.  Adding a large piece of texture to your wardrobe is very "in" right now and just really fun!

Using a disappearing ink fabric marker, trace the 3", 2.5", and 2" circles from the Circles-1 template onto white felt and cut out using Fabric Pinking Shears.  Punch five large 'Nice Tri' squeeze punches from scrap paper and line up evenly around the perimeter on the back of the largest circle and trace with disappearing ink fabric marker; cut out triangles.

Stitch the middle circle on top and cut out slightly smaller triangles using the bottom circle as a guide.  Repeat again with top layer with even smaller triangle cuts.  The pin can be topped with buttons at this point, or for extra dimension fold each "petal" in half and run a needle and thread through once and knot at back to hold as shown.  All that is left to do is sew the snowflake onto a pin blank to add winter style this season!

Designer: Valerie Salmon
Size:  3.5" x 3.5"
Show off your holiday spirit by donning this cute holly berries and leaves pin, made of felt, fabric, and beads.  Add a punch of color & holiday goodness to a jacket, sweater, bag, hat, scarf, or anything wearable!

I love the look of these rolled-type berries.  I have seen these online as felt roses, but I didn't see why it can't be used to create non-floral items.  The way I rolled them into berries almost look like miniature cinnamon rolls, don't you think?  It may take a bit of practice to do especially since the berries end up being only 3/4" in diameter.  The leaves are completely hand-cut and hand-stitched with each sparkly bead sewn individually.  This is optional, of course, but they add so much more to the pin.

You will need some red and green felt scraps, beads, green fabric, needle, thread, circle shape template, micro tip scissors, and a hot glue gun.

To create the berries, use the circle shape template, trace and cut three 1.5" red felt circles.  Cut each into one spiral shape (see example image), then roll into "rose-like" circles carefully.  The 2-layered leaves are hand-cut, hand-stitched together, while stitching each bead to embellish & add sparkle.  (The micro tip scissors are essential in cutting these small leaves.)  Simply put the cluster of berries and leaves together and then glue the grouping to a prepared, gathered floral medallion. 

Finish this off by gluing another 1.5" circle of green felt to the back with a pin. Enjoy making these for yourself and some special women!

Designer: Becky Novacek
I have been a fan of felt for a long time. I'm also crazy about fun, colorful little accessories, but I don't like to pay a lot for them. My solution is to make my own....and it's so simple! Plus, it's totally custom.

Simply use the Fiskars Razor-Edge Softouch Scissors to freehand cut a 2"x3" rectangle each of pink and red felt. On a sidenote, this scissors has been a lifesaver for my mom. She was in a car accident over 20 years ago and lost the use of her right hand, which was her primary hand. She is able to use this scissor with her left hand. I highly recommend it for anyone who has any type of problem such as my mom, or maybe someone with severe arthritis. I've been meaning to share this for some time and hope it helps someone who has been unable to craft because of an injury or disability.

First cut 2 rectangles from your felt. Then trim one small piece of blue felt for the tree trunk. Then trim two long edges of the red felt into a triangle shape with your Fiskars Scallop Craft Scissors. Lay the red triangle on top of the pink rectangle and trim with the scallop scissors leaving an overlap of pink showing. Machine Stitch them together, tucking the stem between the triangle pieces. Then stitch vintage buttons on tree for your ornaments. If you don't have vintage buttons with gems, simply glue gems on your tree. Then glue a small piece of trim over tree trunk. Handstitch craft pin onto the backside and you are all set!

Designer: Kendra McCracken

I've recently become interested in jewelry making, particularly the pieces that have a vintage charm to them. I love the mixed elements of metals and satin ribbons and beads. I love the wire. I love how anything goes. I love that every time you look at a piece, you notice new details. I've been excited to jump in and give some of these ideas I've seen in the books I've been looking through a try.

I can't help but adore the new Fiskars Cardinal Song Limited Edition Squeeze Punch and have been trying to come up with unique ways to use it beyond paper crafting. I discovered using the punch and shrink film, I could create a tiny cardinal bead for embellishing a brooch.

Using Ranger Alcohol Ink and Copper Mixative, I colored the punched cardinal before shrinking it with a heat tool. The nest was created by using the Wired Pliers and Microtip Bent Nose pliers to twist together 4 antique bronze finished eye pins. After stitching my handcrafted embellishments in place and adding some beads, a tiny doily, lace trim, and stitching a pin onto the back, I now have a pretty brooch to wear with a cozy sweater, on the lapel of a wool coat, or to dress up a simple purse.

We hope you've enjoyed these pin ideas, and that you create some of your own this winter!

By Fiskars Design Team