HOMEMADE PIN CUSHION FAVORS

I have a group of friends I've been with for almost 30 years now.  There are six of us and we get together many times during the year, but formally, we meet six times because celebrating our birthdays is an important part of our friendship.  Once each year, each person gives a birthday luncheon for someone in the group.  Along with a nice luncheon, we always have a favor at each place.  It can be anything from a special candle to a small dish of candy.  Well, this month it was my turn - my favor for the girls was a little . . . different.  Not something you'd usually see at a place setting.  But that's okay - these women are good sports and you can pretty much do whatever you want to and they'll ohhh, and ahhhh, and love it anyway!  So here are some photos from that day . . .

 Burlap on the table, of course!  My centerpiece was made of three tin buckets with a branch from my crab apple tree in each one.

Each place had a kind of "pin cushion sundae" for a favor.  Then I made a "hat pin" to go in each one, just to dress it up a bit.  For the hat pin, all you have to do is take a piece of heavy gauge picture hanging wire (about 7 inches), twist a little loop on one end, and thread on some leftover beads.  Before you put on your last bead, put a little dab of hot glue on the wire and then quickly slip on the last bead.  That's it!  You can sharpen the end of the wire with a file if you like, but these easily went into the pin cushion just as they were.  The pin cushion itself went together as follows:

Cut a circle of any fabric - about twice the size of the opening of your dish.

Run some stitches around the perimeter of the circle and cinch, but not real tight yet.

 Stuff the pouch firmly with fiberfill and then cinch it tightly.

Run a line of hot glue on the inside of the dish, right up near the top.  Then quickly pop the stuffed round of fabric into the dish, cinched end down.  

 

They were probably the most unusual favors we've ever had at our lunch tables through the years - you don't normally think of putting pins near food!  But they looked pretty - kind of like dishes of ice cream!  And with colder weather just around the corner, I know I tend to do more sewing and needlework.  So, hopefully they'll come in handy.  Nevertheless, they were fun to make and give as a reminder of the day!

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Between Naps On The Porch