make: handprint easter lily brooch

When you were a kid, did you ever make an Easter Lily by tracing your hand and rolling it up and adding a pipe cleaner? If you're a mom, has you child ever made one for you? I was thinking about this classic project, and thought it might be fun to make a wearable, and longer-lasting version of it.

To make a Handprint Easter Lily Brooch, you will need:

White, yellow and green felt
Pinback or safety pin
Green embroidery floss

Here's what you do:

Trace your child's hand. Or you could trace your own hand. Now, you're going to need to reduce it some. The goal is to have two hand templates, one slightly larger than the other.

I traced my six-year-old sister's hand, and it was about 6 inches tall. On the scanner, I made one copy that was 60%, and one that was 50%. Overall, the final height of the larger one is about 3 1/2 inches tall, which is a nice size for this.

Use the template you've made to cut out the two hand sizes from white felt. From yellow felt, cut a thin fringe piece, like in the photo, that is about 1 1/2 inches tall. From green felt, cut a thin leaf piece, and a strip that is 1/2 inch wide by about 5 inches long. (My strip was only 4 inches, and more length would have helped.)

Wrap the smaller hand around the yellow fringe.

Wrap the larger hand around the smaller hand, keeping it a tight roll.


Add the leaf to the side, and begin wrapping the green strip around the base. Overlap it a big with each time around. This is a good time to add your pin, or you can sew it on afterward.

Carefully add a few stitches to hold everything together. Try to hide them in the overlaps of felt, and be sure to get all the way through the center so that the yellow fringe/stamen is held in too. Alternately, you could use a bit of hot glue to secure everything as you go.

Spread the petals of the handprint lily and pin on to wear with pride on Sunday!