cute tips // laura from bugs and fishes

I just have to say that I feel pretty lucky to have encountered so many cute folks online. By that, I mean people who make cute things. But also, I think that people who make cute things can't help but be pretty cute themselves.

Take today's contributor for Cute Tips. Laura is the author of several super-cute books, and her site Bugs and Fishes documents her very cute life in England, while offering plenty of extra cute felt tutorials.

Here's her fantastic cute tip!



One easy way to make something cute is to make it tiny! Something so small you can hold it in the palm of your hand? Instantly adorable.

You can draw your own mini patterns, or use a photocopier to shrink an existing pattern to make a mini version of it. If you're shrinking a pattern, remember you might need to simplify some shapes or details to make them easier to cut or sew at the smaller size. You can do a lot with just a few stitches when you're making something small: add two seed beads and a row of tiny stitches and you've got a happy little face!



Felt is a great material to use for making small things. There's no need to worry about seam allowances or fabric fraying, you just cut and go. You can use any kind of felt but I use high quality synthetic felt or 100% wool felt for really teeny pieces.

Cutting out small felt pieces can be a bit fiddly, so take your time. My main tip for cutting small shapes is to buy a good quality pair of embroidery scissors. The small, narrow blades make it soooooo much easier to cut small pieces than using ordinary sewing scissors. I shared some more tips on my blog a while ago - make sure to read the comments as my readers shared some great tips of their own!



Thank you Laura! Tiny is always so very cute. I want to shrink everything!

A note to all my bloggy friends: Cute Tips contributors are generously sharing their cutest secrets with us. Be inspired by them, but please, please, please don't try to steal their style! Be your own cute self!

cute tips // becky from the pink samurai

It's time for another installment of Cute Tips! Previously we heard a sweetly stitched tip from Amy who makes all things cute. Now we're changing it up with a simply purrrrrrfect tip!

If you like kawaii, pink, and/or kitties, The Pink Samurai is perfect for you (and me!). Becky draws adorable cat characters, and is in the middle of a year-long project sharing a kitty version of a famous person each day (on their birthday!). It's entirely awesome. She is also the creator of D.I.Kawaii, which you really need to check out. But now, here's Becky!



My cute tip is to make it a cat! Adding ears and a little muzzle pouch makes everything cuter! Plants, food, any inanimate object can be made cuter if it's turned into a cat.





Thanks, Becky! I'm giving your Cute Tip four paws...way up! (But not in an inappropriate kitty sort of way.)

A note to all my bloggy friends: Cute Tips contributors are generously sharing their cutest secrets with us. Be inspired by them, but please, please, please don't try to steal their style! Be your own cute self!

cute tips // amy from nanaCompany

Welcome to Cute Tips! Last time we had two folks who illustrate adorable things (and craft them up too!), and this time it's gonna look a little different. But equally cute!

Amy Sinibaldi of nanaCompany makes beautiful things. She chooses wonderful fabrics, stitches sweetness, and it all comes together to make the cutest items for kids and grown-ups alike. I think part of what makes Amy's work so adorable is that she infuses it with her own heart, which is pure gold. But since it's hard to pass that along as a tip, Amy has another super stitchy way to make things cute!



Add a patch! Whether it's hand-embroidered or a fussy-cut patch of fabric, or cut from a roll of printed cotton tape, a patch sewn onto a handmade item adds definite cute factor. It can be a subtle addition of cute (like when added to the a lower corner of a child's skirt or dress) or it can take center stage ~ at the center of a pouch or handbag. The best part is that you can add a patch to a project at any time, it doesn't have to be planned ahead. :)

Thank you, Amy! You're the best!

To pick up more of Amy's super cute style, check out her book, Sweetly Stitched Handmades!

cute tips from brandi & brent of kukubee

It's time for another Cute Tip! This week I'm incredibly happy to welcome a super cute couple that makes super cute things.

Kukubee is the home base for Brandi & Brent, but I most enjoy following them on Twitter because they share the cutest things! Most recently I've become addicted to the game Alphabears (look for it in your app store), which Brent did the art for. And Brandi is forever making adorable things from felt, and more. I might have a kawaii crush on them.

Here are two new friends with an awesome tip!

Brandi & Brent of kukubee here with our “cute tip!”

Did you know there’s a science behind cuteness? That’s right, you can make your characters 86.4%* cuter by finding the Goldilocks Zone of mouth placement. Too low? Still cute, but not exactly squee-inducing. Too high? Hm…something is a bit off. Juuuuuust right? “OH MY GOODNESS, I MIGHT CRY FROM ALL OF THIS CUTE!”

Imagine if the great Leonardo da Vinci had applied this rule to his famous Mona Lisa. Would humanity still be trying to unlock the secrets of her mysterious smile? We think not!

*percentage is completely made up in the name of cute art.

Seriously, Brandi & Brent? You couldn't be any cuter. Thank you for giving us a lesson in science and cuteness!

A note to all my bloggy friends: Cute Tips contributors are generously sharing their cutest secrets with us. Be inspired by them, but please, please, please don't try to steal their style! Be your own cute self!

cute tips from stacey from freshstitches

Welcome to the second installment in the Cute Tips series! Today we get a very colorful tip from a maker who is completely adorable.

Stacey from FreshStitches describes her site as "cute. crafty. fun." and that couldn't be more accurate. She designs the super sweet amigurumi crochet patterns, and on her blog she shares some really great helps for learning crochet and adding new techniques.



Her tip is simple and so much fun to use in crochet or just about anything: Make it rainbow!

Here are a few of her most rainbow creations!

Does this remind you of the rainbows we loved from Lisa Frank while we were growing up? I bet you can put this cute tip to use right away. Thanks, Stacey!

A note to all my bloggy friends: Cute Tips contributors are generously sharing their cutest secrets with us. Be inspired by them, but please, please, please don't try to steal their style! Be your own cute self!

cute tips from marceline of super cute kawaii

I'm crazy excited about a new series that will run every other Monday here on Wild Olive. This started with someone at my house mishearing "Q-Tips" as "cute tips" and an idea was born.

As you probably know, I love anything that is cute. I bet you do too! So I got to thinking, what are the ways that we make things cute? Here's my go-to cute tip: Put a face on it!

But everyone has their own cute tip, and I've got some great guests lined up to share their own thoughts on cuteness. Believe me...these people know what they're talking about! Starting with Marceline.

You might know her from the blog Super Cute Kawaii, or recognize her artwork from her shop Asking for Trouble. I think you'll agree that she has cuteness down pat. Here's her tip:

The way I make everything cute is by adding impossibly tiny arms and legs. I always find it hilarious and adorable when I add them to my random doodles - they just look so happy and helpless. My very first Asking For Trouble character, Cakeify the happy cupcake, started the trend and now it's pretty much my trademark. When I was designing my 5 A Day fruit and veg characters, I had a lot of conversations with myself about whether an aubergine should have legs (no) or a banana have arms (a thousand times yes!).

Thanks, Marceline! You're super cute, and we're so glad you shared your awesome tip!

A note to all my bloggy friends: Cute Tips contributors are generously sharing their cutest secrets with us. Be inspired by them, but please, please, please don't try to steal their style! Be your own cute self!