project // loved coffee cuff with stencil cutting file

Remind someone (even yourself!) that they are loved with this easy freezer paper-stenciled coffee cuff! It's fast and easy to make, especially with the free SVG cutting file and a cutting machine.

You don't need to have a cutting machine though. You can hand cut the stencil for almost the same effect. Or, use the PDF template as an embroidery pattern and stitch a loved coffee cuff!



You will need:

A basic felt or fabric coffee cuff
Freezer paper
Cutting machine -OR - a pencil and craft knife
Iron
Acrylic paint
Stencil brush or foam paint dauber

DOWNLOAD THE LOVED SVG CUTTING FILE

DOWNLOAD THE LOVED PDF TEMPLATE

For this project, I used the same sleeve base as I did for my Serious Crafter coffee cuff (scroll down in that post to grab the download and simple instructions). But you can use your favorite pattern and just apply my stencil.



Use the SVG cutting file on a cutting machine to cut out a crisp freezer paper stencil. The stencil should face the right way on the non-shiny side.

If you don't have a cutting machine, trace the PDF version of the pattern onto freezer paper. Use a craft knife to carefully cut out the design.



Iron the stencil onto the coffee cuff.



Dab paint onto the stencil and sleeve. Let the first coat of paint dry, then add a second coat.



Peel away the stencil to reveal the design!




I made this design so I could make gifts for some special people. I want them to know that they are loved, and I want you to know the same thing.

You are loved by me. I know we may not have met in real life or even exchanged emails or comments on social media. But I truly care about you.

And bigger than that, you are loved by Jesus. He created you and you have value. You are loved no matter what.

printable // holy week verse cards

It's almost Holy Week, and I like to find my own Wild Olive ways of remebering, observing, and celebrating the most important week in history. This year I'm sharing these printble verse cards with you. The artwork is based on the Holy Week felt garland I made a few years ago.

These cards are a great way to learn a few verses from this week in Jesus' life, to mark these sections of your Bible, set around in your home to see Scripture daily, or even to add in to your Bible journaling.




All you need is some card stock and a pair of scissors.

I recommend printing the cards at the highest quality setting on your printer. You can also send this to an office supply print shop.

While I ask that you not use these commercially, I do love it when people share my work. Feel free to print as many as you want to give away, whether to a friend or your entire church.

DOWNLOAD THE HOLY WEEK VERSE CARDS PDF

For the cards, I could have chosen a lot more verses and icons to go with them. But I went with Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. I'll also be sharing these on Instagram (I'm @molliejohanson there) on these key days, with some reflections.




Allow me to be candid. Sometimes I question whether I should put face on these objects that we connect with things that are holy. Like, do I cross a line by making communion cute? But here's the thing: my faith — my relationship with Jesus — is in every part of me. Or at least that's my hope! And making things cute is part of me, so why wouldn't I make these kawaii faith icons?

"So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work (for me, that means drawing cute things), and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him."

Romans 12:1 The Message (parentheses added by me!)



May your Holy Week and your everyday ordinary life be filled with good things and God things!

pattern // embroidered advent candles - weeks 3 & 4

This Sunday is the third Sunday in Advent, and traditionally you light the "joy" candle. There are other versions of this one, but I like joy.

We sing Joy to the World at Christmas, but it's not really about Jesus being born. It's about Jesus coming. And He's the true source of joy. Back in Bethlehem, today in the midst of difficulties, and forever in eternity. And I actively seek that.

Anyway, here are the patterns for "joy" and "love", which is the fourth candle. These go with the Advent Candle Garland project I shared.

DOWNLOAD THE PATTERN FOR WEEKS 3 & 4

On Christmas Day, one last candle is lit, and it's the Christ Candle. This one is white, and for my pattern, I chose to use the name Jesus. It has a crown image to welcome the King of Kings.

DOWNLOAD THE PATTERN FOR THE JESUS CANDLE

Side note: Can I just tell you how much it bugs me that the joy candle is pink? I either want them all to be the same, all be different, or at least make the love candle pink. Honestly...this has always been a pet peeve of mine, but nobody asked me when they were planning this whole Advent thing...

project // embroidered advent candle garland

Advent wreaths come in many shapes and sizes, and this one isn't even a wreath at all, but rather, an Advent candle garland. It's stitched with words and icons (Wild Olive style!) that represent each week, and it's an easy project to make through this season.

We love to celebrate Advent at my house. Celebrate may not always be the right word, actually. Observe might be closer, because sometimes there's some sadness and longing that comes with Advent. But all of that helps make Christmas more of a celebration.

And I don't know about you, but even when I'm thinking that I'm ready for Advent, I'm rarely actually ready. Case in point: I started this project on the first Sunday of Advent. Ideally, I would have had this whole thing ready to go and display each week. Instead, I'm making it along the way. And you know what? I like that. It's part of the process of waiting well.

The idea I had was to make an embroidery for each week. (Last year I made some larger patterns) Then I thought about the candles, and tried to come up with a way to include them, and then...what if the candles were a garland! It's abstract, with a yellow tab for the flame, but if you squint, you'll see candles. Maybe at some point, I'll add some greens in between, but for now, I have green sparkle string.

If you'd like to work on this along with me, please do. Below you'll find the first two patterns for weeks 1 & 2. They are hope (with an anchor...see Hebrews 6:19) and peace (with a dove). Both are on purple candles.

In the next few weeks, I'll share the patterns for the joy, love, and Christ candles.



You will need:

Purple, pink, and white felt (I use Benzie Design felt!)
Embroidery floss
Tracing paper
Yellow fabric scraps
String

DOWNLOAD THE PATTERN FOR WEEKS 1 & 2



To make each candle, trace a pattern onto thin tracing paper. Baste the paper onto the felt. I used to always use pins for this, but basting the paper is a little easier for me because there's nothing for the embroidery thread to catch on.

Stitch through the felt and the paper as you embroider the design. I used all six strands for this. On the eyes for the anchor, I wrapped the needle just one time for the french knots so they were tiny.



Tear away the paper and trim the felt down to 2"x5". You may find that it's simpler to cut the felt to size before you stitch from the previous step.



Cut a small rectangle of yellow fabric and fold it in half. Hold it behind the top of the felt piece and stitch it in place. I stitched with running stitch, then went back and filled in the gaps with running stitch, which, by the way, is called holbein stitch.



Thread a hanging string through the candle tab/flame. Tie a loop in each end and add candles each Sunday in Advent!



I'm working on this project week by week, but this gives you an idea of where we're going. Normally I'd feel bad about not having a finished project to show, or even having all the patterns ready! But Advent is about waiting, so this is probably okay!

You can find the patterns for weeks 3 & 4, plus the Christmas Day calendar here.

printable // watercolor faith reminders

I am a maker of lists. I live by them. And when I don't write down my lists, I try to keep them running in my head and risk the impending feeling of "oh my goodness what all am I supposed to do?". And why do I rely on lists? Because I'm forgetful. I need reminding.

In the same way, I doodle and draw patterns and printables with Scripture, song lyrics, and faith phrases. I stick them in places I'll see daily. I share them with others who do the same. Why? Because we're forgetful. We need reminding.

Occasionally I make these little printable reminders for the group of girls I lead at church. And when I showed them on Instagram, a few folks said they'd be interested in printing some for themselves or for groups they know. Because we're forgetful. We need reminding.

Some of these phrases have been patterns already (find them under the "faith" tag at the bottom of this post), and others are taken directly from the Bible.

My favorite, at Easter time and really, any time (because it's the rest of the time when I need the most reminding) is this one: All is well. Christ is risen. You can read more about it in a post from a while back, when I also made a bracelet to hold onto this reminder.

DOWNLOAD THE WATERCOLOR REMINDER CARDS

Friends, we're forgetful. But these things are worth remembering. Even if that means plastering reminders all over the place. We need this kind of reminding.

pattern // be my everything

Sometimes you hear some words that you hold onto. Sometimes you need to hold onto them as a reminder. Sometimes they are the comfort you need. Sometimes they are exactly what you want to express. And as I've said before, I tend to want to make these words into embroidery patterns.

"Be my everything" are the words that have been playing in my head lately. They sound like something you say to your sweetheart and so it seemed logical to add some hearts to this design. It's perfect to stitch for a Valentine's Day gift for your special someone.

As a single gal, I'm stitching this for myself.

I know what you're thinking. "She wants to be her own everything?" While I suppose there are some who would try to make this be a thing, that's not what this is about for me. I'm stitching this for myself as a reminder of something for which I strive, and often fail.

You see, the words "be my everything" are part of a song that was in a church service recently. The song "Everything" by Tim Hughes is simple and it captures my desire for living this life with God. With Jesus. I encourage you to look it up and read through all of the lyrics, but here's a small sample:

God in my hoping
There in my dreaming
God in my watching
God in my waiting

Be my everything

Of course, even though I want Him to be my everything, I let myself get in the way, making things about me and what I want. It's not always bad or wrong, but it does often distract me from Jesus as my everything. So I'm going to be stitching these words so I see them throughout my day. And so I can stitch my prayers for this right onto fabric and thread.

Whether you want a reminder for your own heart or a message for the one who holds your heart, I hope you enjoy stitching up these words!

BE MY EVERYTHING PATTERN PDF

pattern // comfort & joy

Dear friends, 2016 has been quite a year. Am I wrong? And I'm guessing that "joy" isn't a word that most would associate with this year (even if there have been joyful moments that you've experienced). But "joy" is the fourth candle on the advent wreath, so regardless of how I, how we, feel, I needed to make a joy-themed embroidery pattern to share.

That idea of choosing joy regardless of how we're feeling is one that I made into a pattern and pillow this summer. And I do believe that we can choose to look for joy no matter how horrible we feel (because joy is NOT the same thing as happiness). But as I'd done that phrase already, I wanted another. I also made a set of patterns to go with the song "Joy to the World" a few years back, so that was out.

Then I heard the song "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" play on the internet radio station we like to listen to around here.

God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Savior
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy

These lyrics pass by me so quickly sometimes that I don't think on them, but they're too good to miss. Especially in days, months, and years that are difficult, we need a reminder to find rest in the One who loves us. We don't need to be anxious because Jesus arrived on earth to save us. No matter what's going on in and around us, these things should give us comfort and joy.

I could use some comfort and joy, how about you?

DOWNLOAD THE COMFORT & JOY PATTERN PDF

Now, let me take this one step further. Who do you know that could use some comfort and joy? Who are some people you don't know who also need comfort and joy? Maybe it's a friend who is mourning, a homeless family near you, or refugees on the other side of the world.

Think of ways that you can provide these people with comfort and joy, and then make a plan to do those things. Because this is a message we need to share both in words and tangible deeds.

May you find comfort and joy this Christmas and beyond.

pattern // love everyone always

The third Sunday in Advent represents love. When I started thinking about what kind of pattern I should make for this, I didn't have to think for long. "Love everyone, always" is a big idea that my church shared this fall, and it needs to be stitched and shared.

When asked, Jesus said that the heart of it all is this: Love the Lord...and love your neighbor as yourself. And when asked who your neighbor really is, Jesus told a story that made it clear that even the person you might think of as your enemy, is your neighbor. Another time He flat out said to love your enemies, do good for them, bless them and pray for them.

So basically, love everyone. Always.

Love your literal neighbor who is never happy with how you keep your lawn. Love the people who always seem to be perfect and who look down on your frazzledness. (I made that word up.) Love the family member who disagrees with your political views. And yes, love the politician that makes your skin crawl and the people who threaten your safety and security.

None of these things mean that you have to like what a person does, nor does it mean that you should go along with whatever they say or do. There are ideas and actions that we need to stand up to. But it does mean that at a minimum you should treat those people the way you would want to be treated. As a human being.

I don't always like this idea. Sometimes I can't even wrap my head around how to do it. But if God loves the world and everyone in it enough to send His Son Jesus to live on earth and give His life for us, I think I can try.

DOWNLOAD THE LOVE EVERYONE, ALWAYS PATTERN

Having an embroidered reminder is a good start. Hang it somewhere that you'll see on a regular basis. And then speak and act in love to everyone you encounter.

#LoveEveryoneAlways

project // the stable felt playset

The stable. It's where a gift of love was born. And it's an event that I'll never get tired of, which is why I keep making projects that feature a tiny baby in a feed trough. Like this Nativity felt playset.

But let me go back. A few years ago, I shared a tutorial for an ornament I called "The Stable." It remains one of the top posts on my blog. Twelve months ago, I decided that this would be a year of "making old new", by way of taking previous or vintage projects and updating them in some way (and I've sort of followed through). A few weeks ago, I mentioned the idea of using my ornament pattern as a playset. And here we are.

So I took the old ornament pieces, enlarged them, and added a few more patterns. The figures work great on a felt board, or you can let children play and arrange them flat on a table. Or if you don't want a playset, try using the pieces to make a wall hanging!

You will need:

Felt - tan, brown, white, and a bunch of colors (I prefer Benzie Design felt)
Scissors
Pins
Black embroidery floss
Needle
Craft or fabric glue

DOWNLOAD THE STABLE PLAYSET PATTERN

Print the pattern pieces and start cutting out the shapes. All of the people use the same body and face pieces (except for the tiny baby Jesus). Use tan and brown felt for the face shapes and various colors for the body pieces.

Cut angel wings and sheep bodies from white (or perhaps you may want a dark sheep too!), and cut the extra pieces using the image above as suggestions for colors.



Cut out the large stable shape from tan and cut the stable frame from brown. And of course, you'll need the manger and star!




To assemble the stable background, run a wave of glue around the edge of the large stable piece where the frame will go. Then, lay the frame over the glue. Set this aside to dry.



Stitch the eyes on all of the face pieces. For the large pieces, use french knots and for the tiny baby Jesus, use scallop stitches so He is sleeping.

Of course, you can add a nose and mouth to these, but I love this simplicity. Oh, and if you need help with these stitches, check out my making faces tutorial.



Use glue to attach each face to a body.



Here's the Holy Family all gathered close. I like that Jesus can lay in the manger, but I love how it looks when Mary is holding Him.



For the angel, attach the wings to the back. Or keep them separate so you can change out which body piece is the angel. You could even make a bunch of angels so they can fill the sky. Maybe shrink the pattern a bit so you can have some that are smaller?



And some shepherds! I decided to glue the shepherds' crooks to them, but again, leaving them loose will up the play value and customization.



Baaaaaaaaahhhh! Embroider faces on the sheep and consider making some look in different directions. They're pretty easy to stitch freehand. Just two french knots and a bit of back stitch for the nose.

Glue one ear behind the sheep body and one ear in front.



At my house, we prefer to keep the kings or wise men away from the stable, because seriously...how did they travel so fast if the star appeared when Jesus was born?

But, I do love tradition, so I made some kings with crowns that can either be glued on or left separate. I didn't make gifts in the pattern, but you could definitely make some!



Now it's time to tell the story! Place the felt pieces in the stable and set the scene.

...And while they were there, the time came for Mary's baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.



That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!"



About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”



You guys, I love this story. I love this truth. And I love when children get to experience these things and touch them with their little fingers. Because, like Mary, I'm pretty sure this happens:

"Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often."

When kids have their own Nativity sets to play with and retell the story, it helps them keep these things and think about them often. And that gives them the opportunity to talk and ask questions.

Of course, the reality is that as an adult, making projects like this does the exact same thing for me. I ponder these things in my heart.



Enjoy making this playset, and especially making this a time for celebrating Jesus.

pattern // peace on earth

Yesterday's Advent candle was the peace candle. Some days that almost feels laughable, because it seems like we're getting farther and farther away from peace on earth. Most days, it's the kind of thing that could make you just cry. Like so many of the big thoughts and ideas that make a home in my brain, I turn once again to stitching. Or at least a pattern for stitching.

Oftentimes I'm one to avoid conflict. I like things to be nice. Happy. Peaceful.

I try to follow mostly happy crafty people on social media, because I like seeing pretty pictures of things that aren't likely to get me upset or cause an argument. Maybe that's burying my head in the sand, but I see and hear more than enough negativity even with this arrangement. Can't we all just get along?

But that's just it. We can't.

There will always be disagreements about things. We will always think that we're right and they're wrong. But what if our response wasn't to demonize the other, but to respect them for the simple fact that they are a human being?

It's easier said than done, and that's where some help comes in handy.

Last night I heard Jerusalem Greer say that if we didn't have a great need, longing, and ache (for hope, for peace, for love, for joy), we wouldn't need Christmas. Because we wouldn't need Jesus. And you know what? I need Jesus. I need the one who offers true peace and who calls us to live peacefully with each other.

Do we get that wrong? Obviously. But that's why we need to keep turning to Him for the example and for the peace that only He gives.

Now let me circle back to stitching. Because other than grabbing a few moments of peaceful stitching, how does embroidery have anything to do with peace on earth? Maybe it doesn't. But maybe sharing this message as you work on this pattern would help others. Maybe stitching creates a space for you to pray for peace or think about how you might be an agent of peace.

DOWNLOAD THE PEACE ON EARTH PATTERN

Maybe the peace that Jesus offers to every single person, no matter what, could actually spread with a few stitches. And may you experience this peace today, if only for a moment.

pattern // we have a hope

Yesterday was the first day of Advent and the first candle that you light is called the Hope candle. And I, ever running just a little behind, made a hope pattern. I can't promise patterns for each Sunday (or Monday, in this case) of Advent, but we'll see.

Actually this pattern has been on my mind and sketched out for a while now. The words "we have a hope" are from a song that one of the worship leaders at my church wrote, and it's been a song that I've needed during this season of my life. In September, a dear friend of my family passed away. He was more than just a friend though. He was family and we spent birthdays and holidays and ordinary days with him...for most of my life.

His death was not entirely unexpected, but the cancer took him far too fast. We're all heartbroken. It made Thanksgiving traditions difficult and we're now trying to figure out how we'll start some new Christmas traditions. And it has most definitely taken a toll on my ability to work and focus.

But in the midst of the mourning and sorrow, we have a hope. Our hope is Jesus.

And that's what the Hope candle of Advent is about. Hope in a Savior who has been here already, is coming again, and is God with us here and now. If I didn't have that, I'd be more than just broken...I'd be shattered beyond repair.

It's funny how hope and sadness and hope and anxiety and hope and brokenness can exist side by side and all together. But I think that's kind of the point of hope.

So now as I try to pull myself together and stitch through another day, maybe you'd like to stitch some hope too.

DOWNLOAD THE WE HAVE A HOPE PATTERN

You can work this however you like, but I'm planning to stitch the wide part of the letters with some loose fill (maybe horizontal stripes?). And I'm also thinking of stitching the flower with a felt base, like with the flowers in this tutorial. Oh, and those circles in the pattern? They're meant to be worked as woven wheel stitch for some pretty roses.

There are a few people in my life who need this reminder, so I've got some Christmas stitching to do, and I had better get busy!

project // holy week convertable felt garland

Are you ready for Holy week coming up? The week between Palm Sunday and Easter is special, and since I like to celebrate and observe special things with craft projects and making, I've created a felt garland with some symbols and icons for the season.

Every so often, I'll get an idea for something that just really excites me. Almost from the moment it comes to mind, I'm ready to call it a favorite project ever. And sometimes the ideas feel like a gift. As though the idea wasn't really mine, but rather, a whisper from God. This garland is both of those things.

Now, I don't know picture God designing craft projects, although why not? Creativity comes from Him! I'm also not sure how He feels about me making a cross and a tomb with faces, but I've seen the cuteness He has made in this world!

I say this because I want to make it clear that this garland is made with the utmost respect for the God I serve. And if the faces are not your thing or they make you uncomfortable on this, just don't stitch them. The garland still works with plain felt shapes.

If you aren't quite sure what this garland is about, scroll to the end to read more.

Now, let's make a garland!



You will need:

Felt (I recommend Benzie felt!) in green, brown, gray, dark gray, and a few colors
Green perle cotton
Black embroidery floss or perle cotton
Mini clothespins
Craft glue
Scissors
Needle

DOWNLOAD THE HOLY WEEK GARLAND PDF



There are two parts to this garland: the palm branch base and the clip-on elements. Let's start with the palm branches.

Use the template to cut out a bunch of palm branch shapes from green felt. I found it easier to cut out the main shape first, and then snip out the little bits.

Make as many of these as you need to make your garland the length you want. Mine has 16 or 17 leaves and it ended up about five feet long.



Cut off a piece of green perle cotton that is about 10" longer than you want the garland. Sew the palm branches together with a few large running stitches down the middle. Slide the leaves along so they nearly touch. I used a doll needle, which is extra long and made it easy to stitch the whole branch shape at once.



Fill up the entire length of garland. At each end, fold over the perle cotton and tie a knot to make a hanging loop.



Now we'll make the clip-on pieces.

From the bright colors of felt, cut out as many coats as you want. Cut out three crosses from brown felt. Cut out the entire tomb shape from dark gray felt and cut out the front tomb shape (with the door cut out) from light gray felt. And cut the stone from light gray felt.



This part is totally optional, but if you're up for it, embroider the faces on the coats, crosses, and stone. I used no. 8 perle cotton in black. As usual, the faces are made with french knot eyes and scallop stitch mouths.



Glue the front of the tomb to the back piece and then glue to stone rolled away off to the side.



Run a line of glue down one side of a mini clothespin...




...and attach it to the back of one of the pieces with the clippy grippy part at the top. These will hang down on the bottom of the garland, and not attach from the top. Make sense?

Add a clip to each of the clip-on elements. Attach two clips to the back of the tomb.




Hang the palm branch garland and clip the coats along the way to make a path that is perfect for a king to pass by. We have our garland set up like this and will leave it through Palm Sunday and right up until Good Friday.




On Good Friday, the coats will come down and the three crosses will go up. They represent such a gift that Jesus gave us, but they're still sad. Because it is sad. Thankfully, they don't have to stay on the garland for long!



Because on Easter Sunday the crosses are replaced by the empty tomb and the celebration that Jesus is alive...forever!



May your Holy week be filled with the beauty of grace. A gift given for you. And maybe some slightly cute symbols of that grace too!

If you want the scoop on what this garland symbolizes, read on...

On Palm Sunday, we celebrate a very glad day. Jesus came into town riding a lowly donkey and the people celebrated. They placed palm branches on the ground, spread out their coats for him to ride over, and called out "Hosanna!" They welcomed Jesus as king.

Less than a week later, everything changed to a very sad day. Instead of crying out hosanna, the crowds turned and were calling "crucify him!" Though he had done nothing wrong, he was condemned and hung on a cross to die. Why? Because Jesus is God's Son, and He was sent to take on the punishment for every wrong thing you and I do. Because He wants us to know we are loved and forgiven.

But so what? Jesus died. We call that day Good Friday, but that's not the end.

On the third day, it was back to being a very glad day. In fact, the gladdest, best day ever. The tomb where Jesus was placed after He died was found empty. With the giant stone rolled away and angels announcing that He is risen, just as He promised. Easter!

Jesus, alive again, proved that He is more powerful than death and He visited with many people so they could share this incredible news and the gift of grace that only He gives.

This news and this gift are the most important things in my life. And I can't help but share them with you. Even in a felt banner with little faces. If you ever have questions about what it means to follow Jesus, or why I've made this choice, please send me an email (molliejohanson at gmail).