Mason Jar Lid Toppers

Inspired by: Strawberry Fields from designer Kathleen Berlew

Project tester: Elizabeth Stumbo

Yardages and cutting instructions are based on 42" of usable fabric width.

• Scraps of wool felt in teal, yellow, white, green, red, and pink
• Freezer paper
• Fabric marking pen
• Embroidery floss: yellow, white, green, red, and pink

Click on "Download this Project" above for pattern pieces. To use freezer paper to cut wool felt shapes, complete the following steps.

1. Lay freezer paper, shiny side down, over patterns. Use a pencil to trace each pattern the number of times desired, leaving 1/4" between tracings. Cut out freezer-paper shapes roughly 1/8" outside traced lines. 

2. Using a hot dry iron, press each freezer-paper shape shiny side down onto wool felt; let cool. Cut out felt shapes on drawn lines. Peel off freezer paper.

3. Trace your mason jar lid onto teal felt using a fabric marker; cut out on drawn line to make topper base. Repeat for your number of mason jars.

Use two strands of embroidery floss for all embroidery stitches. 

Refer to "Embroidery Stitches," below, for stitch instructions. See photo, above, for stitch placement. 

Mix and match shapes to customize your mason jar lid toppers.

1. To make a flower, center a yellow felt A circle atop a white felt B flower (Diagram 1). Using yellow floss, secure A circle with a star stitch. Using yellow floss, add a French knot to each star stitch point. Place the flower on a teal felt topper base (Diagram 2). Using white floss, make five or six straight stitches of varying lengths in each flower petal to secure flower to topper base.

2. To add leaves, arrange green felt C leaves on teal felt topper base (Diagram 2). Using green floss, in each leaf backstitch a center vein line and straight-stitch shorter side vein lines.

3. To add a large strawberry (Diagram 3), place a red felt D strawberry on a teal felt topper base. Leaving top edge unstitched, use red floss to whipstitch remaining strawberry edges. At open top edge, use green floss to satin-stitch leaves and straight-stitch a stem. Using yellow floss and small straight stitches, make strawberry seeds.

4. To add a small strawberry (Diagram 3), repeat Step 3 using a pink felt E strawberry, pink floss for whipstitching edges, green floss for satin-stitching leaves and straight-stitching a stem, and yellow floss for small straight-stitched seeds.

Backstitch

To backstitch, bring needle up at A (Backstitch Diagram), insert it back into fabric at B, bring it up at C, and insert it back into fabric at D. Continue in same manner for the desired number of stitches.

French Knot

To make a French knot, bring needle up at A, the point where knot is desired (French Knot Diagram). Wrap floss around needle twice. Insert tip of needle into fabric at B, 1/16" away from A. Gently push wraps down needle to meet fabric. Pull needle and trailing floss through fabric slowly and smoothly.

Satin Stitch

To satin-stitch, bring needle up at A (Satin Stitch Diagram) and insert it back into fabric at B. Holding floss out of the way, bring needle back up at C and insert it back into fabric next to B; this stitch should lie against the AB stitch. Continue in same manner, adjusting stitch lengths as needed to cover the desired area from edge to edge.

Star Stitch

To make a star stitch, bring needle up at A (Star Stitch Diagram) and insert it back into fabric at B (star center). Bring needle up at C and insert it back again at star center (B). Continue stitching in alphabetical order, inserting needle into fabric at center (B) each time. 

Straight Stitch

To make a straight stitch, bring needle up at A (Straight Stitch Diagram), insert it back into fabric at B, and bring it up at C. Continue in same manner for the desired number of stitches.

Whipstitch

To whipstitch, bring needle up at A, just inside appliqué edge (Whipstitch Diagram), and insert it back into fabric at B, right along appliqué edge. Working in alphabetical order, spacing stitches evenly around appliqué shape.