Stuffing your Cut Files

Stuffing your files with batting...

You don't necessarily need a cutting machine to enjoy cut files.  They make great patterns for felt and other material.

As a side note, most cutting machines come with a fabric blade which is awesome...and fabric blades cut fabric great BUT this was a simple pattern so I didn't mind using scissors and I didn't want to bother cleaning up the felt dust.  If you want to cut felt you can!  There are a lot of great tutorials if you Google.  Just be prepared that you need to use a slower speed, cut as deep as possible (probably double cut) and if you don't want to spend hours cleaning your mat, use a little fabric interfacing between the felt and the mat.

 1.  Gather the materials you need:

• your cut it pattern.  We used the gingerbread man from "Christmas Calories"
• felt or fabric
• scissors
• embroidery floss or thread
• embellishments

2.  You need to create a base pattern that has a seam allowance.  You do this by cutting the bottom layer bigger.  You can "eyeball" it with scissors or.......

you can use software to make it.  This is an example of doing it in MTC.  It requires you to right-mouse click on "shape magic" then choose "shadow layer"

3.  Cut all your pattern pieces out of your material.  You will need 2 of the larger one with the seam allowance.  For the gingerbread, I elected to not cut out the wavy white lines that go on the sleeves and legs and planned on adding them in a different way.

You just pin the pattern pieces to the fabric or felt and cut.

4.  Sew all your items on to the base first.  It will make it easier...

5.  Then sew your base to ONE of the larger patterns with the seam allowance.

6.  Sew your second one right behind the first. 

7.  Make sure you stop about 7/8 of the way done so you can stuff.  I not only stuffed but I added a little gingerbread fragrance oil.

8.  If you want your item to be able to hang, slide a bit of folded ribbon in, before you finish sewing.  

We used our delicious smelling (thanks to the fragrant oil) gingerbread to add a little something to our homemade gingerbread scrub.

Want to make your own gingerbread sugar scrub?  It's so easy and it smells so good.  Plus its really great to get rid of all that dry dead winter skin that is making you so itchy.  I got the recipe I used from Foodie With Family

Gingerbread Sugar Scrub

Ingredients:

For the Gingerbread Brown Sugar Scrub:

2 cups light or dark brown sugar

1 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground clove

10 drops cinnamon essential oil (optional, but gives the scrub a more lasting, stronger scent)

Optional: 1 tablespoon Salt (*See Notes)

To Make the Gingerbread Scrub: 

Stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and clove (and salt, if using) in a medium sized mixing bowl. Gently heat the extra virgin coconut oil in a microwave or saucepan just so that it is soft and partially melted. This should only take a few seconds. Pour it over the brown sugar mixture and smash it all together with a fork until everything is evenly distributed. Pack into a container or containers with tight fitting lids. Store at room temperature for up to six months. Use as needed.

Stuffing your files with cupcakes...

One of the most popular cut files we sell are the cupcake wraps.  If you have ever wrapped one around a cupcake, you realize that lots of glued layers wouldn't work very well.  That's why we figured out a fast and easy way to embellish a single layered file.

Our Gingerbread Cupcake Wraps would look adorable (like blank little gingerbread men and women) without the extra work, but it takes no time at all to add a few embellishments to make them look special.

After you cut out your little cupcake wraps, use a marker or puffy paint to add a few cute details.  We didn't have any children handy, but we are betting that kids would LOVE to help and would make a far better wrapper than we did!