Poppy Day Makes

I was wondering whether I should post this on Monday rather than today - since Monday is the 11th - but just in case anyone fancies getting poppified in advance I decided to go ahead today. It's only giving you one day to get your poppy crafting act together as it is!

Every year we always make sure we buy the official poppies, because as the Royal British Legion says, 'Every poppy helps us to support the British Armed Forces past and present, and their families.' But it's obviously also very much a time just to remember and make sure that lessons of the past aren't forgotten. And for us, creating extra poppy makes, just adds to the emphasis that we're giving the day. So, I thought I'd share our poppy makes from last year and this year with you, both very easy.

Last year we bought 2 extra of the little poppy pins that are on sale as part of the appeal, and I simply snipped off the 'pin' bit with some wire cutters and super glued the poppies that were left behind on to some clip on earring findings.




How easy is that?

 
Venetia isn't desperate (happily!) to have her ears pierced, but she does like wearing clip on earrings every now and then - usually more as a dress up thing than a regular keep them on all day kind of thing. So she loved these earrings, and, although they were made particularly for Remembrance Day, they're something she'll happily wear all year round.

This year I've made something for Venetia again. A very simple headband, with a poppy attachment. I was cutting up a pair of my Mum's old jeans the other day (for Theo, he's taken my ex sewing machine up to his bedroom and has a make planned - another story, another day perhaps!) and was left with a wide, elasticated, denim waistband. Obviously perfect to become the easiest headband ever! I just cut the length I needed and sewed the ends together. I think it looks good just plain.

But we thought it would look even lovelier with a poppy. There are lots of different ideas/templates for poppies on the internet, you can make one that looks more like a real poppy if you'd prefer, but I wanted to make a really simple one, very similar to the ones we buy. So I just cut 2 basic petal shapes from red wool (felt would work fine), a green wool leaf and found a largeish black button.

I've got 2 poppies on the go here (Maria wants one as well!), the one on the left is stitched together at this point.

I machine stitched the petals together and then the leaf on the back. Nothing clever.

Here's the back view of the stitched one on the left.

And then just hand sewed on the button - I used a yellow thread.

We decided not to sew the poppy on to the headband, but rather just to sew a small safety pin on to the back of the poppy and attach it with that. This way Venetia can wear the headband plain if she wants and she can wear the poppy as a brooch if she fancies that. We've also got plans to make some different wool flowers (daisies for instance), with safety pins sewn on the backs, so that the headband can chop and change and match the particular outfit of the day (or rather, with Venetia, the outfit of the hour!). Butterflies or ladybirds or birds might be good too. Lots of possibilities and hopefully Venetia will be able to design and sew some herself. She's very happy with it as a poppy headband at the moment, and again it's something she'd wear throughout the year not just for Remembrance Day.

There are lots of other lovely Poppy makes out there - trusty Pinterest is a good source for a start. I love the design on this cushion:




http://www.pinterest.com/pin/447334175457791442/

Don't you think this would look gorgeous on a simple, denim A-line pinafore dress for a little girl? And again it's something that could be worn throughout the year. I think perhaps this could be the make for next year...

I also love this paper wreath which would be very easy to make with children:

Tally's Treasury

Have you got any favourite poppy makes you like at this special time of  Remembrance?

Back again on Monday, Sally.