Make a 2016 wishing star

2016 is in full swing.

Like many people, I’ve spent the last couple of weeks working out my goals for the coming year.  I love my goals. They are a fun and interesting and I’m already working on fulfilling them. But I have a lot of general hopes, dreams and wishes too. I bet you do too. What do you do with those?

Inspired by memory jars, I decided to make a wishing star; a felt star that I could fill with all my hopes, dreams, and wishes for the year.

I love how it turned out. It’s a nice visual reminder without being too over the top.

If you want to make your own wishing star, here’s how:

Supplies:

3 sheets of printer paper
2 A4 sheets thick felt in your choice of colour
1 15 cm x 15 cm scrap of white felt
2 skeins embroidery thread to match your felt
Tapestry needle
Water soluble fabric pen
Scissors
Pins

Instructions:

1. Find a star outline you like on the internet and print it off in 2 sizes. One large, one smaller. I used the largest photo setting on my printer (20 x 25 cm) and the middle one (10 x 15 cm). Cut out.

2. Lay the large star on one of the sheets of backing felt and carefully follow the outline using your fabric pen.

3. On the other sheet of backing felt outline the star two more times. This time, only lay about two thirds of the star on the sheet, making sure the two pieces will work together when you sew the layers together (see step 5 for explanation).

4. Outline the smaller star on your scrap piece of white felt.

5. Lay the pieces of backing felt on top of each other so that the two straight edges overlap slightly.

6. If your star has uneven sides, carefully turn it over and lay the smaller star on top of the larger one to make sure you know which way it fits.

7. Cut off a 30 cm piece of embroidery floss that matches your backing felt. Divide into two lots of 3 threads. Tie a knot one end and thread the other end through the needle. Push the threaded needle through the back of the white felt and embroider 2016 in the centre of the star using back stitch. Tie off on the back.

Back stitch: Make a small straight stitch. Come up a stitch length ahead, but instead of going forward, bring your needle down at the end of the previous stitch so it forms a continuous line. Carry on like this until you’ve completed your design.

8. Pin the small star to the centre of the whole star as shown. Using the second lot of three threads, sew the white star onto the other one using running stitch along the edge. Secure at the back.

Running stitch: Bring your threaded needle up from the back. Pass the needle in and out of the felt a stitch length apart.

9. Lay the large star on the table, front facing down. Lay the cut pieces of felt on top, so the outside edges line up and the straight edges overlap. Pin in place.

10. Do a running stitch along the edges of the large star using three strands of the white thread, making sure it goes through all three pieces of felt when needed.

11. On a piece of paper, write out all your wishes, hopes and dreams for the year, making sure there is enough space to cut between each wish. Cut out.

12. Fold each wish up several times and stuff into the star pockets.

13. It’s finished! Fluff as needed, then put it somewhere you’ll see it every day, or at least very often, to remind you of your hopes and dreams throughout the year. Since it’s not sewn shut, you can take them pieces out whenever you need to, or wait until New Year’s Eve and reflect on the year just gone.