Make your own Key Ring: MiniMix Style

Hi everyone.....

Well i got around to making a tutorial finally ha!! Doing craft fairs made me realise i needed to make some other small bits to sell on our stand so used some of the buttons i had and made a key ring! I think they are too cute! Here's a step by step guide on how to make these key rings!

Step 1: Right you need to start with your materials: Felt, Sewing Needle, Cotton, Scissors, Ribbon, Key ring Link and off course the main ingredient a Button.

Step 2: Place your button onto the selected colored felt, leaving a few cm around the edge. Thread your selected color cotton through the eye of your needle, double up on the thread and knot where the ends meet. Be sure the cotton is off good length as you will not be cutting the cotton once the button is attached, this will be used to sew the shape onto another piece of felt. 

Step 3: Attach your button and secure a knot with your cotton at the back of the felt: Be sure not to cut your cotton just yet

Step 4: Cut a shape around your sewn in button, be sure to leave about 1/2cm edge: (in this case i'm cutting a heart shape)

Step 5: Place your shape onto another piece of felt and push the needle through the colored cotton from the back.

Step 6: create a simple link stitch around the edge of your shape attaching the piece of felt at the back.

Step 7: Once you have complete the stitching cut , tie a knot in the back securing your stitching. 

Step 8: Then cut around the back piece of felt in the shape you desire.

Step 9: Place your heart onto another piece of felt (i'm using white again but you can have what ever color you fancy) and cut the shape again.

You should now have two pieces to put together

Step 10: Cut a piece of Ribbon for your loop, measuring about 5-6cm.

Step 11: Piece your key ring together, thread a your cotton again through the eye of your needle, again please double up and double knot where the ends meet. Place the knotted end of your thread sandwiched in in the two pieces of your key ring.

Step 12: Again from the inside of your sandwich start your simple link stitch ensuring the stitch is tight and taunt.

Step 13: Stitch all round the shape of your key ring and you should end up with something looking along these lines! DO NOT CUT THE THREAD 

Step 14: now this bit is a little tricky if you are new to sewing.....Turn the key ring over so the back is facing you. Push the needle between the layers of felt.....Pull the thread through and leave a little loop for you to post your needle through to create a knot. 

Step 15: Repeat steps 13 and 14 a couple of times ensuring the knots are tight, then cut the thread as close to the felt as possible. 

And you should have something like this!

Step 16: WOW last step, nearly there whooooo hoooo!! ATTACH YOUR KEY RING LINK!

And there we have it, a gorgeous hand made key ring! something different and personal and made by you....

These are great for little stocking fillers at Christmas (ok i know its JULY but better being prepared then rushing at the time) great for making little presents to include in cards for those birthdays that don't warrant a present but you want to make a little special, or just as part of a special occasion pack....for those who have everything and brain racking hard to buy for! ha! 

All the materials can be brought from any good hobby shop.....But if you want to save the hassle of sourcing the materials needed then we are selling these MiniMix Maker Key Rings on our website and Facebook Shop: Links Below. We are providing the materials needed including the buttons to make THREE KEY RINGS for only £7.00 including a print out of this tutorial! All you need to have is a needle and Scissors.... 

MiniMix Facebook Page - please like, Share and click on our shop icon.

MiniMix Website 

So whether you buy our pack or chose to make your's from scratch 

happy sewing!!

Pension Reforms!! The internal mind baffling battle!!

Pension Reforms!! The internal mind baffling battle!!

Ok I know this is nothing to do with crafting or our items but seriously need help!!!!! My employer has just been to a seminar about the pension reforms!! I know it’s not until a year or so but STILL!!

Right, single working mummies WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO????? I think we have to pay in 8% minimum into the pension thing which our employees have to automatically op us in!! And we have to call up the pension people to opt out!!

On my estimations that’s going to be a chunk of my wage which I JUST CAN NOT AFFORD and the difference between buying my growing strapping cheeky boy new clothes and shoes, (I do like my Alfie to look nice in clothes and shoes that fit, I buy most of his bits from Primark, might be cheaper than next but don’t last long AT ALL) skimping on certain foods (more than what we have to budget for at the moment and I shop at Aldi, no shame in that) and just generally cutting back more than what we have to at the moment, visiting family and friends, buying the odd bottle of wine! Mummies, please tell me you don’t need a bottle of wine at the end of the week!!! I’m gutted! With the cost of living increasing, petrol, child care being so high WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?????

On one hand I want to pay in because I’m thinking long term, with my sensible head on, when I’m old and grey! Yes the grey is already starting and IM ONLY 25 and now officially closer to 26! Where have the years gone….oh yeah sleep deprived and working……sorry back on subject……but on the other hand how can we afford to do it now!! 

Growing a business is hard enough and every penny we earn is going back into the business at the moment L my dreams of an Audi A4 has dashed out the window, skidded on to a corner, crashed burned out into the a tree and to top it off into a river!!

Am I being selfish wanting the nice things in life which I work god dam hard for!? I remember the days I use to go to work and earn enough money to buy the bits I needed and want and still put some in savings! NOW ITS weekly shops at Aldi (can’t knock the food sold there) hand me downs from family and friends and not being able to spoil my little man is heart breaking!! I dread the sound of the ice cream man! We keep the population going with our children, some like to stay at home (good on ya as really don’t know how you can do it, my little monster drives me nuts and if I could stay home with him all day I WOULD) but I chose to go to work and now I’m penalised left right and center for it!

Any thoughts would be grrrrrreat as Tony the tiger would put it!! Ha!