DIY Felt Phone Case With Embroidery and Applique

Step aside, knitting—wool felt crafts are back! This simple phone case is a fun, frugal beginner project to try with just a few basic supplies.

There’s also a free pattern here for making a wool felt Owl Ear Bud Case.

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Sew a Handmade Phone Case

As sure as the leaves start falling in autumn, I get out the handwork supplies. I was an avid knitter and quilter for years but the bulk and cost of the materials were deterrents. I have not abandoned these loves but sewing with wool felt is definitely my top pick.

Wool felt is made from pure lamb’s wool and it really is essential that you use the real stuff.

Synthetic or acrylic felt (commonly sold at department and dollar stores) has a coarse texture and, more importantly, is difficult to work with.

Real wool felt is softer, denser, and therefore easier to cut and sew without ripping, fraying or tearing and does not require seam allowances. And the colors are richer and (to me) much more pleasing.

There’s all sorts of projects you can make including hooked rugs, appliqued pillows, dolls and toys—you can see mine here, banners, wall hangings, and (my faves) pouches for holding things like phones, tissues, earbuds, and love notes. Just checking if you’re reading.

As you’ll see from the supply list below, you need just a few items and they readily fit in a small bag (which you could make with wool felt) that you can take with you while waiting to have tea with the Queen. Or an Empress.

If you want some guidance for creating plant-inspired embroidery designs, this book lots of beautiful botanicals:

Supplies for Making Felt Phone Case

• Wool felt
  Be sure you are getting the real stuff (not synthetic) in colors you love.
  One other consideration is thickness. I like 1mm (1/16″) thick for basic handwork projects.
  Sources: online shops that feature Waldorf school supplies, Etsy shops, and Amazon.com. But do check that’s it’s really wool and not acrylic!
  I buy 10×12″ pieces sold in bundles offering lots of different colors.
• Embroidery floss and yarn (cotton)
  There are two basic types of embroidery floss and yarn typically available in shops. One is the multi-ply (generally 6-ply) and the other is a twisted yarn or thread that does not separate. I like to use both in my projects, depending on the look I’m after.
• Clear (invisible) nylon thread
  (Optional) I use this clear thread for a few reasons. Sometimes it’s used to anchor pieces together more precisely than a straight pin would do prior to embroidering. Other times it’s used to attach pieces of wool felt where I don’t want the more decorative effect of the colorful embroidery threads.
  I use clear thread made for quilt making.
• Embroidery needles (choose ones with eyes large enough to get your thread through)
• Scissors (for cutting wool pieces and clipping threads)

How to Make a Wool Felt Phone Case

• Cut a piece of wool felt approximately 1″ wider and 3″ longer than your phone.
• Add your decorative designs before sewing the sides of the phone case shut.
• Thread knots and behind-the-scenes stitches are hidden both inside the pouch and on the underside of the felt pieces.
• Wool felt works best in simple, graphic shapes.
• Embroidery basics: there are many useful embroidery tutorials online. If you’re interested in learning traditional, decorative stiches (there’s lots of them), Youtube is your friend.
• Choose matching or contrasting thread colors, depending on the look you’re after.
• A Google image search of wool felt applique should give you a zillion inspiring ideas.
• Optional: I added a snap to keep my phone case shut. You could also just tuck in the flap.

Here you can see both the front and back of the case. I just make up the designs as I go and don’t sweat perfection. It’s just a relaxing hobby with the perk of creating functional items.

I hope you’ll give it a try.

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛