making sweet carrots

For those of you expecting the Easter bunny on Sunday, a carrot is the perfect way to entice him to leave you some sweet treats. Instead of a carrot packed with Beta-carotene, you can make your own carrot pouch and fill it with candy instead. I'll be joining Martha on her show to demonstrate how to make life like carrots perfect for an Easter basket. Made from wool felt—one of my favorite materials—these carrot pouches are fun to make, but more fun to fill! 

How-to:

1. Cover a big carrot in cling wrap. Use a piece of paper to determine the template of the carrot. Wrap the carrot in the paper and trim where paper overlaps. 

2. Trace paper template onto piece of orange wool felt and cut out.

3. Saturate the felt in warm water. Wrap the carrot with the wet felt, stretching it around and creating overlap on the seam. Pin along seam and let dry.

4. When completely dry, use Fabri-tac to glue seam together. Once dry, remove carrot.

5. Make carrot stems: 

-cut 5 pieces of green felt in an asparagus shape. 

-use a sharp scissor and fringe the "asparagus" tip.

-saturate the stem and stretch it out from the just below the fringe to the end.

-gently stretch the fringe top and let dry.

-once dry, bundle 5 stems together with a knot on the end.

6. Attach bundle of stems to inside top of carrot with glue and let dry

7. Use a screw punch to create holes along the top edge of carrot and weave an orange cord though.

8. Fill carrot with wrapped candy or treats and cinch and tie top closed.

 

A single carrot makes a lovely hostess gift or make a bunch as favors for all your guests!