Fall Leaf Party Table Topper

Hi! I’m Lisa Ruble from Quilty Zest and I’m so excited to be part of the Benzie Design x Thermoweb Fall Craft Fair! I’ve dabbled in creating felt projects a couple times, so I jumped at the opportunity to work with Benzie Design’s products. And I had so much fun!

I decided to make a fall table topper that could sit out all season long, bring those beautiful fall leaves inside. Here’s my project:

I chose to work with the Fox in the Forest palette of Wool Blend Felt and picked the 12″ x 18″ sheets so I had plenty to work with. Then I chose the matching DMC Embroidery Floss Palette and some coordinating Felt Poms.
I paired the gorgeous Benzie Design colors with a few key Thermoweb products:

You’ll Need:
Benzie Design Fox in the Forest Wool Blend Felt Sheets (12″ x 18″ size)
Benzie Design coordinating Fox in the Forest embroidery floss palette
Benzie Design Multi Color Felt Poms – size small
HeatnBond Lite Sewable Iron-On Adhesive
HeatnBond UltraHold Iron-On Adhesive Tape 7/8″ wide
Fabric Fuse Liquid Adhesive
Pressing Paper
Marking chalk
6″ cardboard square
Sharp scissors

Download the templates here. 

Cutting:
From each of (2) felt sheets (for base):
(1) 11-1/2″ square

Making the Table Topper:
Step 1 Trace as many leaves as you like onto the paper side of HeatnBond Lite Sewable. I used a total of 11 leaves, varying shapes and sizes. Leave space between the leaf tracings for cutting.

Step 2 Cut out each leaf loosely around the drawn line and fuse to the desired felt color. Use Pressing Paper between your iron and the felt. Cut out each leaf shape on the drawn line.

Step 3 Now comes the fun part! First, remove the paper backing from the fusible on each leaf. Using embroidery floss (I used all 6 strands), embroider your leaves with vein lines. I used primarily versions of a straight and satin stitch but be as creative as you like. French knots would be fun too!

I mixed and matched the embroidery floss with different leaf colors as well. Tip: Because these leaves will ultimately be fused down, you don’t need a big knot to secure the thread. I just made one simple knot on the back side of the leaf at the beginning and the end.

Step 5 Now it’s time to prep the base. Choose which 11-1/2″ square will be the base top square and fold in half in both directions to mark the center points. With chalk, mark center lines across the square. Position the 6″ cardboard square, matching its points to the marked lines. Trace around the square and cut out the square shape, leaving a hole in your base top square.

Step 6 Position the base top square (with square hole) from Step 5 on at a 45-degree angle on top of the base bottom square (refer back to the main project photo for placement help). Use the chalk to mark light lines on the base bottom square where the base top square lays on top. Cut pieces of the Fusible Adhesive Tape and position just inside the chalk lines as shown. Fuse in place.

Step 7 In the same way, position and fuse Adhesive Tape to the chalk marked side of the base top square and fuse in place.

Step 8 Remove the paper from the Adhesive Tape. Position the base top square on top of the base bottom square and fuse in place. Tip: I put pins to mark the corners of the base bottom square and used them to visually help me line up the cut-out corners of the base top square.

Step 9 Lay out the leaves on the joined bases. When you’re happy with the arrangement, fuse in place.

Step 10 Use Liquid Adhesive to adhere Felt Balls to the base as well. I picked out colors from the multi pack that coordinated with the felt and embroidery floss I used.

I love the 3-D texture that the balls add to the project! I also considered doing a blanket stitch around the outer edge of the project – I ultimately decided not to because I wanted it to have a more modern feel than the buttonhole stitch creates – but I could still add it! What do you think?

I think my favorite part of this project is how the leaves are scattered all over, as if they’ve just fallen off a tree. My other favorite part? I have leftover felt to play with, and I already have another project in mind. 🙂

A big thank you to Thermoweb and Benzie Design for this collaboration!

My name is Lisa and I'm a quilter. I was bitten by the craft bug early on in life, and have dabbled in drawing, beading, photography, and fabric. I learned to sew as a young girl, making clothes for my Cabbage Patch Kid, and then got into quilting about 22 years ago and never looked back. Modern quilting is my style of choice, and I particularly love improv piecing. I currently freelance in the quilting industry, designing, writing and editing patterns, and I also design and sell my own quilt patterns. Outside of work, I spend time hanging with my husband and three boys, ideally outside or playing sports, and yes, the boys all quilt too!