Pirate Patch, Mateys! {Party or Valentine’s Day Craft}

In anticipation for Valentine’s Day, I wanted to share a project I have been working on for my little guys.  In a few weeks, Buddy and Little Guy will be hosting a joint Pirate and Mermaid party, and we created these patches to get the pint-sized partygoers in the party spirit.

In the next month or so, I will share some of the personal touches and surprises we are adding to their party, but today I want to give you a sneak peek of a craft that is just as appropriate for a girly pirate valentine’s craft as it is for a child’s pirate party.

Originally, I had planned to decorate store bought patches, but all of the affordable ones were either hard plastic (OUCH!), decorated already, or too expensive.  I even looked into medical eye patches, but many of those were patterned or backed with adhesive.  Thus, the DIYer in me decided I would make my own pirate eyepatches.  Below is a tutorial so you can create your own:

1. Use my template (download here) to trace the shape onto hard felt.  Cut out.

2. Cut a slit in the felt from the bottom middle through the center of the patch (see pattern for cut line).

3. Pull the edges of the slit together so they overlap slightly and glue them with tacky glue (I let them sit overnight and used painter’s tape to keep them together.)

4. Use tacky glue to cover the outside and inside of the patch with soft scrap fabric (cut to size).  After the fabric dries onto the felt, add 18 inches of elastic cord to the patch by using an Xacto knife to puncture a small hole in each side of the eye patch.

5. Thread the elastic cord through the holes and double knot the cord on either end.

6. Cut some shapes with a Silhouette Cameo (or like cutting machine) onto clear Contact paper and positioned them onto the eye patches.  (Note: I like clear contact paper for this because it is cheap, does not require ironing, and can be positioned easily given that it is transparent.)  If you do not have a cutting machine, you can use a store bought stencil or complete the project freehanded.

7. Mix acrylic paint with fabric medium and stencil your designs onto the eyepatches.

Here are a few of the designs I created:

These patches do take some patience when making as they require drying time at three stages in the process.  However, they can be personalized any way you’d like to match the interests and style of your littlest pirate.  I’d love to see any designs you create!