You know I love creating plushies, and not just for standard things like cot mobiles or toys for kids. I love using them for Christmas tree decorations, for Halloween, for any kind of seasonal creation. And for a long time, when I saw other creators on Instagram or Pinterest adding something sparkly or shiny to their felt projects, I was honestly confused.
I kept thinking, how do they do this? Do they glue glitter on top of felt? Do they put glue first and then glitter? How does that even work?
I couldn’t imagine that glitter felt already existed.
So in this article, I want to explain what glitter felt is and where you would normally use it.
Hi, my name is Alyona, and I’ve been sewing for as long as I can remember. When I came to the UK, I became really interested in plushes and felt creations. Over the years, I’ve worked a lot with different materials, and glitter felt became one of those supplies I use quite often.
What Is Glitter Felt?
Glitter felt is simply felt with a shiny surface on one side and regular felt on the other side.
Of course, you could try to make it yourself and turn your home into a glitter disaster, like two fairies exploded in your bedroom. But instead, you can just buy Glitter Felt Fabric and avoid the mess completely 😂.
Here in the UK, you can find it in Hobbycraft. I’ve bought it there a few times. However, most of the time I order it online. Sometimes you drive to the shop, and it’s not available. And online stock is not always updated properly. So I prefer to play safe rather than sorry and buy it online.
First of all, there’s no mess at home.
Second, you get a reliable product for your creation.
And obviously, you can choose from thousands of colours, which is very convenient. When you buy loose glitter, you are limited in colours. With glitter felt, you simply pick what you need 👌.
Where I Use Glitter Felt
Now let’s talk about how I actually use it.
Usually, I don’t sew a full plushie or ornament entirely from glitter felt. I mostly use it for small elements to make the creation more interesting and more attractive, rather than looking just handmade.
Christmas Ornaments
I use glitter felt a lot for Christmas ornaments. I make many of them every year in different colours. For example, a teddy bear holding a glitter star or a moon in his little paws. Those small sparkly accents make a big difference.
If you want to create similar projects, you can look at my Christmas Ornaments collection for inspiration 😉.
Cot Mobiles – When Not Reachable!
Sometimes I add glitter accents to cot mobiles, but only when I know the mobile is not reachable for a small child.
For example, if I create a dino set cot mobile with jungle leaves, I make the dinosaurs from Soft Felt. Then I add monstera leaves using Glitter Felt. This felt is harder and holds its shape better. It also makes the project look more original and attractive.
When everything is moving and sparkling above the crib, it catches attention very easily.
Flat Designs – Birthday Garlands
I also use glitter felt for flat designs. For example, if you have a birthday party and want to create a garland with “Happy Birthday” or the name of the person you are celebrating, glitter felt works beautifully for any type of garland.
It’s simple, flat, and sparkly.
Educational Flip Books
Another way I use glitter felt is in small educational handmade books for older children. These are not for little ones. They are for children who are old enough not to swallow small elements.
You can add small glitter accents inside those flip books to make them more attractive and engaging.
Dolls for Older Kids
When I sew dolls for older kids, around 8, 9 or 10 years old, I sometimes add glitter accents to the hair or to clothes like belts.
At the moment, I’m working on an LOL doll pattern. She has sparkly elements in her hair and also on her clothes. I use glitter felt for those small accents and objects around the plush project.
And yes, my sweet Queen is ALWAYS around while I work. So welcome to Queenie 👋.
When I Replace Glitter Felt with Glitter Foam
Because I use glitter felt quite a lot, sometimes I forget to restock. When that happens I replace the felt with glitter foam.
For example, if I’m sewing a cow from my Cow Toy and I run out of black felt, I will use glitter foam for the marks instead.
Or if I am making a dino from my Dino Set, I might use glitter foam for small details.
I also use it in projects like my Deer when I want sparkly accents.
However, there is one important difference.
You cannot stitch glitter foam. The only way to attach it is by using a Glue Gun on top of an already finished plush.
So first, you completely finish the toy. You sew it. Then stuff it. You assemble all elements together. Only then do you glue small glitter foam accents like dots, shapes, small envelopes, or small hearts.
You do not glue first and then sew everything together ☝️.
How I Make Glitter Felt Sparkle from Both Sides
Because glitter felt sparkles only on one side, I cut two mirrored pieces, stitch them together, and then attach them to the main plush. This way, no matter from which side you look at the toy, it sparkles on both sides.
It doesn’t look beautiful only from the right side with an ugly wrong side on the back. Both sides look finished.
Free Pattern and Final Tip 👇
Here is an absolutely free pattern from me so you can test your sewing skills with felt. You can also use glitter felt accents on this plushie, especially on the spikes, just like I described above. You can download my free plushie/felt toy pattern and try it yourself.
And if you are interested in this topic, I think you will also want to read How to Stuff Felt Plushies To Make a Beautiful Result.
Because stuffing really matters. When you don’t stuff a plush properly, it honestly looks like it has been hit by a truck and feels very sad 😂. And if you are about to download your free pattern, you definitely don’t want to make that mistake.
I’ll see you there.
