(Stuff Jo Made) - Birthday Crown

A few months ago another one of my friends' kiddos turned one. I stole this idea from someone who made a similar one for The Bean for her 1st birthday (thanks, Mari).

Supplies:
- Felt pieces that are slightly larger than the 8.5x11 that you can buy at the craft store. I got mine at the fabric store, cut by the yard
- Scrap felt pieces in colors you think the birthday kiddo might enjoy
- non-roll elastic, ~4 inches
- embroidery thread and a needle (if you like to craft while binge-watching TV); or a sewing maching if you're more efficient
- crown template, like the one I used here (if that link doesn't work, try this one); but there's also this one, or this one; or make up your own, which I did in the past

Instructions:
- use a template to cut out two version of the crown (the front and the back)
- cut out some colorful shapes, or letters, or gather some buttons or bling of sorts
- using embroidery thread and a needle (or, again, a sewing machine), sew your bling to the "front" crown piece; I like the homemade look, so I'm not too neurotic about making the stitches perfectly spaced
- measure the kid's head, or, like me, assume that because most 1-year-olds have a 17-19 inch head circumference, 18 inches will suffice just fine
- the length of the template or felt crown you've already cut will determine how much elastic you will need, for the circumference of the crown to equal about 19ish inches
- using embroidery thread and needle, sew the short side of the elastic to each end of the crown
- using embroidery thread and needles, sew on the "back" pice of crown felt, so that your stitches from the bling don't show from behind
- voila, you have a janky-but-adorable homemade birthday crown for your favorite little girl or boy

I didn't get a picture of the birthday boy, Boone, wearing his and his cousin Jax's matching crowns, but I did get a photo of my fat little daughter stealing the birthday boy's first cake. Notice there aren't any other little kids sticking their chubby fingers in the frosting?!? That's my girl.