Thursday, May 08, 2008

Fabric Fortune Cookie Tutorial

When Sew Mama Sew started their tutorial contest I thought "Great! I will write a tut' and enter." So I took some pictures of the process I use to make my fabric fortune cookies. Then...I let them sit there. And now the contest is over. Which is really okay. The real motivation for me to enter things like this is to share with people who don't ordinarily read this blog, not to win. So in the continued spirit of not winning anything I present you with the "Lady Harvatine Style Fabric Fortune Cookie Half-Assed Tutorial".

You will need:
  • a 5 inch square of cotton fabric for the outside of your cookie
  • a 5 inch square of felt for the inside
  • a circle to trace, one with a diameter of about 4.5 inches (I use an old paint can)
  • pinking shears
  • a slip of paper, about .5" by 2.5" for your fortune
Trace a circle onto both your cotton fabric and your felt.

Cut both circles out.

Lay the cotton on top of the felt, right side up, and line up the edges. Sew a half inch seam around the entire circle. I use my walking foot for this but you don't have to.

Use your pinking shears to trim the raw edge all the way around the circle, leaving about a quarter inch of fabric.

Fold the circle in half with the cotton side together, felt on the outside. Sew about an inch seam down the middle, not sewing to the edge of either side of the half circle. Be sure to back stitch a few times.

Flip the cookie open and adjust the folds until it looks right.

Before you give it to someone be sure to write a fortune on a slip of paper and stick it inside. I like to use pretty origami paper that is blank on the back.

You can also string a piece of ribbon through the center of the cookie and tie it to a gift, like so.

Ok, the end, happy cookie making!

37 comments:

  1. What an absolutely wonderful idea! Thanks so much for this tutorial I'll have to give it a try for mother's day :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. this is adorable! Thanks for posting the tutorial. I'll definitely be making a few of these soon :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love it! Great tutorial!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love this... thank you! Thank you!
    Remembering my vow of last December, I really should start whipping these out now... just in time for Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous3:44 PM

    Great tutorial - thanks! These are really cute~!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Delightful project, perfect instructions. Thanks, and to heck with those contests anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  7. These are so adorable. I love the idea of making them as little gift tie-ons.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for another wonderful project!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous6:38 AM

    Thanks for this. It is great. Will be trying it out soon.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I was wondering how you did that! I had to look at the picture for a few minutes to figure out how the flipping works but now I see... Thanks!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Totally adorable, and what a great idea!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous10:08 PM

    That is such a great idea! I have to try this today. Thank you very much for that tutorial!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous6:49 PM

    That is just adorable!! Thank you for the instructions. :)
    Liane
    http://www.spacestitch.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks for the great tutorial. I'm thinking these may make an appearance as place cards at our next Chinese New Year's party!

    ReplyDelete
  15. now that is just TOO cute!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous12:41 AM

    Wow I love this! They're so cute! Thanks for the tutorial!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thank you SO much for this! I want to do something special for my customers and this is just the thing!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love how quilters share their knowledge, thanks for the half-p assed tutorial, it works,lol.
    Roslyn

    ReplyDelete
  19. i love it! thanks for the tutorial! it's so simple. i can't wait to try it!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I refound this post! Over Christmas holidays, I went home and made my sisters (11 and 6) at least twenty of these! They loved them (they like to play restaurant) and they were so easy to make! And aren't those the best kinds of gifts-- the ones with little effort but a huge payoff?

    Thanks for the tutorial, and I've shown one of my friends, who loves it as well!

    ReplyDelete
  21. These are so cool! I think I'll make some out of the scraps I have for my wedding favors. Thanks for posting!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I love it! Seen it before on the website of Martha Stewart. She had a small piece of wire between the two layers (glue or sew in the middle of the circles). Fold the circle in half along the wire and shape the wire like a fortune cookie.

    ReplyDelete
  23. What a lovely idea! I am always amazed with the things people come up with.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I LOVE this tutorial!!! Thank you so much. Here's the cookie that I made!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous6:27 PM

    Going to make these out of Christmas fabric to turn into ornaments. First use them to do our Secret sister name exchange for sorority. Thanks for the great idea.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Maureen5:51 PM

    I'm making these as favors for a Chinese dinner to benefit a group from church who are heading to China this summer.

    ReplyDelete
  27. This tutorial is wonderful. Gonna have to make some now. Heck, I might just throw a party so I can send these as invites...

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous1:46 PM

    This is absolutely adorable, thank you for the tutorial! I want to make these today but I don't have any felt...will the result be ok if I use two pieces of cotton instead?

    ReplyDelete
  29. how adorable! I just found your tutorial from the Project Wedding forums and I'll certainly be using it for my wedding reception in January. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Anonymous3:28 PM

    I don't understand how to "flip open" the cookie. :(

    ReplyDelete
  31. Thank you so much for this tutorial! I've made ten cookies today and put some new-year-greetings in it! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  32. Anonymous3:18 PM

    hi when i flipped it open it is in fortune cookie shape but is the back side sppose to be open?

    ReplyDelete
  33. Thank you for the tutorial. Did a riff using fusbile web, 5" squares of fabric, half-round template & pinking rotary cutter. I only had to sew the 1" seam.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Anonymous1:27 PM

    Using this as a favor for my quilt guild luncheon. so cute!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Nothing half a..'d about it. This is a great idea, and a well written tut. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Super cute! I just reposted you on my blog!

    http://www.marrymetampabay.com/weddingdiynosewfortunecookie/

    ReplyDelete
  37. Anonymous2:55 PM

    Saw this tutorial early this morning, spent all day trying to set up my mum's old sewing machine and managed to find enough fabric to make two cookies (so far). I love it!! :D Thanks so much for posting!

    ReplyDelete