Padded Crutch Covers, Flowers, & Hair Clip, DIY

Finished "Minnie Mouse" padded crutch covers.

Fabric flower hair clip.

Padded "Minnie Mouse" style crutch covers with contrasting flower.

Sunday was a busy day scurrying through fabrics and supplies to assist my Granddaughters in the design and making of "Padded Crutch Covers" and "Flower Clips"for the discerning teen age girls!

Emily appears to have broken a toe if not indeed her foot and is on crutches.  More discomfort followed and so Grandma was summoned. 

You will need for padded crutch covers:

Tracing paper
Pencil or marker
Straight pins
Batting
Bandage tape
Scissors
About 1/4 yard fabric of you choice
Approx.16-20" length of elastic
Needle  Thread
Sewing machine

Using quilted batting and first aid tape we first padded the underarm rest them proceeded to lay the crutch end on tracing paper to make a pattern.

Important to note,  the bottom of the cover must remain wider than the wides part at the top in order to slip over it. Mine, as above,  looks like a big shirt pocket at this stage.  The pattern should be pinned to 4 thicknesses of fabric then cut on the outside edge as above.

After cutting the rectangles large enough to cover we sewed three sides together 1/4" from the raw edge,  with the right sides of the fabric together and turned to the inside.  When the sewing was completed we turned the covers right side, pressed with a warm iron and viewed our lovely polka dot socks!

The next step was to turn the unfinished edge under 1/4" and press to form part one of the hemming process.  Sew along the fold and back stitch at the beginning and at the ends.  Turn the hem under one more time, 1/4" and press.  This time stitch just under 1/4" from the fold catching the edge of the hem as you stitch.

Using elastic, cut 4 pieces about 1-11/2" narrower than the width of each side of the crutch cover.  Start on the inside at the seam and start the sewing machine and back stitch.  As you begin to sew stretch the elastic to reach the next seam and stitch, back stitching the ends to secure well.  Repeat until all 4 bottom edges are finished with elastic.  I applied the elastic about 5/8" from the bottom edge but you can adjust this to your liking if you prefer a deeper ruffle.  These should slip right over the padding and the crutch tops.

The Flowers:

Select 2 contrasting fabrics and a coordinating button
4-6" piece of felt for the flower base
Fabric glue
Scissors
Hair clip
needle and thread

You will first need to make 2 patterns for 2 sizes of circles to use as patterns to form the petals of the flowers.  I used 2 jar lids.  One from a wide mouth canning jar and the other from a regular size canning jar.

Trace and cut a pattern for each.  The larger circles will form the outside petals and the smaller the inside row.  Cut about 6 of each to start.  Using the small circle cut 2 circles of the felt for the flowers base then st them aside for now.

To form each petal fold a fabric circle in half like a little taco.  Then fold one edge to the front and then the second to the back forming a triangular petal.  Fasten at the fat end with a straight pin.  Fold the first 6 of each color the same way and fasten with a straight pin.  Using the fabric glue place a dot of the glue at  the pointed end between the layers in the front and in the back and pinch together to glue them together.  Let them rest a few minutes to adhere. Make all of the petals in the same way.

Next take the 2 circles cut of felt for the base and use the fabric glue to fasten them together.  LEAVE A SECTION ABOUT 5/8" WIDE OPEN AND NOT GLUED TO SLIP A HAIRPIN OR CLIP INTO FOR FASTENING.

Find the center of the felt circle and place the 6 large petals pointed side to that center.  Arrange so you can judge how many more petals you will need to make to form the circle for the first base layer of petals.  Make the additional petals and fold and glue as before.  Now glue them in place on the felt forming your flowers first row of petals.  Place the smaller contrasting 6 petals on top of the base and at the inside center as before and determine if you need to make more petals for row two.  Now glue the inside row in place.  Remove all of the straight pins when the glue has set.  Attach the center button with fabric glue. 

You may attach the hair pin or use a needle an thread to hand sew the felt base to the crutch covers or where ever you would like it to be.