Rhona Norrie
- 3 min read

Free chart: June AYOXS Design

Happy June! And for June's AYOXS design we're going cute! Yup, the cutest little penguin design that is soooo versatile - you can stitch him (or her?!) then make him as a card, a gift tag, a wee ornament, or as I have done, a gift card holder.

This is another design that you can use up those odds and ends of threads that we all keep... please tell me I'm not the only one who has a box of odd bits of threads!!?! This little design will be easy to use up those odd threads... use any shade of green for the border, it doesn't have to be what's on the key. In fact, you don't even have to stick to a green, you can use any colour at all. Same goes for the present the penguin is holding or the ribbon on the present - use what ever you have on hand. Don't you just love designs that can use up those odd bits of threads in your stash? I certainly do :)

Cross stitched penguin holding a present.

So each month I like to show you how you can finish your AYOXS design and this month it's something little bit different than what you might be expecting.....no cards or ornaments (although you can certainly finish this design like that - or any way you fancy!) this month's finishing idea is to make the design as gift card holder. The great thing about this finishing technique is that you can don't have to wait for Christmas, you can use this for birthdays, graduation, wedding etc. Just find a small design and then follow the finishing instructions below.

I was never really a fan of giving gift cards as I always thought they looked like a last minute gift or as if I hadn't known what to buy for someone, but I soon changed my mind when I saw how excited my kids would get when they received a gift card... they said it was like having Christmas twice - once when they received the gift card, then Christmas all over again when they would go to spend their gift card. So now I have no hesitation in giving gift cards, but I do like to 'dress them up' a bit by making a cross stitched gift card holder. They are really easy to do and I'll show you step by step how to make one for yourself!

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So what do you need to make this gift card holder?

Not a lot really... just some felt, iron-on interfacing, a needle and thread and some self adhesive velcro dots.

I have a fabric cutting mat and rotary cutter to make life easier... just line up the fabric and use the grid to make sure your fabric is straight and then the rotary cutter just glides along the steel ruler and you have a perfectly cut edge! Of course, although this makes life easier, these tools are not essential, you can still make this gift card holder with just regular scissors.

How to make your gift card holder.

Measure your gift card (I think gift cards are all the same size but measure just to be on the safe side! :) ) My gift card was approximately 8.5 cm x 5.4 cm. You may have to adjust the size of the felt if you gift card is larger.
Cut a strip of felt approximately 10.2 cm x 16 cm. You need the felt to be slightly wider than the gift card (to allow for the blanket stitch on both sides) and just under three times the height of the gift card so the felt can wrap around the card)
Place the gift card roughly in the middle of the strip of felt and fold the bottom up to make a sort of pocket for the gift card. Remove the gift card and pin pocket so that the felt doesn't move when you begin to stitch.
Taking three strands of thread, blanket stitch both edges together. (I used two strands but I think three would look better!)

snip the felt at both edges to where the 'leg' blanket stitch starts.
find the middle point of the felt then cut to a triangle shape (this doesn't have to be exact as your stitching will cover this area!)

Blanket stitching on a cross stitch gift card holder.

Iron the iron-on interfacing to the back of your stitching following the manufacturers instructions.
Trim your stitching to one square from the edge of the stitching all round.