Couple's Home Decor Featuring the Romance Color Story

Good morning, friends! I hope your week is going well and you're able to carve out a little creative time each day. I've been trying to do more of that for myself lately and it really seems to have lifted my mood. Hopefully today's post can give you a bit of inspiration if you're on the lookout for some charming home decor.

When I designed the Cozy Cocoa Kit, I knew I wanted to use the mugs for so much more than ornaments throughout the year. There are so many possibilities from decor pieces to appliqués on pillows and more! Today I'm sharing a Couple's Hoop. It's a hybrid embroidery and felt piece that would be a perfect gift for a pair that enjoy tea or coffee.

I began by cutting my mugs from Satin Slipper and Burgundy felt (I used the new Romance Color Story plus white thread for this project). I laid them out on a piece of white linen and then drew on the steam design using a disappearing ink pen (available at most large craft and hobby stores - the one I use is from Dritz). I mostly just free handed the twirly swirls, making sure that the largest two in the center came together to create a heart shape.

I used the light blue thread from the Color Story to embroider the steam swirls and the "ground" before adding my mugs. The Satin Slipper mug is decorated with the floral design from Keepsake Ornaments Extras. I used Burgundy behind the cutouts for an extra pop of color and embellished with beads and sequins included in the Color Story.

The Burgundy mug is decorated with a Satin Slipper band and a criss-cross thread pattern (the band design is part of the Cozy Cocoa Kit). The embellishments on this mug are also from the Romance Color Story. To make it mirror the Satin Slipper mug, I simply flipped it over and stitched it into place. The felt is very forgiving when it comes to "right" and "wrong" sides. Once it's stitched into place you really can't tell there's any difference.

If you're concerned about shifting while you're stitching something like this, I have a few suggestions. My personal preference is to use pins to keep the felt fastened while you're stitching around the edge, but you could also use an iron-on adhesive (like HeatnBond) to keep your pieces attached (you'd iron it to the felt before die cutting and then iron the felt to your fabric for assembly). I also like to use things like sequins as an opportunity to anchor my felt appliqués. Once the details are stitched on it's much easier to sew around the edge without anything shifting.

Once I had my basic design sewn together, I felt it could use a little something on the bottom, so I added the "i love you" using the same pale blue thread. I wanted it there for balance, but I didn't want the sentiment to stand out too much. This felt like a great way to let the mugs take center stage.

Finally, I added sequins and beading to the steam swirls. I just sprinkled in a few so they'd act as a subtle highlight. I love the way they just catch the light ever so slightly. I trimmed off the excess linen and secured the raw edge to the inner hoop on the back side. I can't wait to find a place to hang this little beauty!

Thank you so much for joining me today! I hope you've enjoyed today's project and I hope it gets you inspired to try something new with your crafting supplies. Have a wonderful week and I'll see you back here soon for a project featuring the Swoon Color Story!