God’s Eye Birthday Bouquet

Do you remember making these colorful yarn and stick creations when you were young? God’s eyes are a fun, easy craft I remember making while attending summer camps as a kid. For this project, I’ve created a revised version of a god’s eye – leaving one stick extra long, so that it can be incorporated into a pretty flower bouquet. I also added my own personalized tag to make this centerpiece extra special, perfect for any child’s birthday!

SUPPLIES NEEDED:
Scrap yarn (bright colors)
Embroidery Thread
Twigs/sticks
Scissors
Garden Clippers
MOL Personalized Tag
Bouquet of Flowers (Gerbera Daisies)
Pony Beads*
Craft feathers*
Tacky Glue*
Crochet Hook*
(*Optional)

Step One: Gather your sticks.
You’ll want to gather a handful of long, straight sticks. Use garden clippers to cut them from a tree in your backyard or gather up some already fallen on the ground. For this project, you’ll want to cut 3 sticks between 12″-18″ long and another 3 sticks that are 4″-4.5″ long.

Step Two: Choosing your yarn.

This project is perfect for using up scrap pieces of yarn you already have on hand. You can use as few or as many colors as you want, choosing color combinations to match any special occasion.

Step Three: Make your god’s eye.
To start your first God’s Eye, take one long stick and one short stick and cross them over each other about 2 inches down from the long stick.

Take your first yarn color and tie a tight knot at the center, where the sticks intersect, to hold the cross shape. (Don’t cut the yarn from the skein- you can cut it later, when you’re ready to change colors). Make sure the knot faces the back of your God’s Eye. Wind the yarn diagonally around the intersection, in both directions, to stabilize the sticks and cover the middle.

Once you have the intersection of the sticks covered and secure, wrap the yarn over and around one stick. Continue the same over-around pattern on each stick. You can continue this pattern until you want to change colors. To do this, cut the yarn from the skein and tie the new color to the previous color, making sure that as you continue weaving, the knot is on the back side of the god’s eye.

When you are nearing the ends of the sticks, cut your yarn, leaving about 3 inches of yarn at the end. Tie a tight knot around the last stick. Trim excess yarn strands.

Step Four: (OPTIONAL) Add feathers & beads.
If you want to add colorful craft feathers and pony beads, first cut a piece of yarn about 6 inches long. Using a crochet hook, pull the yarn piece through the center of the god’s eye. Thread 2 pony beads to each end and tie a secure knot. Then add some tacky glue to the stem of each feather and poke it up inside the beads.

Step Five: Add a personalized MOL Tag.
Cut a 5″ piece of embroidery thread. Fold it in half and loop it through the hole of your personalized birthday tag. Then tie it to the top stick of your god’s eye, leaving enough thread for it to hang down in the center.

Step 6: Repeat steps 3-5 to make 2 more god’s eyes.

Step 7: Create a flower centerpiece.
Poke your god’s eye into a bouquet for a colorful centerpiece that any birthday girl will love! I chose Gerbera daisies.

Using small cellophane bags, my personalized MOL tags, and scrap yarn, I also made simple candy favors for each guest to take home. I gave everyone a cute little God’s Eye Pin too.