Creativebug I find seasonal crafting totally irresistible, don’t you? I came across these gigantic acorn caps in early October in Pennsylvania and knew I had to sew velvet acorns. If you can’t find acorn caps where you live, check out Etsy. And if you’re foraging your own, be sure to leave the nut behind for the critters who need it.
If you’ve found the acorn caps on the ground, wash them first by scrubbing with soap and warm water. Then, allow to air dry. Once they’re dried, bake in a 200 degree oven for about 30 minutes to kill any mold spores or insects. If you pop them in the oven while still wet, it could cause the caps to steam and crack.
Materials
For each acorn, you’ll need an acorn cap and a 2-2.5” square of velvet. You can use stretch synthetic velvet, silk or rayon velvet, or even upholstery fabric, which ended up being my favorite to work with, as it was the easiest to both stitch and shape. You’ll also need button thread and a hot glue gun.
How to Sew Velvet Acorns
Cut a rough circle out of your square. I fold my square into quarters, fuzzy side in, and then freehand a gentle arc. If the nap of the fabric is fighting against you, you’re welcome to freehand it. Take about 14″ of thread and make an overhand knot about 2” away from the tail ends, looping your thread through three times total. You want the knot to be nice and substantial.
Leaving your tail on the inside, work a running stitch about 1/4” from the edges. I find that the tinier the stitch, the smoother the final look. When you get to the end, pull closed until you can just barely fit your thumb in. Start by stuffing with a single cotton ball, then add small pieces until it feels firm.
Test fit the acorn into the cap, seeing whether you’d like more or less stuffing. I prefer more because I can squish it from a ball into more of an acorn shape. However, the difference is so tiny, you should do whatever feels best to you. When the velvet acorn fits in the cap how you’d like, cinch the thread tightly. Then, double knot your ends together, and snip, leaving 1/4” tails.
Apply a good sized blob of the hot glue directly to the inside of the cap. Then, draw a small line a bit below the edge of the cap. Pop in your velvet acorn, thread side first, let it cool for a few seconds, and voila! A sweet little bit of decoration for a decorative dish or scattered across your holiday table.
If you’re going to sew velvet acorns in batches or facilitating group crafting, I suggest pre-threading and knotting needles and bringing one additional essential tool: a tape roller. Those fuzzy little bits will get everywhere! Whether you make a single keepsake acorn or a whole forest of them, these tiny treasures bring a bit of woodland magic to your table. They’re quick, satisfying, and endlessly customizable—a perfect way to celebrate the cozy abundance of fall.