Owl Sponge Postcard

Say hello to a family member of friend with an Owl Sponge Postcard. Quick and easy sponge crafts are a real hoot and this project is a great example. Use felt, buttons and other embellishments to bring a boring, unused grout sponge to life.

Materials:

• Aleene’s Super Thick Tacky Glue
• Grout Sponge, or smaller sponge
• Tissue blade – it’s a super thin razor blade used for polymer clay
• Marker
• Felt
• Eileen Hull’s Sizzix die Flowers with Heart Petals (optional – to use for the felt eyes)
• Buttons
• Needle – a narrow 2″ long one is best
• Strong thread
• Paint
• Paint brush
• Tooth brush (optional) I sued to pounce on the felt pieces to push glue deeper into the sponge
• Owl pattern
• Owl pattern for felt cutouts

Instructions:

1. Print and trace the owl pattern onto the sponge.
    
2. Use the tissue blade to saw the sponge carefully.
    
3. Paint the whole sponge and allow to dry.
    
4. Cut eye, beak and wing patterns from felt.  My wings were ovals with flat bottoms and that worked for me.  Play with the pattern to get the look you like.
    
5. Using lots of glue, glue the felt eyes in place.  Pounce on the felt with the tooth brush to help the glue get into the sponge, if desired.
    
6. WHILE THE GLUE IS WET, sew the buttons in the center of the eyes, pulling slightly to make sink in to the sponge a bit.
    
7. Glue beak and wings in place.  Pounce with tooth brush, if desired.
    
8. Trace the sponge on cardstock and cut out.
    
9. Before gluing to the back of the sponge trim the cardstock to make sure no edge will stick out from the sponge.  Glue on and allow to dry.
    
10. When you address the postcard, remember that the post office will only deliver to the address that is lowest on the postcard and that they need room to put 2 stickers on it.