Walks in the woods are definitely best at this time of year and Toby & I collected lots of different leaves on our walk last weekend. It got me thinking about hedgehogs and hibernation and made me want to come back home and get cracking on a little batch of autumny hedgehog pincushions with leaves on them.
I had lots of fun last year with shrinkle sheets and leaf shapes but couldn't find the sketches I made back then so I've made some new templates which you're welcome to use too.
Just trace them onto a shrinkle sheet (my favourite are the frosted ones – which make it easy to trace an image underneath), colour in with coloured pencils, punch a hole and bake them in the oven to shrink them into tiny little leaves. I use mine as pin toppers for the hedgehogs but they'd work as jewellery, keyrings or phone tags too.
little cotton rabbits 
Aah – I did wonder how you make those cute little leaves. What a lovely idea! As a kid at school I was part of the Young Enterprise team and we shrunk crisp packets in the oven (much to my mother’s horror!) and then sold them as key rings at craft fairs and to our school friends. All good fun!
Pen x
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Jullie – OMH, they are what I got for 7 days specialness this year with a cute hedgehog from you, or rather, a hegdgehog with these leaves I should say. I am not sure if I can find the shrinkle sheets in Japan, but I have to look now that I know how you made them. Thank you. Chloe Patricia
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Love the hedgehog – will you be selling them? Autumn’s a beautiful time of year, I think. I went for a walk in some woods today and kicked crunchy leaves about!
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we did ‘shrinky dinks’ for the first time recently – i LOVE your leaves! thanks for sharing hte patterns.
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Love your leaf photograph, very pretty!
Thanks for sharing your drawings. I made a little hedgehog last year from your pattern, I’ll maybe try and make some leaves for him.
Vivienne x
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So cute! i love the shrinky leaves.
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I’d forgotten just how cute these little hedgehogs were!
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excellent so pleased to find this blog. Now i have a half term project. Lovely thank you. xxx
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Just beautiful! Shrinky dinks aren’t really for children are they?! 😉
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gorgeous leaves Julie – we’re still pretty green here although they are definately on the turn …
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how cute… and love the hedgehog |/:>
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Great idea Julie. I’d forgotten all about shrinkle sheets.
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How big is the hole for the pin before you shrink it?
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I just use a standard hole punch – it’s around 6mm and after shrinking is 2mm – this is a bit big for some pins but ok if you use the kind that have a big round top.
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Oooh, brilliant idea – I have shrinkle sheets in the cupboard and just the project where these would be great …
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What an awesome idea, Julie! Thanks so much for sharing! My grandchildren would love these.
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Ach. And I just had Chaz pick me up the clear ones. That’ll teach me to jump before I ask questions.
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I really want to play with some of that shrinkie stuff! Love your autumn-hog.
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That hedgehog is just adorable!
I did one in crochet (an amigurumi) but yours is much more cute!
http://papgenamadeit.blogspot.com/2010/02/amigurumi-saga-gran-finale.html
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Your photo makes me think of the book Apple Trouble by Ragnhild Scamell and illustrated by Michael Terry! It was originally titled Oudh!
and it’s published by Scholastic . . . my preschool classes love this book! I think you’d enjoy this book! Bethann
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You have a way of looking for all the good in life that it has to offer. I love the way you do that. I made some of these last year and they were so cute. Our leaves have not yet started to change. I hope it will not be long before they start, then it will beging to turn cold.
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Hi Julie,
Oh i just love your hedgehogs. I still have mine sat under a reading lamp. I couldn
t bare to stick pins in him, lol! Arent i soft.But i think i`ll do one for Secret Santa at my knitting group and put holly leaves on.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Love Carole from Rossendale xxxx
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It’s always sunny on your blog Julie – so glad I dropped in!
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Absolutely adorable hedgehog! Such a good idea to add the leaves on him 🙂 Sarah
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cute the hedgehog:)
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We’re taking lots of walks in the woods since we got Archie, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Your hedgehog is so cute.
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So Cute!!
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I love your hedgehog and still remember the little one in your garden.
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The hedgehog is so sweet…like he’s just emerged from snuffling through a big pile of leaves! K x
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Thank you so much! I can’t draw at all, but I love leaf shapes, and it’s really difficult to find nice ones to copy.
Playing with shrink sheets is fun 🙂
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Thank you for sharing your talents as I must have been standing in the wrong line when handing out drawing abilities!!
I love your blog, is the pattern for the hedgehog available for sale?
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Cute little hedgehog
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Love the hedgehog ! Ever so gorgeous !
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Just reading your article makes me smile and think that my second favorite time of the year is around the corner. I can not wait to find the time to make some of these myself. Hope you have a great time with your new yarn. It is beautiful.
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Oh, oh, oh! Those hedgepodges again! I want one so badly…
Love the leaves too.
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Thanks so much for posting the leaf patterns.
I so love little hedgehogs and made lots
from your pattern last year, but I didn’t make the leaves because I couldn’t figure out how to account for shrinkage. I am not so sure I can bear sticking pins in them
so maybe I will figure out a way to sew them.
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I made my first hedgehog ever. It was a lot of fun. I am going to use it for my pin cushion. Every time I use it I will think of you. You make the best little critters I have seen in a long time.
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