Sweet Cupcake Pincushions

Place the 100-percent wool sweater scraps in a washing machine (a top-loading machine is recommended). Fill the machine with hot water and regular detergent. Agitate the fabric on the longest cycle and rinse in cold water. Place the wool in the dryer for 30 minutes on regular heat.

Use a crafts knife to cut 1-1/2 inches off one end of a paper-towel tube. This will be the cupcake base. Cut a 1-3/4-inch piece of felted ribbing that is wide enough to wrap around the tube. Note: Use the finished edge of the ribbing for the bottom edge of the cupcake base.

Fold the ribbing in half crosswise with right sides facing; sew the ends together. Turn the ribbing right side out. Fold under a 1/4-inch hem around the top edge. Apply a band of glue around one end of the tube; press the inside folded edge of the ribbing into the glue; let dry. Apply a band of glue around the opposite end of the tube. Press the bottom of the ribbing into the glue; let dry.