Fabric flower making is a simple handiwork and a perfect way to use leftover fabric or recycle used fabric to make personalized scrapbook decorations, gift bows or hair accessories. The instructions below will show you how to make fabric flowers with just a minimum of stitching. Learn how to make basic fabric flowers, flowers with curved petals, and flowers with singed edges.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Create Elementary Fabric Flowers
Step 1. Choose the fabric
When it comes to making fabric flowers, the choice is limitless. Use any leftover fabric you already have or pop into a fabric store to pick out new fabric. Remember that the thickness of the fabric will affect the final appearance of the flower.
- To create a flower with soft petals, use silk, thin cotton, or some other thin, soft material. For stiffer petals, opt for felt, denim, linen, or another thick, stiff material.
- Fabric flowers have more than one layer and not all layers need to be made of the same material. Create different petals from each other, choosing two or more different fabrics. For example, you could choose a plain blue fabric and a white fabric with blue polka dots.
Step 2. Make flower-shaped patterns
Use a pencil to draw the shape of a flower on a thin sheet of paper. The flower can have any shape. Make a daisy, sunflower, or berry flower. Space the petals evenly apart or create a wilder flower with less even petals. Cut the pattern with a pair of scissors when you are done.
- If you don't want to design a pattern, look for some ready-to-print on the internet.
- Create more than one shape if you want diversified, layered flowers. For example, you could create a pattern with large, long flowers and another with twice as many small, shorter petals. These two layers of petals will create a fantastic effect.
Step 3. Pin this pattern to the fabric and cut out the shape
Use a pin to attach the pattern to the fabric of your choice. Make sure each petal is secure. Use a pair of pointed fabric scissors to cut the fabric around the edges of the pattern. When you're done, remove the pin and examine the shape of your fabric flower.
- Create as many layers as you want by pinning the pattern to a new section of fabric each time, cutting it and repeating until you have enough layers.
- You can create more than one flower at a time by folding the fabric and pinching through both layers of the fabric before carefully cutting the shape of the flower.
Step 4. Overlap the flowers
Arrange the layers one on top of the other, in such a way that it shows the different sizes and shapes of the petals. If you have flowers of different sizes, place the smaller shapes on top of the larger ones.
Step 5. Sew the flower stack
Sew the flower with a thread that matches the color of the fabric. Pass the needle through the center of the pile of petals and then pass it to the other side again. Repeat this a couple of times until the flowers are sewn together in the exact center of the stack.
Step 6. Create a stamen
You can finish your project here or create a stamen, the center of the flower, using a button, bead, gem or some other small object. Glue the stamen with fabric glue or hot glue or sew it using needle and thread.
Method 2 of 3: Create Curved Fabric Flowers
Step 1. Collect the fabric scraps
To create flowers with curved petals, which have petals that fold on themselves to give a prettier look, collect several scraps of fabric 10 cm long and about 8 wide. This type of flower works best with stiffer fabrics, such as felt.
Step 2. Fold the fabric scraps in half lengthwise
Pin along the bottom where the edges of the two fabrics meet. Place the pins about an eighth of an inch from the open edge.
Step 3. Make cuts in the folded edges
Use a pair of scissors to make evenly spaced cuts along the folded portion of the fabric. If you want your flower to have many petals, make cuts every quarter of an inch. For fewer petals, make cuts every half inch.
Step 4. Sew the fabric
Sew the fabric with a thread that matches the flower fabric of your choice. Tie a thick knot at the end of the thread to prevent it from pulling the fabric. Starting from the end of a row of petals, insert the needle at the corner of the fabric, where the two ends meet, next to the first pin. Sew a seam along the edge of the fabric so that the two layers are sewn together.
- For a more defined final look, make sure the seam stitches are evenly spaced and are all the same distance from the bottom of the fabric. Run the thread just above or just below the pins you used to hold the fabric in place.
- Remove the pins once you have finished sewing the ends of the fabric.
Step 5. Give the fabric the shape of a flower
Slide the flower towards the knot of the thread to tighten. As you slide it and push it down, the fabric will begin to have a circular shape and the petals will move away from each other. Continue to tighten the fabric until you get the shape of a flower. Complete by sewing the flower by folding it in half and securing the last and first petal together with a couple of seams. Close the knot and cut the thread.
Step 6. Add the stamen
Now that you've got a floral circle, it's time to focus on the center. Cut a circle from the same fabric you used to make the petals or from a different fabric. The circle should be large enough to cover the center of the flower, but not too large to cover the petals. Use some fabric glue around the edges of the fabric headband and weld it in the center of the petals.
Step 7. Add the decoration
Use hot glue or fabric glue to add a button, bead, glitter or other decoration to the center of the flower.
Method 3 of 3: Create Fabric Flowers with Realistic Edges
Step 1. Choose a silk-like fabric
For this project, which requires you to scorch the edges of the fabric, to achieve a natural and more realistic effect, you will need a light, silk-like fabric. Avoid felt or other thick fabrics in this case.
Step 2. Cut circles into a card
You will need a circle that is about an inch wider than the diameter of the flower once it is complete. The other circle should be one centimeter smaller than the diameter of the first circle, while the third should be one centimeter even smaller than the latter. Keep cutting circles until you get 5 or 6.
Step 3. Trace the circles on the fabric
Use a fabric pen or chalk to trace the circles. Since they will be scorched, it is not a problem if the trace is visible on the edges of the fabric. Cut the circles you traced with suitable scissors.
Step 4. Make cuts on the circles
Use the scissors to make cuts around the edges of the circles to create petals. The petals don't have to be roundish - all you need in this project are simple cuts. Space the cuts so that there are at least 6 petals when finished. The cuts should end at about one third of the circles.
Step 5. Light a candle and scorch the petals
Working on one flower at a time, hold the fabric flower about two inches from the candle flame. Rotate the flower continuously to prevent it from catching fire. The flame will melt the edges and give the fabric a more realistic look. Repeat this step for each layer.
Step 6. Align the petals
Place the circles on top of each other, so that the widest is at the bottom and the smallest at the top. Place a bead in the center to create the stamen. With a thick thread and a sewing needle, pass the needle through the center of the flower, securing the bead and the layers together. Sew several seams so that the layers are firmly in place.
Advice
- Making the fabric flowers is a simple handiwork that even children can do, but be careful when handling the scissors and keep children away from the candle flame when burning the edges of the flowers.
- The support used for the flowers will depend on the use you want to make of them. If you want to use them to decorate personalized albums, use double-sided tape or a little glue. Safety pins can be used to decorate clothes. To create hair accessories, sew the flower directly onto the hair clip, hair clip or headband.
