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Creating fabric flowers
You can embellish your favorite clothes, update your home’s decor and even add flair to artificial flower arrangements by making your own fabric flowers from just about any piece of cloth or clothing you have laying around the house.
And here is another reason why fabric flowers are very popular – they are relatively inexpensive and don’t take too much time to make. They also come in a variety of styles and patterns, so you can be sure to find a look that’s perfect for you.
Sweater fabric flowers
Among the most popular fabric flowers are those made from sweaters. They make a perfect accent to scarves, blouses and just about any other piece of apparel you might have. Just be sure that the sweater color and pattern that you use to make the flower from doesn’t clash with what you are embellishing.
Before you begin your project, gather the items that you’ll need:
Regular sewing needed
Scissors
Old sweaters
If you can’t stand the thought of cutting up your old sweaters (after all, you know how much you paid for them), a trip to your local thrift store may be in order. You’re sure to find sweaters there for a few dollars a piece.
To begin, cut four or five inches off the sleeve of the sweater that you are making your flower from. Double thread a regular sewing needle and tie a knot at the end of the thread. Then fold the portion of the sweater you cut earlier in half, making sure to leave the right sides out.
Use a basting stitch along the bottom quarter of the sweater to bring both parts together. And here is an additional tip: Pull on the thread to keep it taut as you complete your basting. That will prevent the thread from breaking.
After you have finished your basting stitch, tie a knot to secure the pieces and turn the flower over and you are done. You can add bling to the flower’s center by a sewing a button to its center.
French Pouf
Another popular fabric flower is the French Pouf, whose look can be dramatically altered by the fabric you choose to make it.
To get started, select the fabric you will use and depending upon its thickness, cut out five or 10 flowers. The flowers need to be semi-uniform in both size and appearance, so you can always download templates to trace in order to make it easier.
Using a hot glue gun, place a drop of glue in the center of small circular scrap of fabric. Then, fold each flower cutout in half and use the glue gun to put two folded flowers on opposite sides from each other to create a base.
Rotate the base approximately one-quarter of an inch and keep repeating the process above until you have created the size pouf you desire.
Burlap Fabric Flowers
You should also consider using burlap to make flowers to update your clothing, handbags or artificial flower display.
A couple of things to keep in mind as you choose burlap. Make sure it doesn’t clash with what you’re using it one. Place the burlap up against what you will place it on to see how it looks before you finalize the project.
Consider how big you want your flower to be, especially when using burlap. Bigger isn’t always better.
When you’re ready to make your burlap flowers, cut your burlap into strips that are 1.5×1.5 inches. Trace the strips and be sure to use a pair of sharp sewing scissors when you cut.
After you’ve got your strips cut, fold them in half and then roll each strip forward. You have now created the center of your burlap flower.
After you have gotten several centers completed, twist the burlap away from the center and roll it to create flower petals.
Keep a hold on the flower base and continue twisting and turning to create both petals and flowers. Use your hot glue gun to place a dot of glue at the base of the flower so it will not unravel.
Bio –
This guest post contribution was provided by The Ribbon Retreat, offering a massive selection of ribbon and craft accessories for your next project such as alligator clips, glue guns and bow makers.