How to Make: Fabric Flowers

This is a bit of a different post, but I love textiles and making clothes and things so this is all about how to make fabric flowers. There are a few different styles of fabric flowers you can make, I do prefer one type both for its simplicity to make but also its aesthetic effectiveness once made, but try them and decide for yourself!

Flower One: Layered Fabric Flower
difficulty rating *
what you will need: fabric, hand needle, thread, scissors, lace is optional
how to make it:

• cut 10 evenly sized circles from your fabric
• if you have chosen to include lace then cut 10 circles from this fabric as well
• if you have chosen to include lace place each of your lace circles over the top of one of your circles of plain fabric, so you now have 10 circles
• place two fabric circles on top of each other
• sew a single hand stitch through the middle of the fabric to attach them to each other
• now fold two of the circles in half and place them, folds facing together on top of your flower so far
• sew a single hand stitch straight through the middle again
• again fold two of the circles in half and place them folds facing together at 90 degrees to the last circles added on top of your flower
• of course, attach them with a stitch through the middle
• fold your remaining four circles into quaters by folding them in half twice
• place them onto your flower all next to each other
• attach them with a stitch straight through the middle
• pull the "petals" up with your fingers to give it a full look

The steps sound complicated but when you actually do it, they aren't! Hopefully the pictures help, it is pretty simple! Also, personally I think lace looks really good on them and I usually use it. One important thing to remember is to use a fabric that does not fray as the flower will have raw edges, or else you will need to satin stitch (very close together zig zag stitch on sewing machine along a raw edge on fabric to prevent fraying)  the edges of the material before making the flower.

where to use it: these flowers look so pretty and you could try making really tiny ones with less circles and using them together in groups to decorate textile items, I think that would look really good! But in general you could use these anywhere you want, they look really good on clothes such as dresses or as corsages on lapels. They even make great add-ons for hair accessories or prom corsages and dresses! The uses are endless!

Flower Two: Daisy Flower
difficulty rating: **
what you will need: fabric, scissors, a button, hand needle, thread
how to make it:

• cut six evenly sized squares
• take one square and fold it diagonally in half once to form a triangle
• and fold it again half, it should still make a triangle
• and fold it over once more
• fold the edges downwards, so that it looks like a little daisy petal
• make sure the bottom of the petal is even by cutting off any excess fabric
• thread your needle and sew a stitch straight through the bottom of the petal, making sure you go through all layers at once
• repeat for all your squares of fabric, sewing the same piece of thread through them all so they are joined in a long chain
• take the last petal around to the first, pull the thread tight and sew back through the first petal. Tie a knot in the thread, the petals should be joined in a circle and look like a flower
• sew a button straight onto the middle, covering the hole

Sometimes it can be difficult to make all petals identical so it might take practice. Different sized fabric squares will make different sized flowers which will require a different number of petals to make, but 2inch squares should make a 6 petal flower.

where to use it: this flower has a simple and typical look, try making it with white fabric and a yellow button so it will look exactly like a daisy. It is perfect for textile items for kids like quilts or soft toys.

Flower Three: Suffolk Puff
difficulty rating: *
what you will need:  scraps of fabric, a button, hand needle, thread, scissors
how to make it:

• cut a circle at the desired size from your fabric
• sew a running stitch (plain in and out stitch) using your hand needle and thread, all the way around the edge of the circle
• remove the needle and pull one end of the thread, gathering the fabric into the middle of the circle
• you know have a puff shape with a hole in the middle. The last step is simply to sew a button or bead into the middle of the puff to cover the hole

where to use it: this could be used to decorate a variety of homemade textiles, primarily furnishings such as cushions or wall hangings.

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Fabric flowers are a simple embellishment to make and obviously a good decorative technique for any garment. They can even be a way to cover a fault in a dress such as an irrepairable hole. My favourite is 'Flower One: Layered Fabric Flower' as they are quick and fun to make and look really snazzy once done and so have many uses. They look like a lot of work but in fact are very simple! Just remember to opt for a fabric that does not fray or else you will need to satin stitch the edges to prevent fraying! I hope you try some of these flowers and have fun doing it, there are more methods of making flowers but these are common and simple ones with a variety of uses. Go Go Go....Sew Sew Sew!