Sew Cute Flowers!

A couple months ago, while browsing Pinterest, something I rarely do (wink, wink), I came across some amazing fabric flowers done by Snowy Bliss (go check them out) and pinned them.  Because the flowers required a sewing machine, I was nervous to start this project, so I kept putting it off.  Now that I have used my sewing machine to make pillow covers, I am a seamstress extraordinaire (yeah right, I am lucky if I sew a straight line), and knew that I could conquer these flowers.  And conquer them I did!  Woot Woot!!!

What is the worst thing about flowers?  Right, they die!  Ugh.  Don’t you hate when you get flowers and then in a couple of days they are dead and start to stink?  I am terrible about throwing away dead flowers, mainly because I HATE washing out the vase, so my dead flowers will sit in the vase for days, weeks, months, years…okay, maybe not years, but a LONG time.  That is why I love these fabric flowers.  They look amazing and do NOT, I repeat, do NOT die! 

The flowers are not hard to make, but are time consuming, at least the first time you make them. The supplies you will need is as follows:

• fabric remnants
• sticks(from outside)
• sewing machine/thread
• hot glue gun
• jute
• Floral foam - the green soft stuff you use in floral arrangements
• vase

 

     

Step 1/2:  Cut strips of your fabric.  I did 5” x 30”, but you can do any size you want.  Longer fabric equals bigger flowers!  Next you will fold your fabric lengthwise and iron to get a seam.

Step 3:  Cut a scalloped edge along the open side of your fabric.  I did not measure the scallops, so each one is different.  Once you get to about 3” to the end, make a narrow strip.

Step 4/5:  Open up your fabric and sew a gathering stitch straight down the seam.  I had no idea what a gathering seam was, let alone how to do it, so I Googled it!  All you really do is use a basic straight stitch with the length set high, or long.  Now fold your fabric back up and stitch shut the scalloped edges and the narrow strip, but leave the end of the narrow strip open.

Step 6:  Now gather your fabric together by pulling on the thread and pushing the fabric in the opposite direction. They kind of look like scrunchies, huh?

   

Step 7:  Open end of narrow strip(I used a pen) and put in some hot glue.

  

Step 8:  Insert stick and fold fabric down and around to create a point, using hot glue to hold in place.

Side note:  I am really liking my how my nails look.  :)

Step 9:  Now just start gluing your fabric around the stick.  I put the hot glue onto the gathered part of the fabric, then stuck that on the stick.  Work your way until you are at the end of the fabric. 

You can either glue fabric around the stick for a tighter more closed rose, or for a more full open rose, you will glue the gathered fabric close to the bottom of the fabric, near the stick, and work you way around the fabric.  Once near the end, take and glue your fabric to the stick.

Can I just say how much I wish that the hot glue from the hot glue gun wasn’t so HOT?  My fingers had numerous little blisters after this project!  Yikes.

   

Step 10/11:  Cut your floral foam to fit into your vase.  Hot glue your jute around the foam, which by the way, is not easy.  The green foam gets everywhere and makes a huge mess! 

Add leaves, if you want, and arrange flowers in vase, which I purchased at .99 cent store, and tada you are finished with a floral masterpiece!

 

 

 

 

I loved these so much that I decided to give them to my mom, who I love so much, for Mother’s Day.  Because I couldn’t wait to share this project with you all and since she faithfully reads my blog(thanks mom), I gave them to her early.  She was absolutely thrilled with them! 

But, don’t worry, I have something else I am working on to give her on Mother’s Day, so she will not be without a gift that day!

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