Materials:
- Glue gun and glue sticks
- Sharp scissors-ideally sewing scissors
- A lighter, or long candle lighter (as pictured). If you have neither, a candle can be used.
- Satin material. In the US, 100% poly satin is available at Hobby Lobby for around $2.99 a yard. Or at fabirc store, try costume satin or "SILKY SOLID" as it is titled which I am using in this tutorial from Joann Fabrics. It is roughly $4.99 a yard and I used a coupon (You can always find Joanns coupons in an online search). You barely need a 1/4 of a yard.
- A clip or pin of some sort, or a headband, etc.. Also available at any craft or fabric store
- Craft felt (tiny piece) for backing. Use a scrap if you have it or one of those little sheets of craft felt can be found at craft/fabric stores or even walmart for about 25-50 cents.
- A jewel, button, bead, etc. Whatever you want to put in the center of your flower.
Template: You only need one size. Choose your size and cut out 9 of that size. To print these out you can highlight them and print selection, or cut and paste them into a doc to print. However you want!
SMALL
MEDIUM
LARGE
LET'S GO:
1. Use the template I have provided. Cut out the template on a piece of thin cardboard/carstock. Cut out 9 squares of satin-they don't have to be perfect-just big enough to trace the pattern onto. Use a fabric pen or regular pen/pencil to trace around the template onto the satin. Satin is thin so you should be able to cut through at least half of the squares at once. Satin is actually easiest to cut the denser the pile (less shifty).
2. Learning to singe: Its a good idea to practice this a few times on scraps first. Hold the satin shape in one hand and the long necked lighter in the other. Click the lighter on and run it along the edge of your satin shape quickly. You want to run it close enough that it melts the edge slightly without distorting the shape too much or melting a big divot in the shape. Practice steadily running the flame along the edge of one piece. Once you feel comfortable with this you can being singing your real shapes!
Troubleshoot: If your edge is turning black underneath soot like, try holding the lighter more level with the shape, not below it. If your shape is becoming really distorted or too melted, you are holding the flame too close and moving too slow.
3. Begin singing around the edges of all the flower shapes one at a time. You can always add more cut outs to create a fuller flower or less cut outs for a simpler one. Once you have singed all your template pieces, this is what you should have (9 singed flower pieces):
4. Take one piece and lay flat. This will be the base. Now take the second circle, fold it in half and then in half again. Pinch it to keep its shape. Put a dab of glue on the tip of the triangular shaped piece and glue to the center. Do this with 3 additional pieces, like you are piecing together a pie with the tip pointing into and touching the center.
***As you attach each triangular piece makes sure they all are folded the same way and open in the same direction.
5. Now add a 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th folded up piece as a second layer on top of the first 4 circles you attached. Now cut a wavy circle shape free hand out of a piece of satin that is smaller than your template shape. Singe it, then put a dab of glue in the center of the flower and attach this circle.
6. Take your gem or embellishment and glue to the center. Now take a small oval or circle of craft felt and glue to the back. At this point you can also glue leaves to the back out of felt if you wish. Now glue the back of the flower to your clip, headband, pin, etc.
Here's some samples of clips you can use, that can be found at craft/fabric stores or online.
7. Put in hair!
Finished Product
Here is a simple easy variation:
Take only 5 of the template shapes, cut out, singe, and layer directly on one another. Attach your gem, felt backing and optional leaves, and clip and you are good to go!
