Flowers made out of fabric are totally gorgeous, and easy to make. In addition to having the freedom to make various designs, many different types of fabrics can be used in this creative craft of fabric flower making to really diversify your collection. Neck pieces, rings, hair clips, brooches and hair bows, gifts and cute little home décor items can all be embellished with fabric flowers for a creative and unique look. Ribbon, chiffon, silk, lace, cotton strips and even denim fabrics are just some of the fabrics that be used in the art of flower making. Below are some of my favorite tips and examples for making beautiful fabric flowers.
There are many types of flowers that can be made from fabric. Some are very easy to make while others are a bit more complex. Often, the complex ones are usually designed with intricate patterns. Among those most commonly crafted fabric flowers are roses, carnations, the lotus, dahlia and sunflowers. It is really about the petal designs that set each flower apart. Layered, frilled or pleated are common petal designs. Remember that before you even begin, all necessary material should be gathered and ready. This includes fabrics, needle, threads, pins, pompoms, buttons and glue.
The second step will be to make cut outs from the fabric. Flowers, such as the sunflower, may require the use of two different fabrics to contrast the inner part from the petals. Fabric cutouts for petals also differs among different flowers. For sunflower petals, circular strips of fabric are cut out, while dahlias require five sided cutouts, and a rose will do fine with rectangular strips. The cutouts are then pleated and folded into the necessary shape to mimic a real flower's petals. These petals need to be held together to maintain the formed shape of the designed petals. This is where adhesive or the thread and needle are used. Several layers of fabric petals are added successively to create a fuller flower. A pompom, bead or a button is sewn in the middle to keep the layers stacked and held together.
Creative fold designs and cutouts enable one to make many diverse types of flowers. The use of different fabric types and different colored strips helps create contrast among the petals and makes the flower look colorful and remarkably beautiful.
Flower sizes can be varied by increasing or decreasing the size of the fabric cutouts or the number of layers of petals added. These fabric flowers can either be embellished onto accessories or wrapped around long sticks and put in a vase. They are a delight to make and a pretty display when placed around your home.
