Fabric Flowers and Baby Headbands

I shall keep my promise, to blog this weekend, even if its a 2 am in the morning! That's ok, I slept in late this morning, (Saturday) so thankfully I am fully rested.

I got to work on these Friday night. I know sad huh? I mean no Friday night plans? I did get to go thrift shopping on Friday during the day with my friend Terri. I got a few good deals.

Anyway, I need to get busy on more to add to my Etsy shop. I am always looking for new crafts to sell on there. I finished with a few, and wanted to show them off to you, and teach you how to make them.

I went through all of my fabric and put all the potential flower making fabric into a big bin. I couldn't believe how much I came up with. I really am a fabric hoarder. It's hard for me to throw out fabric. I mean a  1/4 a yard or less can make a few flowers. I still have 3 big drawers full of fabric for future projects.

There are 4 different styles of flowers shown. And yes... I will show you how to do all 4. I know how to make more styles, but we'll do that on another post.

First flower/headband:

 Step 1: Cut a tiny slit in the fabric and then rip it all the way down. My strip was 36 inches long.

 Step 2: With a needle and thread sew it very loosely all the way down the strip.

 Step 3: Leave the needle in the fabric, don't cut it, then gather it.It will not be this gathered, this is just for the picture. You'll have to play with it while making the flower. 

Step 4: Start rolling it with the stitching at the bottom.

Step 5 Keep doing it until you achieve a flower rose like this.

Step 6: Sew the layers at the bottom together

I added another smaller flower and a white flower to the headband and then cut 2 pieces of felt like this into ovals. This is actually an unused flannel blanket that my step mom gave me for scrap fabric. Gotta love her for saving stuff after her projects so I can hoard it, lol.

Step 7: Attach the flower (s) to the felt circle (oval) and then trim the excess felt.

Now for the elastic headband part. I buy Fold Over Elastic 10 yd 5/8 inch FOE - Shiny that is for baby headbands. I measure it 16 inches (8 folded in half)

Step 8: I hot glue the ends together then attach it to the felt and sew it on there, this reinforces the headband too.

 Step 9: Attach it with hot glue to the headband, then trim away the excess, felt.

And whaa-la, now I have a shabby chic baby headband!

Now onto the next flower:

Step 1: Cut 4  4 in diameter circles

Step 2: Cut 4 3 1/4 inch circles

Step 3: Repeat steps 1 and 2 in a lighter shade fabric.

Step 4 fold the circle in half and then again in another half.

Step 6 Hand sew or hot glue the 4 inch circles (darker shade) to your felt circle.

Step 7: Do the lighter shade on top, going in between the cracks of the bottom layer.

Step 8: Repeat with the darker 3 1/4 inch circles.

Step 10: add one more light color 3 1/4 circle and sew it to the center. 

Step 11: Fluff the layers up and add a embellishment to the top, and attach it to a headband if desired.

This flower has the least amount of steps and I would say its the easiest. It certainly can be depending on what kind of fabric your using. I used an old cotton stretch ribbed sweater. Another Scrap from my step mom! This is to show you how many different kinds of fabric/scraps you can use!

Step 1: Twist it, you won't be able to twist the whole thing. Funny technique I use is to get on the floor twist is as much as I can and put the end in between my toes. Oh ya, if this is for someone else, make sure your feet are clean, lol.

Step 2: begin rolling it into a spiral kinda thang!

Just keep rolling, and hot glue about every 3 rolls around the circle. Watch those toes, trust me, enough said!

 Step 3 Attach an embellishment if you desire and then attach it to a headband or clip.

This is one of my favorite flowers, its just so shabby chic, and can look very vintage if you use off white colors.

Step 1:Cut a strip about 1 1/2 half wide

Step 2: Fold it in half and hot glue it.

Step 3 Cut slits, I like to make some long and some short, some skinny and some fat.

Step 4 Starting from the outside of your felt circle, begin gluing it down.

Step 5 Keep gluing it in circles till you reach the center, trim off any excess fabric.

Step 6 Fluff the heck out of it to achieve the stringy look.

  

And whaa-laa another flower for your DIY collection!

Now I just needs some baby subjects. Guess I'll send them to my friend at Lilac Blossom Photography.

Thanks for tuning in!