When a fabric craft or sewing project leaves you with small scraps of pretty fabric, don't throw them away. Make flowers using cloth leftovers that can be used as brooches, barrettes or decorations for hats and purses. They can be attached to gift bags or boxes as an embellishment and extra gift for the recipient. Make these frugal flowers as an activity for art classes, birthday parties or slumber parties. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Circle Scrap Flowers
1. Cut two 4 1/2-inch squares from coordinating fabric scraps and one 4 1/2-inch square from lightweight fusible web.
2. Lay one cloth square wrong side up on your work surface. Place the fusible web square on the fabric with the glue side down. The other side is paper backed. Iron the paper side of the fusible web, adhering the glue to the fabric. Allow the glue to cool.
3. Peel the paper backing from the fused fabric. Place the other cloth square over the fused webbing with the right side facing up. Iron the fabric to fuse the web in between the squares.
4. Draw a 2-inch circle on lightweight cardboard using a compass. Cut out the circle pattern. Place the pattern on the fused fabric square and trace around it four times using a disappearing ink pen. Cut out each of the traced circles using pinking shears.
5. Sew around the edge of each circle, 1/8 inch from the edge.
6. Lay one circle in front of you on your work space. Fold the left and right edges at an angle toward the middle, creating a waffle cone shape that overlaps at the point. The wide top of the cone is the outer edge of the circle and is curved. Apply hot glue between the overlap at the point. Use your hand to flatten the cone. Repeat with the three remaining circles. These are your flower petals.
7. Lay each petal in a circle with the points overlapping in the center. Apply hot glue between each overlapping point.
8. Apply hot glue to the center of the cloth flower. Place a 1/2-inch decorative button over the glue.
Rag Strip Flowers
9. Cut a strip of fabric 2 inches wide by 18 inches long and a coordinating strip of fabric 1inch wide by 18 inches long.
10. Sew along one long edge of one strip, 1/4 inch from the edge, using strong quilting thread on your sewing machine and a basting stitch. A basting stitch is the longest straight stitch on your sewing machine. Leave two long tails of thread at the beginning and end of the stitched strip. Repeat with the remaining strip.
11. Knot the two tails of thread at one end of a strip. Separate the two tails on the other end. Pull on one of the threads as you gather the fabric. Pull until the edge has been tightly gathered. Tie the tails from each end together to hold the gathers and create a medallion. Trim the excess thread. Repeat with the remaining strip.
12. Place the large medallion right side up on your work space. Apply hot glue to the center. Center the smaller medallion on top with the right side up. Apply hot glue to the center. Place a 1/2-inch decorative button over the glue.
Tags: Apply glue, Apply glue center, glue center, Repeat with, right side