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Monday, June 6, 2011

DIY and leftovers/ 6 A decorative flower

Today I'm going to show you how to make a decorative flower that can be used for a number of things: wrapping a present, as an accessory be it a brooch or a hair pin or even as a simple decoration for your home.



You'll need some organza, mine was a remnant piece of 50x50 cm rectangle and some tulle, a rectangle of 20x20 cm; some string and a bead.



Cut the tulle and organza in rectangles, it doesn't have to be perfect. Just make sure that all the pieces are roughly the same size.



Then start placing your rectangles in a clockwise direction:













After you've arranged all the pieces, place your bead in the middle.



Here comes the tricky part: Fold the flower in half and grab hold of the bead through the layers.



Hold the bead firmly and manipulate all the layers of tulle and organza until the edges are all facing away from the bead.



Give it a little twist and tie it firmly with the string.





Now position your flower on a straight surface and begin pulling layers apart. Imagine you're pulling petals of a rose apart, trying to get the blossom to open.



At this point I take my scissors and give the flower a little trim. I decided to go all out and attach faux pearls with a hot glue gun.



And there you have it, a perfectly kitschy fabric flower. I plan to make lots of these in green and red and use them for Christmas presents or decorating the tree.

5 comments:

  1. What a simple idea that is beautiful! Great job!

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  2. Shirley: Thanks! I got the idea after buying one too many overpriced satin ribons to use for giftwrapping.

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  3. Oh, I´d appreciate something like this- handmade, so much more than something from the shelf of a shop!

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  4. That looks fab.
    Love that purple :-)

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  5. Mette: I've noticed that hand made items and home made are gaining popularity. Not just because of the economic situation in the world, but I believe people are genuinely fed up with consumerism and pining for something more authentic.

    Bead addict: Thanks. Loving lavender purple more and more.

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