I’m having so much fun helping my little sis prepare for her wedding next month. I adore weddings and I adore my sister, so making crafts with and for her is simply the ultimate level of DIY for me these days! Currently, we’re working on making gorgeous fabric flowers to use in her wedding bouquets, boutonnieres, and wedding decor. My mom, my sister and I have come up with our favourite way to make either perfect fabric peonies or lovely fabric cabbage roses, and I want to share the how-to with you today.
Supplies:
- scraps of polyester fabric (that will melt when held near a flame) – we liked using organza, satin, acetate lining, chiffon (this was a little floppy, though) and polyester lace (test all fabrics first to see if their edges curl in the way you want)
- a needle and thread
- a candle
- this pattern for the petals (it’s a downloadable PDF): Fabric Peonies and Cabbage Roses Pattern by The DIY Mommy
Directions:
Cut 6 petals of each of the four different sizes using the pattern. We found that using two different types of fabrics produced the most interesting-looking flowers, and mixing an opaque with a sheer fabric was a pretty effect.
Carefully sear and curl the edges of each petal by holding them over a lit candle and rotating them one at a time. Don’t hold the petals too close at first. You will have to adjust how close to the flame you’ll need to hold each petal depending on the fabric you’re using. In general, the thicker the fabric, the closer you’ll need to hold it to the flame to sear and curl the edges of the petal.
This can take forever, so it’s an excellent evening-unwinding project.
Thread your needle, and then curl one of the smallest petals along its wider side like this:
Sew it along the bottom to secure it. You don’t need too many stitches.
Continue curling petals around your first petal, overlapping them slightly and securing them by stitching them along the bottom.
The bottom of your flower will look something like this:
If you’re making a peony, you can gather the petals slightly as you go. Make the center of the peony lower, and raise the petals as you go.
If you’re making a cabbage rose, don’t gather the petals. Make the center of your rose higher and the rest of the petals lower.
It’s amazing what these little details will do to change the look of your flower:
(Left: Peony, Right: Cabbage Rose with more petals used)
Keep adding petals to your flower, going from the smallest size to the largest size. Finish with a secure knot in your thread.
You’re done! Aren’t these beautiful? Experiment with different fabric types and combos. For my sister’s bouquets, we’re going to use a few different colours and textures to make them extra special.
To recap:
I think these fabric peonies and roses would also make a gorgeous addition to any home decor. You could fasten stems to them and arrange them in a pretty tin or jar on your coffee table.
And what about using them as a hair accessory? How adorable would a little lacey one look sewn to a baby headband and used in some sweet summer photos?
Have fun making your flowers!
Linked to: The Weekend re-Treat Link Party, From Dream to Reality
*UPDATE: Now you can find the video tutorial for these here!*
Muito lindo, adorei!
Lindo de mais… Parabéns!
Hi! if im using 2 kinds of fabric, like satin and organza, the cuttings will be 6 satin and 6 organza for each size of petals?
Thanks in advance. im planning to try this diy and make a bouquet for my wedding 🙂
Yes that’s correct, Patricia. Congrats on your wedding!
What kind of satin and acetate lining do you use for your flowers
Like double face satin or heavy weight or just cheap lining material
And do you use organza by the yard
I’ve tried organza ribbon and it’s too stiff
I’m starting an Etsy page
Thank you
Paula Chavis
[email protected]
These are gorgeous! One question: since the petals are somewhat kidney-shaped, which long side is the “bottom”– the rounded one, or the one that curves inward in the middle?
Hey Heather, Once you singe the edges the petal will become more uniform. The bottom part will be the rounded 😀
These are so beautiful! Do you know the best place to get fabric online?
Thank you, Stacie. You can check out Christina’s favourite places to buy fabric online here 🙂
http://thediymommy.com/my-favourite-places-to-buy-fabric-online/
Also, about how many flowers does a yard of fabric make? Thanks!
These flowers are simply gorgeous! It must have taken you a year to make all the flowers needed for your wedding or maybe not with your sister and possibly someone else’s help. I love making flowers but I also know it’s very time consuming and you need to have a fair amount of patience. I love peonies! They are just so carefree. I think my favorites are camellias but who knows because I pretty much love all 💐! I really love the way you put yours together and the pattern used. Very nicely done! Hope the wedding went well!
They did take Christina some time to make but they were so worth it and I best part is they will last 👍🏻
I am sure they were the highlight of the wedding! Flowers are just so expensive nowadays, who can even afford all that are needed for a wedding. I’m sure it was much more special to her anyway and a major keepsake that will last for maybe her own daughters/sons wedding.
I realize I’m late to the party (I seem to be late to everything), but I have to tell you how gorgeous these flowers are! I have sewn & sewn roses from ribbon & a strip of fabric before but yours are so much better! I’m going to make some to use on a round mobile with crystals for my granddaughter’s nursery.
My daughter wants to use extra large flowers on the wall but they’re usually made of paper, very large (usually 12-24 inches), expensive to purchase & time consuming to make. I wonder if your idea, pattern would work on a much larger scale? Have you heard of anyone trying this? Do you have any ideas about this? Thank you so much!!
I haven’t hear of anyone doing it on a larger scale but we think it would still work
where do you by fabric?