Sew Fabric Peonies and Cabbage Roses
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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
JUMP TO THE PRINTABLE INSTRUCTIONS
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!*
See how we made my sister’s wedding bouquet:
Let’s make it!
Sew Fabric Peonies and Cabbage Roses
Here is how we made gorgeous fabric flowers that you could use in a wedding bouquet, boutonniere or in your every day decor.
Materials
- 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)
- Needle and thread
- Candle
- This pattern for the petals (it’s a downloadable PDF): Fabric Peonies and Cabbage Roses Pattern by The DIY Mommy
Tools
- Scissors
Instructions
- 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.
- Thread your needle, and then curl one of the smallest petals along its wider side. (see pictures above)
- 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. (see pictures above)
- 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.
- Keep adding petals to your flower, going from the smallest size to the largest size. Finish with a secure knot in your thread.
Christina these are absolutely STUNNING! I am in awe. I want some now! Love the colors you chose. xo
Thanks so much, Tiffany. I love the colours too – so soft!
THANK YOU!
The flowers are beautiful! What a lucky sister to have you. 🙂
Aw, thanks Joann!
The article mentions a “pattern” for the petals. Sorry to be stupid – but where is the pattern?
Hello Sue,
The pattern is a downloadable link under the materials section.
I attached the link here for you as well ?
https://thediymommy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Fabric-Peonies-and-Cabbage-Roses-Pattern-by-The-DIY-Mommy.pdf
Hi! These are beautiful and hoping to do some for my wedding but one question I have is how many yards do I ask for in making these? Kindly!
I’m not sure! We were using up scraps from our stash. The number of yards you use would also depend on how big of a peony (how full) you’re making.
Your peonies are just SO pretty and I’m sure they will look lovely at the wedding!
Thanks, Heather! I’m so excited to see how everything comes together on the wedding day.
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These look ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! the color is perfect too. Pinned and sharing to my FB page!
Thank you so very much, Virginia!
Wow! These are gorgeous! Pinning for sure!
Thanks, Tara! Thanks for pinning, too.
WOW! Looks amazing! I’m pinning!
Thanks, Sandra. And thanks for sharing!
AMAZING! I would have thought they were real from my first glace!
Thanks a bunch, Kristen! I totally love how real-to-life they look too.
lovely!!
These look so beautiful! I should make some for gift toppers.
Thanks, Shauna! Yes – that’s a wonderful idea!
These are absolutely beautiful. I need to make some and attach them to my wreath. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Melinda. That’s a lovely idea!
These are amazing! I was browsing Pinterest for DIY peony ideas, because fresh ones never last long. Yours are absolutely beautiful! Needless to say, new follower here for sure!
Jen
witsicle – a life & style blog
Thanks, Jen! My sister just had her wedding last weekend and it was mostly made out of these fabric flowers. It was gorgeous! Thanks for visiting.
Hi I’m a new follower feom Iceland 🙂
I want to make these flowers for my wedding bouquet but I’m a little confused since my English isn’t too good. What do you mean by gather the petals for the peony? Do you still fold the petals as shown in the step by step instructions?
Thanks
You can pinch or fold the bottom of the petals a little bit to make them ruffled. This creates the look of a peony. I hope that helps!
Hi! I’m sorry to be ignorant to this, but how do you gather them (the petals) and how did you sew the bottoms? I just made a peony and it is not nearly as pretty as yours! I sewed the new petal through the previous petals, which created a cone-shaped bottom instead of a square/flat bottom. When adding the newest petal, do I just sew it onto the previous petal in a square pattern instead of sewing through all petals? I’ll keep playing with them.
Thank you so, so much for your tutorial! Yours are absolutely beautiful!
I am having this same problem 🙁 I’ve been trying to make these forever
These are amazing, I am a crafts lover but I want to make rose for my sister’s wedding and your idias will help me. thanks
Thanks so much, Roji!
Thanks so much for this tut. Your flowers are gorgeous! I’m hoping I find time in the new year to give these a try.
Again, thanks for your kindness and generosity.
What is a good website or a good resource to find cheap fabrics for these flowers?
They look BEAUTIFUL!
Thanks, Ashley! You can find all sorts of satins and organzas at either http://onlinefabricstore.net or http://fabric.com. I’ve shopped at both!
Which polyester lace is that it where did you get it from? Links of the fabrics you used would be great.
I absolutely looove this idea! I actually tried making one earlier today But it didn’t quite come out the same 🙁 do You know if there are any tutorial videos that demostrare how to do the flowers?
Thanks!
Thanks, Mel! I’m actually planning to put out a video tutorial on these in February, so stay tuned! I’ll post the link here when I do. 🙂
Can you post a picture of the finished bouquet and how did y’all attach the flowers to the bouquet? I’m getting married in April and want to do this for my bouquets and I can’t figure out how to attach them.
Hi Caitlin! I am planning on sharing a video on how to make the flowers as well as how to assemble the bouquet within the next couple of weeks. I’ll post here when it’s done. Thank you!
whats the best fabric to use for this. some I use just does not work or curl at all. Thanks
Thank you for sharing and showing an easy way to make a beautiful fabric flower. Over the years I’ve tried several ways which never amounted to much.
Thanks for your comment, Rhena!
How long would you say it takes to make each flower? I’m thinking about making these for my wedding later in the year, but I’m a bit concerned about how labour intensive they might be.
They take a long time – maybe about 20 minutes once you get the hang of it? The thing is that a wedding bouquet looks nice with at least 25-30 of these, so it takes a while! We thought it was worth it for my sister’s wedding, though. She got so many compliments and she can keep her bouquet forever! Good luck!
Thank you for the tutorial , but holy crap on the advertisements! It’s quite annoying to deal with them watching TV but it’s just as bad dealing with them trying to read a simple post & getting bombarded with them.
Thanks for visiting! I’m sorry you feel that way, but display ads and sponsored posts are how I make a part time income to help support my family with this blog. I certainly couldn’t justify all of the hours upon hours I spend on all of these tutorials for my readers without making some money in return.
Great DIY info on these flowers..Are there any pictures or how to’s on how to make these into bouquets or other uses?? Like what to use for the stems etc.? Thanks!
Thank you! Here’s how we made my sister’s wedding bouquet with these: https://thediymommy.com/make-a-bridal-bouquet-of-fabric-flowers/
Just posted this on my two pages on FB.
Thank you so much for your gorgeous rose and peony flower pattern and video and bridal bouquet tutorials, Christina! (Yes, even a year after you posted I found you!) I am so excited to have found your site, as my daughter is getting married in July (2016) and she asked me to make her bouquet and all the rest of the flowers too (maid bouquets, boutonnières, ceremony & reception decor)! These will be a lovely addition to her vintage theme :). Thank you again for sharing your creativity with us, Shawne
God bless the work of your beautiful hands, Christina. Thank you so much for sharing your talent so generously. <3 Teresa.
Thank you so much, Teresa! 🙂
Would these work for infant headbands if I made the petals smaller? So pretty!
I have had one pedicure in all my 42 years. My sister took me and our girls to get manicures and pedicures a couple of years ago. It was fun to have my feetsies all primed. ;o) It is not something that I would go out of my way to get though. :o)
Hi! I just want to let you know I made a bunch of these for my wedding and they turned out gorgeous! I attached them to stems by buying wire stems and folding the top of the “stem” into a loop and sewing the petals around it. Thank you for the tutorial!
Congrats on your wedding!! We love how you attached them to the stems!! So happy that they turned out great for your wedding, it is such a complement to be a little part of your special day 🙂
I loved your blog, I will follow much more now. My English is not very good, but it’s giving to understand.
Thank you so much, Anne. We would love to have you apart of your DIY family 🙂
I am going to do this. The Fabric Exchange has so many kind of fabric to choice from.
this once but I'll repeat it anyway: when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, we didn't say, "okay, we're going to do this, this and this for the next few years and then nuke them". We just did everything we could think of until we won. Same here. Think of Rosie the Riveter. She may look like she wants to marry Ellen Degenres, but she's exactly the right role model just the same. "WE CAN DO IT"We're winning this thing. We're going to win.
Hi, these are absolutely beautiful! I’m interested in trying this for my bouquet, but I was wondering how did you go about attaching stems to them and/or including them in the overall bouquet? I’m thinking about mixing some of these with real flowers instead of buying peonies.
Hello Clarissa, these are perfect for a bouquet. Christina actually did a post/video on how to attach stems. You can view that here https://thediymommy.com/how-to-make-realistic-fabric-flowers-peonies-video-tutorial/#more-8865
We would love to see your fabric flowers when you are done 🙂
Happy crafting.
Great idea too creative!
Wow, it’s beautiful! Perfect, it looks like real roses, I loved it.
Thank you, Camila
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 🙂
https://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?
Hey, maybe this is a little bit off topic here, however I had been reading your website and it looks great!.
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Verry good article. I absolutely love this website.
Stick with it!
Hi, can you link the fabrics you used? I can’t see to find the type of satin you used, most listed on Joann’s or Michaels are very shimmery unlike yours which looks more matte. Thank you!
Hi Becky, Christina made this post 6 years ago using scraps she had on hand that were even a few years older than that. I would suggest trying a fabric that is organza, satin, acetate lining, and/or polyester lace and then test them out to see which ones give you a nice curling effect.