Craft Tutorial: Flower Pins

In my first attempt to use my summer free time to tap into my craftier side, my friend, Nathalie, introduced me to these flower pins.  You can stick them in your hair, wear on a necklace, pin to a plain white T...just about anything to spruce up an outfit.  So, here's the how-to:

{Flower Pins}

Materials Needed:
Various colors of silk polyester fabric

Variety of beads

Thread & Needles

Felt

Hair pins

Broach clasps

Hot glue gun

Matches & tapered candle

Get to it:

1. Cut your fabric into 5-6 concentric circles, each a bit smaller than the last.  Your biggest circle should be about 2-3" in diameter (but it also depends on how big you want your flower).

2. Using a tapered candle, hold the edges of your flower close to the flame until the edge begins to curl inward, rotate the flower around until the edges have been curled and "sealed".  Your fabric should NOT catch on fire (if you use 100% cotton, it will).

3. Stack your flower "petals" in a layer, biggest to smallest.

4. Sew a bead through the middle of the flower.  (I make two "trips" through the middle of the bead to be sure it is secure.

5. Cut a circle out of felt that is big enough to cover the back of your flower without hanging over the edges.

6. Cut a small slit for a barrette clip to fit through the felt.

7. Glue the barrette clip and felt on the back of the flower.

That's it!  Simple.  (Or as my kindergarteners would say: easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy!)

Here are a few of the pretties that I have made: