I fancy myself a lover of d.i.y. looks, but when it comes to making things, I have the attention span of a two year old. I need something quick and easy…sort of semi-d.i.y. So when I discovered these flower pins and realized how easy it was to make them, I thought they would be a perfect item to make in bulk for my own wedding last June.
I wanted to give my close family and friends an opportunity to feel part of ‘the story’, so making custom flowers in our wedding colors was the way to go. And like I mentioned yesterday, it resulted in amazing wedding footage from our photographer and videographer, where many of the shots were people I wanted to see in them, not my distant cousins third wife who got crazy on the dance floor.
You’ll need very basic items to actually make the flowers: Scissors, needle and thread, felt, a candle, and polyester fabrics. The fabric can be satin, charmeuse, chiffon, but it MUST be polyester, since poly melts, not burns. Lastly, you can use feathers, gemstones, or other findings to taste.
1. Cut out several squares of fabric in descending sizes to make the various layers. Your largest circle should be about 4 to 5 inches in diameter and the rest should be about 1/2″ smaller. This will vary based on how full you want the flowers to look. More layers, more full.
2. Round the squares off into circles. Don’t worry about getting them perfect as they will melt down unevenly anyway.
3. Slowly rotate the circle about 1 inch from an open flame. Go slowly as the edges start to melt. Get closer to the flame for a more dramatic edge effect.
4. For a modern flower that is more flat, only burn the edges slightly. For a more ruffly and girly look, hold the flower at both edges and slowly bring the middle of the fabric to the flame.
5. You can see the effect here as the middle starts to melt and create a rippled look.
6. Layer the circles together largest to smallest and put a few hand stitches in the middle to keep them together.
7. To stabilize the flower, add a small circle of felt to the back with fabric or hot glue. You can then glue on any number of items (like a hair pin or stick pins) depending on where you want the flower to go. These also look cute glued on a hair elastic for your flower girls.
8. To take the personalization even further, glue or stitch something fun in the center. I love the idea Summer from Grey Likes Weddings had last week and think personalized findings would be an adorable element. Imagine giving your ‘study abroad in Paris buddy’ one with an eiffel tower center. C’est Chic!
