Flowers from Recycled Materials

I love to be able to recycle- it means I can stretch my money and save more for my craft shopping! Well, this handy-dandy flower is made from recycled silk or taffeta (I got mine from a relative who sews prom gowns) but you could just as easily rip up an old dress or  shred one of hubby’s shirts to make yours.

You’ll need:

• Strips of cotton or silk fabric, 2-3 inches wide and at least 12-16 inches long
• Stiffened felt
• Cuttlebug and Nestabilities dies– optional
• Scissors
• Rhinestone slider beads
• Hot glue gun & sticks

I don’t like to cut with scissors, so I start by ripping strips of fabric- plus, i like the raw, thready edges. But you could use scissors, a rotary cutter, or even pinking shears to get different looks. Experiment! Then cut some circles (or flower shapes) from your felt. I made a number of 2-4 inch shapes with my Cuttlebug because it’s so fast and easy, and the Nestabilities cut the stiffened felt beautifully. I like the stiff felt because it makes such a nice base for your flowers!

Start by gluing your jewel or rhinestone into the center of your felt circle. (I think these ones by Darice are amazing!) Next, trim the end of your fabric strip at an angle.

Next, place a dab of hot glue next to the jewel and press the point of the fabric strip into it. Let it cool and set up a bit. When it’s secure, start twisting the strip. Add a dab of glue every quarter inch or so, and press the twisted fabric into the glue.

Continue until the felt is completely covered. To secure the ends, just flip the flower over, trim the excess, and glue the ends down on the back:

Ta-Da! You’re done! These are so fun and easy, you can whip up quite a few in an hour. Use them to embellish purses, totes, headbands- even guest books and jewelry. Stay tuned, I’ll have some projects coming up using these!

About Jenny

Jenny is the editor-in-chief and craft concierge for Craft Test Dummies. She can be contacted at crafttherapy at gmail dot com. Visit her craft blog at www.CraftTestDummies.com!

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