Make Fabric Flowers!

This week's tutorial is super fast and totally fun. And, the best part is, it helps turn those tiny, useless scraps of fabric into something cute....

 

All you need is a strip of fabric cut about 5/16" wide, and 6" long. Knit fabric works great.

(Oh, and in case you are still scratching your head about that 5/16", it's halfway in between 1/4" and 3/8" -- it sounds way more complicated than it is :)

Knot your thread, and start working a running stitch along the bottom edge of the strip. Your stitches don't have to be terribly even, just keep them as near the bottom edge as you can. 

When you get to the end, pull up the gathers so that the strip is about half its original length (3"). Tie a knot to secure your thread.

Now it's time to start actually forming the flower!

Fold over the corner of one end, to make a little triangle shape. This will be the center of the flower. Stitch the corner down, along the line of gathering stitches.

Then just start rolling the strip up on itself, stopping and stitching through the bottom periodically to hold everything in place. Here's a top view...

....and a side view.

Keep rolling and stitching till you get to the end. Then, tie off your thread, and there you are -- one completed flower!

Don't worry if your first couple flowers look a little weird. That's ok -- sometimes it takes a while to figure out how to place the gathers for the most attractive flower.

If you want a fuller flower, pull the gathers up tighter; for a skinnier flower, use less gathers. The 2:1 ratio (6" gathered down to 3") gives a nice medium-sized result. 

I love making these out of knit fabric strips, but you could also try a woven fabric, cut on the bias, for a different look. Here is a picture of a bias strip. :)

These three flowers were all made with different widths of strips! See what a difference even 1/16" makes?

(Left to right: 1/4", 5/16", and a shy 1/2".)

 

These flowers look great on headbands, purses, shoes, belts, tees, and -- of course -- tanks!

Have fun using them on your own creations!

Thanks everybody, and have fun with this!

For Pixie Faire,
Melinda

***GIVEAWAY UPDATE: We have a winner! By random number, our winner is Emma! She said, "my favorite is roses and carnations so cliche lol"

 


84 Comments

Sandy
Sandy

June 19, 2015

i like irises. The state flower of Tennessee

Lynne
Lynne

June 19, 2015

My favorite would be Heather, Lilacs, Lavender Any Purple Flower!

Tina
Tina

June 19, 2015

I love daffodils because they are one of the first flowers of spring. They remind me of the time I spent with my grandmama. One of my favorite summer flowers is the daylily.

MonicaAD
MonicaAD

June 19, 2015

Magnolia :)

Jada Edwards
Jada Edwards

June 19, 2015

I love zinnias best, but peonies and sunflowers are pretty awesome too!! :)

Kris
Kris

June 19, 2015

My favorite flower is the dianthus ‘Fire Star’ that is blooming in my garden. The blooms are bright and pretty and they smell like cloves.

Karen A.
Karen A.

June 19, 2015

My favorite flower is the Don Juan climbing rose…….my Grandmother always had them on her arbor…….their beauty and smell were amazing!

Mariam
Mariam

June 19, 2015

My favorite flowers would have to be lilies of the valley. They smell so good, and they are perfectly AG doll sized for photo shoots.

Anne R
Anne R

June 19, 2015

I love wildflowers. Among my favorites are periwinkles, lantana and blanket flowers. For fragance it is a tough choice between jasmine and gardenias.

Becky
Becky

June 19, 2015

So cute… Roses would be my favorite flower.

Elaine
Elaine

June 19, 2015

I love peonies especially my Bartzella one.

Patricia
Patricia

June 19, 2015

It is really hard to pick just one flower as a favorite. I do love carnations and these little handmade flowers remind me of the carnation.

Daphnia Rogers
Daphnia Rogers

June 19, 2015

Roses any color or size they are all beautiful

Susan
Susan

June 19, 2015

Roses. Although they are a lot of work, here in southern CA, they grow all the time and come in so many varieties and colors.

Laurie
Laurie

June 19, 2015

Hydrangea is my favorite flower. I grow them in my flower garden. Thank you for the tutorial!

Gail
Gail

June 19, 2015

I like carnations. My dad used to bring my mom roses for Valentine’s Day and carnations for my sister and I.

lynda
lynda

June 19, 2015

my clematis,i have 5 different ones and each flower is unique.

Karen
Karen

June 19, 2015

Wow! Such a cute, simple idea and it appeals to my ‘waste not want not’ upbringing!

Carol
Carol

June 19, 2015

Reading everyone’s comments made me realize I love them all.
All the beautiful colors and smells make it to hard to pick just one.

Winnie
Winnie

June 19, 2015

Oh a carnation for sure

Janice
Janice

June 19, 2015

Pansies! I love their little faces.

Jeanie
Jeanie

June 19, 2015

My favorite flower is the buttercup or Narcissus, (I think I spelled that correctly). It smells so good, is beautiful and it screams Spring is here. Buttercups are plentiful in the spring in Tennessee. It is usually the first bloom you see.

Barbara Condon
Barbara Condon

June 19, 2015

The flowers on a hydrangea are my favorite! They just look so beautiful with their array of different colors.

Anna Glover
Anna Glover

June 19, 2015

Roses galore!!! They are timeless, hardy and beautiful!!

Darlene
Darlene

June 19, 2015

Carnations

Debbie
Debbie

June 19, 2015

I love them all….so, I’m just picking one off the top of my head…Asiatic Lily :)

Bethany
Bethany

June 19, 2015

My favorite flower is the morning glory, because they’re so beautiful and delicate and they only open in the morning, which means they have lovely little dewdrops on them. Also, their beauty only lasts a short time, so it makes the beauty more special.

Esther
Esther

June 19, 2015

I have three that I like: roses, peonies and lilacs. They all smell so good.

Sharlene
Sharlene

June 19, 2015

Pick just one? Unfair! Impossible!! It would be like picking your favorite child, grandchild or Pixie Faire pattern (grin).

I love the floral change, variety, and assortments each season brings:
—Early Spring’s cheery tulips, daffodils, and bearded irises emerging thru snow’s crust marking the rebirth of life;
—Fragrant lilacs, petunias, and roses, as well as giant peonies in April and May
—Colorful arrays and aroma of summer blossoms, like the heady sweet pea and gardenia or the eye feast of colors and height combinations bordering sidewalks and pathways, or bougainvillea-cloaked arbors, inviting one to enter and set a spell. Optical illusions of coolness set against a sea of emerald green (lawn) during days of sweltering heat.
—With Fall arrives autumnal colored delights, like the Helenium, dressed in their drooping petal tutus, poised and alert, prepared to dance in just the hint of a Fall breeze.
—Lastly, the red poinsettia of winter, or hothouse Fire ‘n’ Ice rosebuds, bringing hot pops of color to a cold and drab, gray winter world. I love them all, singularly or combined in lovely eye candy arrangements.

Now, if you asked for my favorite floral aroma, that would have been easy: ORANGE BLOSSOMS! I grew up where there were lots of citrus orchards. Each spring, for a week (or two, if you were lucky), the whole Valley of the Sun in Arizona would burst forth with this magnificent, exotic, cleansing, yet not too heady, fragrance. After a warm day, there was no better aroma to fall asleep to: windows open, a slight wisp of a cool breeze blowing, curtains softly billowing as the orange blossom delicateness wafted into your home. It was aroma-therapy sleep bathed in yummy aromatic deliciousness.

But, for a favorite flower, I love them all. Even the delicate weed flowers my sweet little son picked for me as an expression of his love. (Attached clumps of dirt to the roots were always a bonus. Priceless!)

To me, the many varieties of flowers, with their accompanying crimping, textures, edgings, coloring and aromas, or even simple simplicity, represent all of God’s dear children. Unique, precious, and beautiful; complete and utter perfection in their similarities and differences, each in their own way. How can one not love each and every one?

Marge R (mer)
Marge R (mer)

June 19, 2015

Orchids are my favorite flowers for their long-lasting blooms. My florist (our DD) just brought a beautiful one with 21 stunning white blooms.

Dorie
Dorie

June 19, 2015

I love them all, but my favorite cut flower is the alstromeria.

Pat
Pat

June 19, 2015

Dahlias are my favorite for their color, shapes and sizes.. Thanks for all the give freebies and tutorials.

Thelma Lockhart
Thelma Lockhart

June 19, 2015

My favorite flower is daisies. They are like sunshine.

BARB
BARB

June 19, 2015

Lilies of the Valley are my favorite, they bring back memories of when I was a kid at my grandmothers house and they were all over the yard.

Kim
Kim

June 19, 2015

My favorite flower is the gardenia. Love your site and your mission. Thanks for being so gracious!

Joan D.
Joan D.

June 19, 2015

My favorite would have to be lavender. Love to dry them.

MeMe Fraser
MeMe Fraser

June 19, 2015

For me it is lilacs. After a long hard winter, seeing them bloom, I know summer is here. I love the way their scent fills in the air.

Linda Clark
Linda Clark

June 19, 2015

Lillies

Joan Thelen
Joan Thelen

June 19, 2015

The old fashion petunia, love that fragrance, reminds me of summer

Margaret
Margaret

June 19, 2015

My favorite flower is the lilac. My mother planted a lilac bush in my yard years ago. My daughter picked a bouquet for me each year and placed them in a vase for the kitchen window sill. I’m moved a few years ago and missed my lilac bush so much. My wonderful daughter bought me a lilac bush for Mother’s Day a few years ago. I love the fragrance and the pretty color of the flowers. I’m lucky, I have lots of love and lilacs.

MADELON
MADELON

June 19, 2015

Irises.

Donna McMichael
Donna McMichael

June 19, 2015

Hard to choose. I love Gerbers they are so colorful ! Thank you for your freee patterns every week and your tutorials. You explain and display them with the pictures very well. These flowers really pop out on this white tank.

Donna McMichael

Lori
Lori

June 19, 2015

It is really hard to pick a favorite.There so many beautiful colors, shapes and smells. I’ve have always favored the Calla lilly though.

Lisa
Lisa

June 19, 2015

I have always loved pink roses!!

Linda Reynolds
Linda Reynolds

June 19, 2015

I’ve always loved roses, but my favorite is the fragrance of gardenias!

Kendra
Kendra

June 19, 2015

My favorite is the tiger lily, sometimes called a ditch lily. They have beautiful orange blossoms with brown/black dots and beautiful, lush greenery at the base.

wendy
wendy

June 19, 2015

I love Carnations

Nancy
Nancy

June 19, 2015

I owned a floral shop, that is how much I love flowers :) If I had to pick a favorite, it would be gardenias. Years ago, I even had a bridal bouquet of gardenias. Love these fabric flowers!

Nel
Nel

June 19, 2015

My favorite flower is the lily of the valley, a tiny white flower with a delicious smell. My parents have a large field of lilies (in the Netherlands!), my mother always puts a little vase with the first flowers beside our bed, just as her father did when she was a little girl.

Sandra
Sandra

June 19, 2015

Hands down…. peonies…. extravegantly full and blowsy… the perfect flower!

Lea
Lea

June 19, 2015

This is such a cute DIY!

My favourite flowers are daisies, because they remind me of summer!

Christine
Christine

June 19, 2015

Daffodils! They are so bright and uplifting as they sway in the spring breeze, giving me such a lift at the end of winter, offering so much promise of the summer and sunshine to come.

Sandra
Sandra

June 19, 2015

The flower that I love the most is the Forget-Me-nots. They remind me of my favourite uncle, who used to dig up clumps of them from his garden, and I would keep them in a big glass jug.

Lisa
Lisa

June 19, 2015

My favorite flower is the rose.

Sue
Sue

June 18, 2015

Orchids are my favorite. The family has so many different types and each has it’s favorite growth style. I can find one for every condition – hot, sunny – humid – dim – and they don’t want to be fussed over. Perfect house companions. Forget to water and they love you anyway.

Laura T.
Laura T.

June 18, 2015

Sweet Peas are my favorite flowers. Love the colors!

nancy b
nancy b

June 18, 2015

My favorite flower is the gardenia. I love to put them in a tiny vase to brighten up my home.

Helen
Helen

June 18, 2015

I love any flower with a beautiful scent. Hyacinths, lilacs and peonies in the Spring, pink roses and honeysuckle in the Summer; I love them all!

Carol
Carol

June 18, 2015

My favorite are sweet peas because they smell so good!

Debbie
Debbie

June 18, 2015

My favorite flowers are gardenias and gerbera daisies!

Kathy Osterby
Kathy Osterby

June 18, 2015

I love Pansy’s -they have such pretty faces. Love the idea of making flowers from scraps.

Barbara
Barbara

June 18, 2015

My favorite are classic roses. The look good on anything!

AnnaAwesome
AnnaAwesome

June 18, 2015

My favorite flower is a gardenia! It smells amazing. It’s my mother’s favorite as well.

Brenda
Brenda

June 18, 2015

Very thankful for all of the tips that you share on your website. The tips and freebee Friday has given me inspiration to start sewing again! Thanks a bunch:)

Laura C
Laura C

June 18, 2015

I have loved Jonquils, (March Flowers) since I was a very small child… remember picking the wild ones along side the road, putting them in my bicycle basket to give to my mom. Still love jonquils.

Annie Dee
Annie Dee

June 18, 2015

Pansy. Clarification on the instructions above, please. It says “All you need is a strip of fabric cut about 5 1/6” wide, and 6" long. Knit fabric works great." The width is 5 inches plus 1/6 of an inch??!? Is that a typo? You mean 5/16 of an inch. Yes? Thanks

Sandra
Sandra

June 18, 2015

Lavender

Hazel
Hazel

June 18, 2015

Old fashioned roses

Linda D
Linda D

June 18, 2015

Zinnias are my favorites.

Jozel Watson
Jozel Watson

June 18, 2015

My favorite flowers are daffodils!

Dawn
Dawn

June 18, 2015

My favorite flower is a carnation.

Sharon
Sharon

June 18, 2015

my favorite flower is Mums

Amanda
Amanda

June 18, 2015

My favorite flower is any flower that takes me back in time to a happy childhood memory. Lilacs and tulips remind me of my grandmothers. <3

Sheila
Sheila

June 18, 2015

My favorite flowers are roses.

Dorothy
Dorothy

June 18, 2015

My favorite flowers lilacs. This is a great way to use up my scraps and add that final touch to a plain top. Thank you!

Nina
Nina

June 18, 2015

It’s hard to choose, but I adore sunflowers and tulips – their bright colors are so cheerful.

Estela
Estela

June 18, 2015

The Shasta Daisy is my favorite flower; so simple,yet so beautiful.
I enjoy your tutorials very much. Thank you!

Cecelia
Cecelia

June 18, 2015

My favourite flower is probably the Adelaide Hoodless Rose. It is a hardy shrub rose that flourishes in Canada and has numerous red blooms most of our summer.

Becka B.
Becka B.

June 18, 2015

Without a doubt, the lily, the Stargazer being my favorite. :) But all of them have such a soft and romantic scent that brings me peace and smile.

Vera Zurndorfer
Vera Zurndorfer

June 17, 2015

Without a doubt my favorite flower is the Dahlia.

Carol
Carol

June 17, 2015

Loved your tutorial. Although i have made fabric flowers before, have never made them with cut edges – a whole new look and stunning on the white tank. All flowers are my favorites, but the humble Moss Rose (Portulaca) has a special place for me, it grows anywhere in sun and reseeds itself, in so many bright colors. Truly a bright spot in my rock garden! Thank you for your generosity and God bless you!

Karen Loke
Karen Loke

June 17, 2015

Tiger lilies are my favorite flower. This is a great tutorial – thanks!

Lorraine M
Lorraine M

June 17, 2015

My favorite flowers are peonies,large poppies,and lilies! They are all so beautiful! What a cute outfit! The flowers are a nice embellishment!

Donna
Donna

June 17, 2015

I have two favorite flowers – peonies and lilacs.

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