Technique Class - Handmade Flowers

Tulle and Lace Flowers

These pretty flowers are really quite easy to make. All you need are the right materials and some basic sewing skills to begin producing your own beautiful embellishments. Once you get the general idea of how these flowers are constructed you can start to experiment with different widths, colours and textures for some different results.

Requirements:
4" of gathered lace approximately 1/2" wide.
8" x 1" length of tulle fabric (also known as netting)
Sharp scissors
Needle and thread
Quick drying glue
Artificial flower stamens (or a pretty button, etc.)
White puff paint (or kindy glitz, etc.)
Heat tool

1. Add a row of running stitch along the bottom of the lace piece. (Running stitch is the most basic sewing stitch and is just up and down through the fabric.)

2. Pull the thread tight to gather the lace. Add some small stitches to form the lace into a circle and secure with a tight knot.

3. Concertina the piece of tulle until you have folded it six or eight times. With you sharp scissors, round off one of the open ends. Do not cut through the sides where the tulle is folded.



4. Your tulle should now be scalloped.

5. Apply a sparse amount of puff paint to the very edges of the scalloped tulle. Remember that puff paint expands to about 3 times it's size, so be sparing or you may end up with flowers that look as they marshmellows have exploded all over them!

6. Very Carefully apply heat to the puff paint. Remember that tulle is a synthetic fabric and will melt if you heat it too much. Keep your heat gun nice and high and if it looks as though the tulle is starting to melt remove the heat. Do not touch melted synthetics or you may sustain a nasty burn.

7. Add another row of stitching along the bottom of the tulle and pull tight as you did for the lace. Now it's a simple matter of layering the lace on top of the tulle, pushing some flower stamens through both layers and securing it all with some strong glue.