Wed 08 Jul 2015

How to make flowers by burning the fabric edges

Whether you fancy experimenting with various arts and crafts as a way of passing the time or you enjoy using your talents to serve as a source of income, flowers are always a big hit and yield some of the most beautiful pieces.  The main ingredients for success are patience, time and an original and creative idea.  Today, it’s difficult to come up with something really new and fresh.  This has led to today’s entrepreneurs becoming even craftier with their creations.  So, instead of trying to think of a totally new idea, they simply reinvent an old one and put a new spin on it!  The main advantage of this is the fact that you know it was successful in the past and should attract a fair amount of attention today too.  As far as flowers are concerned, it’s difficult (or perhaps impossible) to better the perfection of nature.  That said, the one down side of fresh flowers is that they don’t last forever whereas artificial flowers really can stand the test of time.  Of course, you want something better than the really cheap flowers you find in budget shops.  If you’re going to take the artificial route, you should really take the time to do it right!    They are elegant enough to be displayed in your home or even given to friends and loved ones for special occasions like birthdays!

 

What you need:

  • Light fabrics like organza, tulle and chiffon
  • Cookie cutters (various sizes) and a fabric pen if you’re a bit of a perfectionist
  • Sewing needle and thread
  • Scissors
  • A candle
  • Beads for that extra touch
  • Green wire, pipe cleaners or whatever you prefer to attach the flowers to.
  • Fabric glue

 

Instructions:

  • Using your biscuit cutters and the fabric pen, draw 10 circles on each type of fabric.
  • For each flower, you should use more than one type of fabric. Different types of material react differently to heat and fire so it really mixes things up.
  • You also don’t need to draw each circle exactly the same. Different sizes are great!
  • Cut them out with your pair of scissors.
  • Depending on the size of each circle, you will need to cut three or five slits in them. Begin from the outside and cut inward towards the centre.  Each cut should be about one third of the diameter of the circle.
  • Pack the circles on top of one another. The largest should be at the bottom and the smallest on top – this is where different sizes come in handy!
  • Using your sewing needle and thread, sew your circles together in the centre. Use beads to decorate the inner centre of the flower.
  • Light your candle and be very careful as you singe the edges of the material. Synthetic materials tend to curl up which gives your flower a fantastic realistic look.
  • Use your wire or pipe cleaner as a stem or you can attach your flower to a pin or clip to use in your hair or as a broach. There are so many possibilities!

 

Helpful hints:

  • When working with fire – always be careful and keep some water handy just in case.
  • Work in a well ventilated area since the smell is not particularly pleasant.
  • You can use different fabrics of the same colour to create single colour flowers. That said, because of the different materials used, your flower will still include a few different shades and textures which is stunning to say the least!
  • When choosing your thread, make sure that it will blend in well with the colour of the top piece of fabric.
  • The beads should be as bright as possible and not the same colour as top layer of material. You want them to stand out.