Hi! How are you doing? I'm having my usual beginning of the year, slow-like- molasses kind of start. Are you feeling the same way too? My body is tired and sore from the hoopla of the holidays. Even the old noggin is sleepy-sore. Unfortunately, I have grown to accept this yearly occurrence. Choosing to opt out of thinking too much, or straining the brain as I like to call it, seems natural to me at this time of year. It's a very dull and numb feeling, almost as if I went to bed, got up, but my brain decided it wanted to remain in sleep mode. Brain constipation! Hehehehe! (Can't believe I just said that, and most of all, that I have the nerve to post it!)
Moving on.........
Okay, so you say that you're a scrap fabric saver just like me. You did say that, right? It is interesting to note that everyone has their own interpretation of what constitutes a scrap piece of fabric. To some, it could be a half a yard, to others just a quarter and to some it may be much, much smaller. To me, a scrap is something that cannot be folded up neatly and placed onto the shelf to live happily ever after with the rest of the yardage. This means that I personally have massive piles of scraps. For the record, all fabric is precious to me and I enjoy finding uses for all of it, big or small.
**This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**
This tutorial will show you how to create wire edged fabric plumeria or frangipani flowers from scrap pieces of fabric. You can use these general guidelines for making other flowers but will need to alter the shape of the petals.
Supplies: You will need fabric scraps, 26 gauge cloth covered floral stem wire in 18" lengths, a sharpie or a dowel approximately 1/2" in diameter, a plastic seed bead container or a dowel approximately 7/8" in diameter, Tacky Glue, scotch tape, floral tape, sharp scissors, and a pair of wire cutters/pliers.
Please note: The length of wire that you choose to use for each of your petals will ultimately depend on what project you will be using these flowers on. If you are planning to turn your flowers into a bouquet, it is reasonable to say that using the entire 18" length of wire would be prudent. After twisting the center of the 18" piece of wire around the dowel, you should end up with tails approximately 8" in length. This could then be used to form the stem of the flower bouquet.
To begin, twist the center of the wire around the bead container or dowel with the help of a plier if needed. Twist 3-4 times to secure.
Slide the wire off of the bead container or dowel taking care not to distort the shape.
With one hand holding onto the wire tail, place the sharpie or 1/2" dowel into the circle and give it a gentle tug. The harder you pull, the narrower the petal will become.
This is the shape you are trying to achieve.
The next step involves gluing the wire onto the fabric. The glue that comes straight from the bottle comes out in too large a stream. To rectify this, place a piece of scotch tape onto the tip of the nozzle at an angle.
Roll the tape around the tip to form a cone shape. The size of the stream should be the approximate width of the wire. You may cut the tip of the cone as needed.
Apply glue evenly and completely around one side of the wire petal.
Place the petal onto the right side of the fabric. Press down on the wire to achieve contact between the glue and the fabric. There will be oozing once the wire is pressed down but this is acceptable as the excess glue will dry clear.
Let the petals dry completely.
Cut around each petal as close to the wire as possible being careful not to cut through the fabric on the wire.
Place 5 petals together evenly. Apply floral tape to the wire stems to hold it together.
Shape the petals by wrapping the edges around a dowel.
Optional Step: To slightly stiffen petals(which I always do), use a 50/50 mix of Elmer's Glue and water. Paint on a light coat with a soft paintbrush. Avoid pressing too hard on the petals because once the fabric becomes saturated, there is a possibility that the fabric could separate from the wire. Allow to dry thoroughly before attaching the flower to your project.
You could turn these flowers into a petite noesgay like I did last June.
If you feel overwhelmed at the prospect of making more than one of anything then I say, just make one.
Tuck it into your hair right above your ear, sit back, enjoy a refreshing Mai Tai and imagine that you're in Hawaii. Always works for me. *wink*
Aloha!
