How to make a fabric flower using fabric scraps

Hi creative mamas! Today I want to share with you a way to make money from your creative sewing crafts.

The beauty about sewing crafts is that you can use it as an avenue to express yourself creatively, but you can also use sewing crafts to make and sell your beautiful creations.

The best part is that you can utilize fabric scraps from your previous projects or from other people’s workrooms, therefore you don’t have to pay for your material.

I strongly believe that we create the best work when we are short on resources and that’s why I love creating using fabric scraps and trimmings that otherwise would end up in landfill.

Lately my daughter has been asking me to make fabric flowers to use as a brooch or as a hair tie. We have been experimenting with different ways of making the flowers with fabric scraps. We got some second hand wool blankets in a thrift store. We cut them into pieces and dyed them using the Eco solar Dye Technique.

We created some beautiful results and I have been using my fabric flowers a lot lately. I think that I will have to make lots as presents for this coming Christmas! Let me show you how we did it!

How to make a fabric flower – Step by Step tutorial

Materials:

Fabric scraps (I used an old blanket which I dyed using natural dyeing methods). Use two different fabric colors.
Yarn to decorate
A pair of good scissors
Embroidery needle
A cup
A felt marker

Step 1:

Using a tea cup draw circles on your fabric.

Step 2:

Cut around the circles.

Step 3:

Alternate the colors of your circles.

Step 4:

Cut your circles in half.

Step 5:

Place your semi circles side by side making sure they are overlapping half way through. Pin them in place.

Step 6:

At this stage you can embellish some of the petals with the yarn. Do this freely. I like to use at least two contrasting colors for this.

With a running stitch start attaching all the petals until you get to the end.

Step 7:

Pull the thread and gather the petals until you have created a circle. Secure the gather in place by making a tight knot.

Step 8:

Using the same thread start rolling the petals all the way through. When you get to the end secure in place, always using the same thread.

Watch the video bellow to learn how to finish your fabric flower Put a pin on the back and make it into a brooch just like the one I am wearing on the video.

How to make a fabric flower – Step by Step Video tutorial

In this video I will show you how to make a beautiful fabric flower which can be used as a brooch or as a hair tie. These flowers make great presents and are a fantastic way to use old fabric scraps that you may have lying around your house.

I am using fabric scraps that I have dyed using the solar dye method which is the perfect creative break to your every day mama routine. If you haven’t watched the video be sure to click here and you can learn how to dye your own fabric scraps using natural materials.

Where to get fabric scraps?

I run a community project based around re purposing fabric waste from fashion designers’ workrooms so my studio is full of good quality fabric scraps. However, you may not have access to designer’s ateliers and studios to ask for their fabric waste so here are a few ideas that you can try in order to stock yourself with good quality scraps to work with:

Ask your local fabric store for end of roll scraps or swatch samplers. At least once a year they need to clear some stock and old fabrics and if there are little pieces they will be keen to give it ti you for free.
Ask your local interior decor shop for outdated fabric samplers. These usually come on a hanger and they are at least 1 meter long which is plenty of fabric.
Ask your local community, mom’s groups or church groups for fabric that they are not using and that they may want to get rid of. Every time I ask around I end up with a lot of very good quality donated fabric.
Old tablecloths, tea towels, bedding, linen and old curtains make great fabric scraps to work with.
My favorite: Thrift stores. You can get very beautiful material for very little money. You can buy a beautiful blouse and cut it all up in little fabric pieces for your projects.

You get the idea!

What can you make and sell with fabric scraps?

The sky is the limit really! Here are some ideas:

Fabric flower
Wall hangings
Pillows
Fabric books
Flower brooch
Flower hair tie
Rug
Fabric cards
Fabric gift wrapping
key rings
Pencil cases

But lately my daughter has been asking me to make fabric flowers to use as a brooch or as a hair tie.

We have been experimenting with different ways of making the flowers with fabric scraps. We got some second hand wool blankets in a thrift store. We cut them into pieces and dyed them using the Eco solar Dye Technique.

We created some beautiful results and I have been using my fabric flowers a lot lately. I think that I will have to make lots as presents for this coming Christmas! Let me show you how we did it

How and where do you sell your sewing crafts?

The most important aspect of selling your crafts is knowing your numbers. You must be very realistic and clear with yourself about the cost of each item that you are selling. These are the questions that you need to answer before selling your craft pieces.

Cost of item

How much did my materials cost?
How long did it take me to make it?
What is my hourly rate?
What processes were involved in the making of this item?
What overheads do I have in order to be able to produce this item? (overheads mean the cost of having a studio, paying for the power bill, rent , etc)
How much does my label, swing ticket, etc cost
How much does my packaging cost?

Once you have answers to these questions you can start thinking about distribution and marketing of products. But for now let me keep showing you how to make beautiful textile crafts, unleash your creativity and when you have an awesome product and style we can work on monetizing your creativity! stay tuned for courses and info coming soon for my creative mamas!

Are you ready to make your own fabric flower? Please send me a pic when you are finished, I would love to share it on my blog!

Video transcription

So we start by making circles out of fabric. I am using fabric scraps which I have dyed using the solar dye method. If you would like to learn how to create your own colors you can click on the link below to get your free video. It’s my favorite thing to do and I call it the perfect break to my mama routine.

Cut circles in half. Place them side by side making sure they are overlapping half way through. Pin them in place. At this stage I am going to embellish some of the petals with my dyed yarn. Do this freely. I like to use at least two contrasting colors for this.

With a running stitch start attaching all the petals until you get to the end. Pull the thread and gather the petals until you have created a circle. Secure the gather in place by making a tight knot.