Make a bouquet of flower pins!

We’re back with more flower crafts, and a great idea for Mother’s Day.  I love the retro fabrics designer Rebekah Meier used to create these three needlefelted flower brooches. This is a fast project that uses fabric scraps you already have at home, and you can create endless variations by changing out the fabrics.  You’ll find that needlefelting on a foam shape uses less wool roving, and it’s faster, too. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

• STYROFOAM Brand Foam: 1” ball (enough for two pins)
• Assorted fabric and felt scraps
• Wool roving
• Pin backs
• Optional: Coordinating ribbons, two colors/patterns, 1/2″ x 1/6 yd. each

Tools:

• Serrated knife & candle stub
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Compass or circle template, 4-3/4″
• Scissors: standard; scallop-edge fabric
• Needlefelting tool
• Sewing needle and button thread
• Air-soluble marker
• Iron and pressing cloth
• Double-sided iron-on adhesive
• Fabric glue

To make your flower pin:

(Note: Felting needles are extremely sharp; use caution. Follow
manufacturer’s instructions.)

1. Wax serrated knife with candle stub or paraffin and cut
   foam ball in half; each ball will make two pins.
2. Place small amount of wool fiber against foam half-ball and
   attach to surface using felting needle; follow manufacturer instructions to ensure safety.  Continue felting fiber to foam until completely covered. 
3. Cut and fuse two different 6″ fabric squares, wrong sides
   together. Using air-soluble marker, trace large flower onto
   fabric, disregarding dashed circle inside flower. Cut out flower.
4. Repeat Step 3 to create additional large and small flowers
   from different fused fabrics. Refer to photo to layer flowers
   together; adhere centers with fabric glue.
5. If desired, use scallop scissors to cut small circle from
   white felt; see dashed circle on large flower pattern for
   approximate size. Adhere to flower center.
6. Adhere needlefelted foam half-ball to flower center. 
7. To add the optional ribbon tails, cut two 6″ ribbon lengths, fold in half and adhere to back of flower with fabric glue. Adhere pin back to back of flower; let dry.

If you’d like to include yo yos, like the pin on the left, you’ll find instructions here. 

Leave a comment and win one of these three needlefelted flower pins.

For a variation on a theme, Rebekah also designed these three, sweet flowers pins in pastel fabrics.  And this week, we’re giving away these three flower pins!  For your chance to win, leave a comment below and tell us what you’re crafting this spring.  We’ll pick our three winners at the end of the day Friday.

Happy crafting!

Sharon