Felt Flower Tutorial

This flower can be made as an embellishment for a brooch, a key-chain, as an ornament etc. I am sure you will find many more uses for it than I could imagine. 

Materials:

• Felt in 3 different colors: for the center of the flower, the flower pieces and the leaves
• Needle and embroidery floss in 6 different colors: for the eyes, nose, mouth, the center of the flower, the flower and the leaves
• Pearl cotton thread (#5 or #8) in light brown or any other color of your choice for the bangs
• Ribbon for the bow
• Regular pencil and colored pencils (sharp)
  
• Scissors
• Tape or pins
• Glue
• Pink ink and paintbrush or cotton swab (you can also use blush, pink pencil, pink crayon, chalk etc)
• Stuffing material of your choice
• Other materials: ribbon or twine (for the ornament version), key-ring and ribbon (for the key-chain version), safety pin or pin-back (for the brooch version).

Instructions: 

1. Download and print the patterns. Cut each pattern leaving a margin all around.

2. Use a needle or sewing pin to pierce through the black dots inside the pattern #1, #2 and #3.

3. Pin or tape the patterns to the different felts. Make sure not to cover the holes if the patterns are taped.

Pattern #1: Mark the facial features through the holes in the same colors as you will embroider them (the eyes in dark brown or black, nose in peach or any other color of your choice, mouth in dark pink or red).

Pattern #2: You can use a pencil in any color to mark this piece since the marks will be covered.

Pattern #3: Use a pencil in a darker shade than the felt’s color.

4. Cut the felt pieces: flower center (1), flower (2) and leaves (1). 

 

5. Use a double thread to back stitch the facial features on the flower center piece following the pencil marks. Use threads in the same colors as those of the marks. Apply pink color to the cheeks (either with ink, pink pencil, pink crayon, blush etc).

6. Place the two flower pieces back sides together and with a single thread in matching color make a circle of running stitches just inside the pencil marks. Next, blanket stitch the petals starting at about 1 cm from where two petals join. Every time you are about to close a petal, insert a small amount of filling material to give it a light volume (avoid over-stuffing). 

7. Pause stitching when you are about 2 cm from the starting point and attach a loop if the flower is being made as a key-chain or as an ornament. 

a) For the key-chain version: use a piece of ribbon twice the length of the loop you want for you key-chain. Fold the ribbon in half and secure it to the key-ring as shown in the picture.

Attach the ribbon’s ends inside the flower between two petals with a securing stitch that will be removed later. Resume blanket stitching the flower and stuff the fifth petal before placing the last stitches. 

When you finished closing the flower, remove the securing stitch.

b) For the ornament version you will also attach a loop as I explained for the key-chain version, but in this case you will use a piece of string or ribbon without the ring. Secure the hanging loop inside the flower with a stitch as well. 

When you are about to place the last stitches, stuff the fifth petal, finish closing the flower, and remove the securing stitch.

8. Place the embroidered face piece (flower center) in front of the flower. Make sure the face piece is well centered and covers the pencil marks on the flower. With a single thread in matching color blanket stitch around the face. When you are about 1 to 2 cm from the starting point, lightly stuff the face. Finish closing.

9. Bangs: Cut 8 to 10 pieces of the pearl cotton thread, about 5 cm long. Fold the cut thread pieces in half pressing the folding area with your fingers. Apply a little dot of glue on the fold of one thread and attach it to the "forehead" area. You will repeat this step with the remaining thread pieces arranging them in a fan pattern to simulate bangs. Let dry. Trim the bangs here and there to your liking.
 
As an optional step, reinforce the threads with some simple stitches through the folds. Make sure the starting and ending knots are at the back of the flower and inside the pencil marks so they are not visible on the finished piece.

10. Make a small bow with the ribbon and glue it on top of the bangs. Let it dry. Reinforce the bow with a stitch or two at the center. Tie the thread at the back of the flower inside the pencil marks.

This is what the back of the flower should look like. All the knots should be inside the pencil marks.

11. Leaves: Blanket stitch the edge of both leaves using a single thread in matching color.              

12. Place the leaves at the back of the flower with the tips facing to any direction you want. Make sure the circle part of the leaves is well centered and covers all thread knots and flower's pencil marks (the leaves' pencil marks should show at the back of the flower). Use a single thread in matching color to slipstitch the leaves' circle to the flower. Follow the pencil marks at the base of the leaves. The needle will go only through the back layer of the flower so the stitches are not seen at the front.

13. If the flower will be used as a brooch, stitch a safety pin or a pin-back at the back of the flower. You can glue or sew (slip stitches) a square of felt over the center part of the pin-back or safety pin to give a nice finishing touch to the piece.

That's all for today, I hope you enjoy this tutorial. 
See you next time :)