I shared this flower tutorial a few weeks ago at Naptime Crafters and wanted to post it here as well. I call them Stacked Flowers. I made the first one with felt, then tried fabric. They’re quick to make and very cute!
Stacked Felt Flower Tutorial
Supplies:
– Free downloadable pattern (use the pattern to trace circles)
– Felt or fabric scraps
– Sharp scissors
– Needle and thread
– Embellishments (buttons, beads, rhinestones, etc.)
– Alligator hair clip or pin back
– Hot glue gun
– Ribbon (optional)
Instructions:
- Cut out the pattern and place it on your felt or fabric.
- Cut out your circles. If you prefer plain circles without slits, skip the slit steps and move to step 4.
- Use the guideline marks to cut slits in the circles if you want a petal effect. Make the slits as narrow or wide as you like.
- Cut several circles in varying sizes until you have the number of layers you want for the flower.
- Stack all your layers, arranging sizes and textures until you like the look.
- Sew the layers together through the center with a needle and thread. Tie a secure knot so the layers stay in place.
- Add a center embellishment. You can glue a small rhinestone or sew on a button or bead. If you sew on a button as the center, it will also hold the layers together and you can skip the previous sewing step.
- Flip the flower over and hot glue a small felt circle to the back to cover the stitches and make the piece look tidy. Adding a drop of glue to the thread helps lock the knot so it won’t come undone.
- If you want leaves, cut a couple and hot glue them to the back before adding the final felt circle. This keeps everything neat and prevents having to add another backing circle later.
- Attach the flower to an alligator clip, barrette, or pin back with hot glue. I like to line my clips with ribbon for a finished look; lining helps protect hair and gives a neater appearance.
This pattern is very versatile: use all felt, all fabric, or mix the two. You can also skip the slits and simply layer plain circles for a softer, rounder flower.
Examples and tips for variations:
- Top left clip: I used fabric circles and fabric-cut flower shapes, layered together and topped with a button.
- Top right clip: I fused blue fabric to felt with Heat & Bond, cut the circles, then alternated fabric and felt flower shapes. I finished with a sewn bead in the center.
- Bottom left clip: I used felt, cut wider slits, and stacked only three sizes on top of a backing circle for a bold, layered look.
- Bottom right clip: I used different sizes of fabric circles and sewed them together with a button center for a soft, fabric-only flower.
As you can see, the possibilities are endless. Try mixing fabrics, colors, sizes, and centers to create unique flowers for hair clips, brooches, gift wrap, or accessories. Have fun experimenting and make a few to match different outfits or gifts.