Today's version of wreath is the one we'll be making on April 24. I think it is one of my favorites, for sure! I seem to be going a little wreath crazy, but they are fun to make.
This one starts with a styrofoam base and is wrapped with burlap.
I started out with just 3 flowers, but then ending up adding a couple more. It looks good both ways, actually.
I made 2, so that I have more options for where to hang them.
Here's a close-up of the fabric flowers:
Aren't these cute? So, here's a little mini tutorial for making the fabric flowers. I thought I'd share that with you, since I've been showing you a
lot of projects with fabric flowers.
Start with the cutting:
- Open a package of our wonderful fabric.
- Choose 1 of the 3 patterns in the package.
- Open it 1/2 way up and cut in half.
- You'll have 2 pieces, each 4 layers thick that are pretty much the same size as the Bigz Fun Flowers die for the Big Shot. (See photo below.)
- Run 4 layers at a time through the Big Shot, using a CS shim to help make a cleaner cut.
- Remove top plate and snip any threads still attached. I only have to do this for the smallest flower.
- You'll now have 4 flower pieces of each size.
- Now run the other piece of fabric (4 layers) through and get 4 more pieces of each size.
Here's a look at mine (4 layers) after cutting. You'll notice that I didn't even iron the fabric because I was in a hurry to take these shots, but it straightens out perfectly when you spritz it. It would be easier to work with if you ironed first, which I usually do.
Now you're ready to start assembling your flowers:
- Take 2 of each size of the flower pieces and stack them, alternating directions so you can see all the petal points.
- Punch a small hole in the center of the stacked pieces, using the Crop-A-Dile.
- Insert a large brad or skip punching a hole and sew on a button.
- Spritz your flowers with 'Stiffen Quick' and set aside to dry. I spritz the top and the bottom of the flower, so it's pretty wet at first.
- I like to push mine down into the sections of a mini muffin pan. It holds them into a rounded shape until they dry.
- Set them aside until they are completely dry. You can hurry the process along with a heat tool. Usually, I try to spritz my flowers at the end of my work day in my studio and just let them sit all night.
- Pick up your flowers and fluff them.
- Attach to your project using a hot glue gun.
- Enjoy!
Here's a look at how I leave mine to dry.
Tip: The 'Stiffen Quick' is quite sticky and tends
to clog the nozzle, so remove and rinse it whenever this happens and it
will usually start spritzing again. I clean it thoroughly after each use.
So, there you have it. It is really a quick and easy project. It always takes longer to explain it than to do it, so don't be afraid to give it a try. You can get the 'Stiffen Quick' at your local fabric store.
Right now, I have these 2 wreaths hanging inside, but I often use fabric flowers on our covered front porch. They seem to hold up pretty well. I have a couple of wreaths that made it through an entire season and still look brand new, so I think it's fine.
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