How to ... Felt Flower Brooch

Here is my tutorial for making a felt flower brooch. I hope you enjoy making it and it spirals your creative membrain out of control and into other felty worlds!

Firstly make a paper circle template with a diameter of about 7cm. Do you know what I just plonked my wine galss on my template and its the same size! So use your trusted vino glass as a guide.

Then you need to cut out 7 disks from your felt, then sut them all into semi circles so you have 14 - soon to be - petals.

Then use some pins and tack them all together so they overlap. You don't need to be precise, but make sure the bottoms are roughly level and I'd reccommend not to over lap more than half of the semi circle. Otherwise it would create a very tight rose.

You'll end up with a nice long chain ...

Then tread a needle. I doubled up on thread to make it strong. Also make sure your knot at the end is good and fat as you'll be pulling on the thread later.

Do a nice gathering stich all the way along the bottom of your semi circles. Make sure you catch all the corners. If you are like me and are the messiest sewer in town, then you can relax. No one will see your appawling cotton work - turst me.

Once you've reached the end you will end up with all of your petals layered one over another one. Gather the string of petals gently and then tie off the thread.

Now, sip wine if you have some, if not, back luck.

Starting at one end of the petals fold the felt around its self and start stitching it in. I'd use a colour of thread close to your felt. I'm ashamed of the mess of thread below, but it is important to have it all tight and secure so it doesn't unravel or have any gaps when you look through the flower. Also try and keep the bottom as level as possible so you don't have a wonky brooch.

Ideally it should stand up on its own once you've finished, without flooping over. Do a final check that there are no gaps when you look into the flower and when you are happy knot and cut the thread.

Now for the best part. Start arranging the petals. You can have a big open rose, a tight centre with open petals on the outside (my preference) or a nice tight bud. Keep arranging until you are happy.

Then cut out a couple of leaves to hide all that bad sitching and sew on a brooch pin, or hair slide if you fancy? Again, use a green coloured thread, not yellow like me!

There you have it. A lovely felt flower.

Let me know if you make one. I'd love to see your pictures.

Try smaller ones for children, or two tone colours, or a trio of flowers, ohhhhh the posibilities are endless!

Good luck. xxxxx