Flower Brooch Tutorial

Yay, the Sun is finally shining! Spring is here and when the daffodils are at their best the car-boot sales start- wonderful places to pick up some buttony bargains. It can be difficult getting up early on a Sunday morning but with the sunlight bursting through the curtains we decided to go to our first this year. It was not a disappointment. The hubby spotted a Quality Street tin, often a great sign, and sure enough it contained buttons. I love taking them home and sorting through them, it's not quite the same when they're already sorted. There was a card labelled with "Fashionable Buttons, Made in England" with 3 yellow buttons still attached priced at 6p. The best before date on the tin is Oct 1988 and it was still Mackintosh Quality Street back then.

My favourites were two sets of green buttons, similar but different so I can't decide which I like better.

I also bought some knitting and crochet bits and bobs, I'll feature them in a future post. Fingers crossed for more car-boot sale finds this year! Now on to the tutorial.

Flower Brooch Tutorial 

This brooch can be made using any a variety of fabric providing it has a bit of stiffness. Felt is a good choice, shop bought or from a wooly jumper shrunk in the wash. A previous post, "Keep Your Cutoffs", features a brooch made in the same way using left over bonded fabric. The finished example using the measurements below creates quite a large flower, approx. 10cm X 10cm. Obviously if you want a smaller one just decrease all the measurements as required. All the measurements are approximate as they don't need to be spot on, after all flowers aren't geometrically precise so the brooch needn't be either ;-)

You will need- felt for the flower in colour of your choice- roughly 20cm x 20cm, green felt for the leaves- 6cm x 5cm , brooch finding, needle and matching thread

Instructions continue after the break. . . . .


Cut a strip of the felt out about 20cm long and 4cm high. Then cut it in half length ways in a wavy line. This really doesn't have to be even or symmetrical, in fact it is better if it is not.
Using the remaining felt cut out 6 small petals- approx 2.5cm high x 2.5cm at the widest part, 6 medium petals- approx 3.5cm high x 3.5cm wide, and 6 large petals- approx 4.5cm high x 4.5cm wide.
Roll one side of the wiggly strip up length ways, secure with a couple of stitches on the flat side. Roll the second length around the first again securing at the end with a few stitches on the bottom "flat" edge.

The high sections and low sections should overlap and create the look of a flower centre from the front.

Sew the first of the smallest petals onto the roll overlapping the end of fabric where you stitched. Secure each petal with a few stitches at the back.

Overlapping each petal slightly sew the remaining 4 petals to the roll evenly around.

Repeat the above step with the medium sized petals, again with each medium petal slightly overlapping the last.

Do the same again with the largest set of petals.

Now sew the two leaves to the back of the flower

Once you have done this attach your brooch finding. I have chosen the type where you sew a perforated disk first and then attach the fastening section over the top. Depending on the type you use you may want to sew it to a circle of felt and then sew that to the flower.

There you have have it, all you need to do now is put it on your favourite jacket or bag and wear with pride!
Thanks for reading! Please get in touch if you have any questions. I'd love to see yours if you make one.
Craft In Earnest! x Craftin' Ernest