Easy DIY craft: Pretty flower embellishments

I’m sure you’ll love this craft as it’s one of my go-to favourites!  I’ve made so many of these little flower embellishments over the years, they are just so pretty and fun and they make great accessories and thoughtful presents for family and friends too.

I love sewing as I find it really therapeutic and these pretty flower embellishments are really quick and easy to make.  It’s a great feeling to create something so lovely in such a short space of time!

Sewing is my passion!

If you’ve never done much sewing then this craft is perfect for you, as there is only a little sewing involved and hardly any of your stitches are on show (if you are worried about how neat they would look)!

I would always recommend sewing as a great way to relax and it’s a really rewarding hobby too.  I get so much enjoyment from expressing my creativity in this way.  With baking, for example, you could create the most beautiful cake but it could be devoured in minutes, whereas with a handmade sewn item, the results of your efforts can be enjoyed forever!

You don’t need to be skilled at sewing, just have a go!

Teaching sewing and art textiles was definitely the best part of my job as an art teacher.  Helping to inspire creative ideas and seeing the confidence and abilities of my students grow over time was just the best feeling ever.

I will never forget both the chaos and joy of teaching my GCSE students how to pattern cut and realise their own fashion designs into 3D outfits.  Most students had no experience prior to these lessons but you should have seen how far they came in such a short space of time.  One student even designed and made her own prom dress following the course and the dress she created was truly amazing.

It just goes to show that you don’t have to be an expert to make good progress, you just need a bit of inspiration, passion and drive.  I try to remind myself this whenever crafting gets harder with my illness and I’m feeling a bit sorry for myself.

If nothing else, sewing is perfect for when you are watching television or listening to music and much more productive than spending time on social media!

Pretty flower embellishments

I think the reason I love making these pretty flower embellishments so much is due to how versatile they are!  I tend to make them into brooches so I can pin them to my clothes or accessories to add a fun, creative touch.  

The size, materials and design of the flowers can also be changed really easily so I can really let my imagination run wild.  However, most of all I just love playing around with the colour and pattern combinations I use to explore different effects.  I especially love designing for others and experimenting with the colours, materials and designs I think will appeal to them the most.

Check out this design I created recently as a present for Caz from Invisibly Me.  It’s the same craft but the outcome looks so different as I changed the colours, patterns, sizes and even the number of ribbon loops used in the design!

What you’ll need

2 lengths of ribbon A (approx. 17cm each and up to 2.5cm wide)

2 lengths of ribbon or lace B (approx. 17cm each and up to 2.5cm)

2 lengths of ribbon C (approx. 13cm each and up to 1.5cm wide)

2 lengths of ribbon D (approx. 13cm each and up to 1.5cm wide)

Ruler

Scissors

Sewing needle

Thread

Button

Brooch pin (optional)

Instructions

From your lengths of ribbon A take one and create a loop.  Slightly overlap where the edges of the ribbon meet on your loop and sew the ends of your ribbon together.  Repeat this with all your lengths of ribbon so that you end up with 8 ribbon loops.

Take your two ribbon A loops and place one on top of the other to create a cross.  Sew through the centre of the cross to join both loops together.  Repeat this with all pairs of ribbon loops until you end up with 4 crosses.

Arrange all of the crosses together with ribbon A at the base up to ribbon D on the top. Turn each cross at approximately 45 degrees to the cross below it to layer up your flower ‘petals’ most effectively.

Sew through the centre of all your arranged crosses through a button placed on top of your design.  Sew through your flower a few times to ensure your ribbons and button are really secure.

Stitch or glue a brooch pin to the back of your design if you’d like to turn your flower embellishment into a brooch or pinned accessory.

Make it your own

As well as experimenting with your own choice of colours and patterns there are loads of other ways you can really make these embellishments your own.  You could explore using different lengths of ribbon to create large or small scale flowers or create more or less layers of ribbon too.

You could create a flower embellishment entirely out of lace or other trimmings or if you did use ribbon, try using a different colour/pattern for every ribbon loop you create.

Also, how about stacking a couple of buttons or even adding beads or sequins to the centre of your design?  Or adding a couple of felt leaves under your flower?

You could even create a few of these embellishments and group them together as a series of matching brooches or even string them together to create a decorative piece which could be hung.  Try adding them to bunting or making them into jewellery or hair slides.  Try turning them into pencil toppers or using them to decorate a picture frame.

These are just a few suggestions as there really are so many ways you can experiment with these flower embellishments!  Take a look at my Instagram account for a few more examples of how I’ve experimented with this idea.

If you do have a go at making these pretty embellishments I’d love to see them, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch to let me know how you get on!