NEEDLE-FELTED BOUQUET
Excerpted with permission from Boho Felt Crafts: 35 Colorful Projects for Gifts, Decorations, Faux Flowers and Succulents, and Much More.
I love making felt flowers and these are virtually foolproof! They involve my favorite method of creating three dimensional needle felting, which is to work on a template of store-bought felt. Some people may say this is cheating, but it makes lovely symmetrical flowers every time. Generally, I match the color of the felt to the wool roving, but you can experiment with color combinations. You can also vary the shape and number of petals on each flower.
YOU WILL NEED:
Tracing paper Pencil Fading fabric marker Scissors 12in (30cm) squares of wool-mix felt in colors of your choice Wool roving in colors to match the felts Needle felting tool Felting mat Embroidery floss (thread) in colors of your choice Tailor’s awl Lengths of florist’s wire Pliers Single felting needle (optional) Florist’s tape
Step 1
Trace the templates then cut them out and draw around them onto the felt with the fading fabric marker. Draw ten petals and one circular center.
Step 2
Needle felt a layer of wool roving onto the central circle. The center won’t show on the finished flower, but this will create a more stable base on which to work. Use small tufts of roving and build up a layer gradually. Add a layer of roving to each petal. Pull off small tuft s and curl them round to follow the shape of the felt petal before needle felting them in place. Any over-spill can easily be trimmed off with a sharp pair of scissors.
Step 3
One at a time, needle felt five petals to the central circle, holding them at an angle as shown. But the tips of the petals together so that they completely cover the central circle. Then needle felt the remaining five petals to the basic flower, staggering them to fill the gaps between the petals in the first layer.
Step 4
Once you have created your flower you can add a center. Cut a length of embroidery floss (thread) into short strands and sprinkle some into the center of the flower. Lightly needle felt them in place.
Step 5
To add a stem you must first pierce two holes in the center of the flower; a tailor’s awl is a good tool for this job. From the back, thread the wire through one hole in the flower, bend over 1 in (2.5cm), and thread the short end through the other hole. Pull the wire loop tight against the flower then use the pliers to twist the short end around the long end to secure the stem at the back. Add a few more pieces of embroidery floss (thread) with a single felting needle if needed to conceal the wire.
Step 6
Wrap florist’s tape around the stem to finish it off. Make as many flowers as you require.
Step 7
A SINGLE BLOOM
If you are making a single bloom, you may want to add a needle felted leaf. Make one in the same way as the petals, then simply add the leaf in as you wrap the florist’s tape around the stem.
Step 8
Excerpted with permission from Boho Felt Crafts: 35 Colorful Projects for Gifts, Decorations, Faux Flowers and Succulents, and Much More.
