Felt Lotus Hair Clip Tutorial

Sweetheart!

Here I am with another tutorial for you! Time to make a hair accessory! This horrible heat makes me want to shave all of my hair off. Maybe pulling it up in a cute clip will keep my mind off it for one more day. Maybe...

First off I'll tell you what you need:

- 1 sheet felt acrylic/wool

- liquid fabric stiffener approx 1/4 cup

- needle and thread

- spring back clip/ hair comb

- scissors

Step one cut your petals. You need fifteen of the long petals and three of the small ones. After they are cut separate the long in to groups of five. These are our layers.

Step two, with a length of thread start a running stitch in the first petal of the first layer.

Continue with the same thread through the rest of the petals in the first group. When finished, pull, the thread tight, carefully. The petals will form into a circle when the thread is tightened. Sew a few stitches to connect the first and last petals together. Complete the two other groups the same way.

Step three, place your three layers on top of eachother. Make sure you stagger the petals to give your lotus more depth. Stitch these layers together.

Step four, the center! Take one of your three little petals and roll it in to a loose tube shape. Holding it in place, wrap it with another small petal, and then the final petal. Sew together by running the needle through the tube several times. If the center seems to be too tall, cut the bottom to shorten it. Whipstitch the whole thing to the center of your flower petals.

Now for the magic part! The first time I made this flower it was lacking shape. A lotus stands up more and the felt just wouldn't stay in place. I had bought fabric stiffener for a previous project and decided, why not? So I mixed 1/4 cup stiffener, with 1 cup warm water, put it in a spray bottle and magic happened. Make sure you have a dish towel under your flower, one you don't care about ruining. Spray until the fabric is damp but not soaked. The spray will leave spots at first but it dries clear. (I've only used lighter colors so far) Shape the petals after you've sprayed them. Let the flower dry overnight and it's done! Add leaves if you want then glue on a clip or comb.

Pretty right? I'm working on a magnolia right now using the same technique.