Burlap Flower Tutorial

Hi Friend's,

Today I'm very happy to bring you this fun and simple tutorial on how to make these wonderful rustic burlap flowers.  I was inspired to create these beauties from two ladies on YouTube. The first is from alittleshabbychic  and the next is from Cool2Craft. Both tutorials are wonderful and your sure to enjoy them.  I've simply changed up the materials and provided the details I used to create my own unique table centerpiece.

I love to decorate and this spring I'm loving aqua colors and burlap textures.   To get started I collected some existing home decor items like my egg basket, wooden eggs, aqua platter, rustic bird canisters, woven napkin rings, led candle flames and neutral place mats.  I added some woven ribbon, tree sprigs, aqua burlap threads (from the aqua flowers below), and here's what I put together for my new spring center piece:

Spring Table Centerpiece

Look around and see what you've already got to work with, anything I already mentioned, or other items like medium sized frame mirror rather than a platter, or candle stick holders and real candles.  Its fun to mix up a few old  things with a few fresh items to create a totally new look.  Here's a few more close ups:

These flowers are so simple and easy to make!  Here's a close up of all three  types of flowers I created for this display:

4.5" Wide Looped Flat Backed Burlap Flowers #1

1 1/2" Wide Plain Looped Rolled Burlap Flower #2

1 1/2" Wide Rolled Burlap Flower with Center #3

The remainder of this post is dedicated to my flower tutorial.  Feel free to look the directions over,  collect your ideas and goodies.  Then come on back and follow along to create your own unique display. Thank you fro dropping by and may I wish you a happy creative day!   Dawna ~ <3

Burlap Flower Tutorial Directions

Lets start with the supplies you'll need to make both the 4.5" looped flat backed flower and the darker 1 1/2" rolled burlap flower on a stick:

Supplies

2 pieces 30" long x 11" wide 100% Jute Woven Burlap - 1 Roll  cut in half (makes 6 flat back flowers and 6 dark rolled flowers)

6 ea. Large 1/2" Flat Back Pearls

6 ea. Sandwich Sticks (or use wooden skewers or chop sticks, if you want to display in a tall vase)

Glimmer Mist Chocolate (Optional)

2" Circle Punch

Scrap Cardstock

Scrap Felt

Ruler 

Tacky Glue

Hot Glue Gun set on Low Temp

Low Temp Glue Sticks

Fabric Scissors

Refer to list as everything needed is not pictured here.

 Directions for Burlap Looped Flower #1

5" Wide Looped Burlap Flower #1

Step #1 - Create Felt Flower Base:  After collecting all your supplies, start by creating a felt base for your flowers.  I used a 2" punch to create a paper template, then used the paper template to cut out 6 each 2" felt circles for my flower bases.   I picture both small and larger punches and templates, but didn't need the smaller 1 1/2" one.

Create 6 ea 2" Felt Flower Backs

Step #2 - Prepare Your Strips:  To prepare your burlap, first clena up the edges by pulling uneven frays of burlap till the fabric weave is straight in every direction.  Then at 3.25" pull a single thread from across the length of your fabric.  This will leave a clear straight cut line for you to follow.  Repeat this for both pieces of burlap so you wind up with 6 each 30" lengths. 

Step #3 - Create Petal Strips:  To begin creating your petal strips, fold your 3.25" burlap strip in half and using your low temp glue gun, begin gluing your fabric together all the way across your 30" strip.    As shown in the picture below, cut  along the fold between every 5th thread, about 3/4ths of the way to the salvage (glued) edge.  Do not cut all the way through the salvage.   As a final step, scrunch the strips back and forth along the glue line to 'break up or soften' the glue line so its not too stiff to work with as you begin to lay it out around your felt circle.

Step #4 - Create Flat Backed Flower:    Start creating your flower by taking one of your 2" felt backs and starting at the outer edge of the circle moving around the outer edges then moving inward to overlap petal strips, start gluing down your petal strips.  Continue around your circle toward the center until the petal strips overlap themselves for three rows of petals.  For a 2" center circle your strips will end at the center at or about 19" long.   Set aside your 11" remnants for use later.   Snip and glue final petal down near the center leaving a bit of room for your 1/2 center pearl.   Open up the petals by putting your finger through each loop and arranging them individually until you are happy with how they look.    I pulled on the outer sting at each loop to fray them slightly for a more rustic look.  Finish your flower by gluing on a 1/2" pearl center or other desired center piece (i.e., button, rhinestone cluster, bling, trinket).   Your completed flower will look similar to this one:

5" Wide Looped Burlap Flowers with Pearl Center

Directions for Burlap Rolled Flower #2

Step #5 - Color Petal Remnants for Rolled Flowers:  Complete Steps #1 to #3 to get 6 each 11" remnants of looped petal strips.   Using a dark brown colored spray mist saturate your strips.   Then I dried the strips using a hair dryer, set on low, or embossing heat element to dry your stain in just a few minutes.   If you want a more naturalized color variation,  only spray along the salvage edge about 2/3rds the way up the petal.  Once rolled up the darker center will be near the bottom with the lighter end of the petal showing on top.  Since I wanted 3 different colors for my center piece, I saturated my strips instead. 

Step #6 - Create Rolled Flowers:  Complete Steps #1, #2,  #3 and #5 to get 6 each 11" stained and dried remnants of looped petal strips.   Using  a sandwich stick glue the larger rounded end down to the salvage (glued edge of your petal strip).  If you plan on using your rolled flowers in a tall vase, you may wish to use a longer heftier stick like a chop stick instead.  Using your low temp glue sticks continue to glue your the salvage edges as you roll your petal strips around the stick until you are finished.  To fluff up simply turn flower face down and rotate it around a for a few twists.  Open up the petals by putting your finger through each loop  and arranging them individually until you are happy with how they look.  Your completed rolled flowers completely misted with stain will look similar to this:

1 1/2" Wide Plain Looped Rolled Burlap Flower 

Directions for Aqua Burlap Rolled Flower #3

1 1/2" Wide Rolled Burlap Flower #3

These of course are my favorite ones!  They are so feminine but you do go about putting these ones together slighly diffrent than the others.  First lets start by preparing our flower strips:

Step #7 - Prepare Burlap Strips:  I got this colored burlap at Michael's and its made by Ashland and comes in 3" wide rolls x 5 ft. long.  I cut each roll into three even pieces and ran a edge of tacky glue down along the salvage.    If you'd prefer, you can use your glue gun instead for this step, then you don't need to wait overnight.  I used the tacky glue and let stand overnight.  Here's how things look at this step:

 Step #8 - Prepare Burlap Strips:   To make your petal strips you'll need to start at the 3" open unglued edge and start pulling one strand at a time out of the strip.  Strip away all of the strands that run paralled to your glued edge.  You'll wind up with strips that look like this:

Step #9 - Make Petal Strips:   Fold a strand of open weave threads in half and using your low temp glue gun, glue them together along your salvage edge.  Here's what your strips should look like at this point:

 

 Once your strips are together then take one and lay your sandwich stick (or chop stick if you want to use in a tall vase) along the edge and start gluing and rolling the edges around the stick.  Be sure to keep you salvages even as you rotate the petal strip around the stick.

 

When your rolled petal is done, gently lay it face down onto the table and give it a soft twirl to unfurl the loops a bit.  This will give you a small center spot to glue your finishing pearl in place.   This is what they should look like when your all done:  

Again here's a close up what my finished flowers all looked like put together as a spring centerpiece:

Well friends that's it for me today.  I hope you found this step by step tutorial helpful.   Create something from the heart and live your life inspired!  Have a happy day dear friends!  ~ Hugs Dawna