How to make a fabric rose

It's the last stiffened fabric project and then I'm moving on! I wanted to try an oversized, realistic fabric rose just for fun.

Make a template with six petals. I traced around a dinner plate and a small bowl on the back of some ugly wrapping paper. (Tip: if the paper is too curly, iron it flat and your life will be better.) I've included my feet so you can admire my cute socks.

Prepare some stiffened fabric. See here for how I did this. My fabric pieces were too big to lay flat in my microwave this time, so I draped each piece over a couple drinking glasses and nuked them one by one. The fabric came out stiffened in a odd shape, of course, but ironed flat easily.

Using the template, cut three flower shapes from the prepared fabric. Grab a shape and fold it in half to make a crease between petals. Open, rotate the flower, and repeat twice more until six creases radiate from the center.

In the first flower, cut a slit along one of the fold lines to the center. In the second flower, cut out one petal segment. In the third flower, cut out a piece with two petal segments. Save these cutouts; they'll form the center of the rose.

On each flower, overlap the two petals adjacent to the slit and secure with a little glue. (I used Aleene's OK To Wash-It Fabric Glue.)

While they're drying, curl the double-petal and single-petal cutouts. Heat each petal with an iron and roll the rounded edge back with your fingers. When it cools, heat the triangular point of the petal and roll it into a cone shape that's rose-like. This part is tricky! I had to iron the petals flat and start over a few times until I had something reasonable. The one-petal piece should be able to fit inside the two-petal piece when you're done.

Heat the remaining flower petals one at a time with your iron and curl the edges back.

At this point I stacked the pieces to see if they looked nice. Yes! But I decided a flat bottom for this flower might be more useful.

So I cut off the point. (If you're going to do this, I'd suggest trimming when the pieces are still flat: fold them into a cone shape and snip off the points before you glue.)

I hot glued the petals together at the base, then added a felt circle to hide the trimmed ends. I could see these as DIY wedding decorations, attached to curtain tie backs, used in romantic centerpieces, or gathering dust in my box of finished projects I have no idea what to do with.

Fabric Valentine hearts garland

I have a big aversion to heart-shaped jewelry, but I don't mind me some Valentine decorations! Using some pieces of stiffened fabric, I made these easy folded fabric hearts. Once the fabric is treated (see here for the how to), it folds beautifully and doesn't fray.

Start by making a set of paper templates. I layered and cut four identical heart shapes, then progressively shaved more off the sides of each one.

Trace the four heart shapes onto the back side of a piece of stiffened fabric and cut them out. Fold all but the largest piece in half, then layer them onto the largest heart. Stitch a seam up the center to create a "book" and tie off each end. Press the folds with an iron if desired. Once the ironed fabric cools, it will hold its shape nicely.

Use these as Valentine package decorations or string them into a garland by running a thread through the bottom-most heart shape.

Fabric flower tutorial

A few people asked how to make the flower on yesterday's fabric origami box. This is an easy craft project that's a good way to use up scraps. Use these flowers to make hair pins and boutonnieres, top gifts, decorate napkin rings, tote bags, wedding aisles, you name it.


You'll need some stiffened fabric pieces (see this post for the how to), a pencil, paper, scissors, needle, thread, buttons, and an iron.

With a pencil, sketch flower shapes on the back of your fabric pieces. You'll need three sizes of flowers, so make each one progressively larger. If you plan to make zillions of flowers, it might be good to draw yourself some paper templates to make your life easier. Don't worry about making perfect petals. This is a forgiving project.

Cut out each flower piece. Then pinch little creases between the petals, overlapping them very slightly to add dimension.

Press the creases with an iron. While each petal is still warm, roll the edges back to make a pretty petal shape. The fabric is very soft and pliable when it's warm, but after it cools a couple seconds, it's crisp again. If you're unsatisfied with a petal, just iron it again and reshape it.

Layer three flower shapes in graduated sizes, staggering the petals. Stitch them together with a button in the center.

I love how sturdy these are—crisp and flexible, all at the same time. They won't tear like paper, and they have a fabric texture. Nifty!

DIY Valentine paper freebies

A couple of beautiful Valentine's Day projects you can make with paper: framed papercut hearts at Martha Stewart, and an elegant printable card from Emily Montgomery at Paper Seed. I love the simple design of this card, and that it won't cost you a whole ink cartridge.

(Images from Martha Stewart and Paper Seed respectively)

Pretty Twitter backgrounds

The talented Alma Loveland has created some Valentine's Day freebies, including these sweet tiled patterns you can use as Twitter backgrounds.

Now, I hear there are people out there who loathe Valentine's Day and the merest glimpse of a heart will make them nauseated. If that's you, I apologize for the ongoing seasonal posts, but dang it, Valentine stuff is so pretty. Perhaps you might help yourself to Alma's speech bubble pattern instead, and hunker down until Feb. 14 has passed.

Print it: a vintage-style Valentine card

Free for the downloading: a printable Valentine card and matching envelope available at Ruffled.

Paper heart garland

A simple DIY Valentine's Day paper project: hearts on a string.

Cut colored paper into 3/4" strips. Fold them in half, or if you want some hearts that are twice as big, splice two strips of paper together at the bottom of each heart with double stick tape. Curl the loose ends around a chopstick or pen.

String the heart garland together from the bottom up. I used Sulky clear thread, available at fabric stores. It's curly and hard to see so you have to fight with it a bit, but it turns out nearly invisible. Push your threaded needle up through the bottom fold of each heart, then use double stick tape to sandwich the thread between the two halves of the curled tops.

Printable Valentine goodie bags

Kathleen of Twig & Thistle has done it again! Beautiful graphics to print on Valentine's Day treat bags are yours for the downloading, free. Get the floral bag image here and the brownie bag here.

(Images from Twig & Thistle)

Origami heart bookmarks

Here are some little folded heart bookmarks you can whip up in minutes. I used instructions from Origami Club. Click here, then look for the "Useful Origami" section. (Not "Easy" or "Fun." No. Those categories are for other things.) Once in the "Useful" section, scroll down to "Bookmark of Heart." I have to admit that on my way there I got distracted by "A Cake case with shirt." What? Anyhow, happy folding.

Cherry chocolate wafers

Okay, so maybe ya don't like bacon. Try making these pretty Valentine treats instead, recipe and photo compliments of Little Window Shoppe. They seem awfully easy to make, and the results look quite pink and fancy. I think I'll have to try this.

(Image from Little Window Shoppe)

Heart-shaped paper clips

A piece-of-cake Valentine project: bend regular paper clips into little heart shapes. These are jumbo clips I got in a multi-color pack at Target for about $1.50, I think. I fished out the pink ones for this.

You could use them to leave love notes around. Or mark pages you like in magazines. Or hold tiny treat bags of candy shut. Or send a subtle message to the boss you have a crush on. Endless possibilities, really.

Valentine projects

A little round up of Valentine things you could print or make:

Printable bird valentine from Olliebollen, top left
Felt heart pins at the Purl Bee, above right
Printable wood-themed card from Mmmcrafts, bottom left
Potted primrose arrangement at Sunset Magazine
Tea bag wrappers at Creature Comforts
Printable illustrated Valentines from Inside a Black Apple
Paper cards with stitching from the Purl Bee
Dressed-up box of Hershey chocolates from Schlosser Designs
Owl card using patterned paper at Better Homes and Gardens
Valentine matchboxes by PonyBoy Press

Valentine's Day treats

Happy Valentine's Day! Make something for your sweetie or drown your sorrows...

Unbelievably cute cupcake pops from Bakerella.

Nifty pink drinks from the Hostess Blog (scroll down in the post for the recipe links).

(Images from the respective blogs.)

Wee Valentine's boxes

Emily of Orange Beautiful designed a downloadable, printable template for little Valentine's Day dice you can fill with candy. Get the template here, at Daily Candy (appropriately).

Simple notecard with buttons

I stole some cute buttons from my mom's stash and repurposed them here. If you want to make this easy notecard, download the PDF template and print it out. (Each sheet makes two cards.) Cut the sheet in half and fold the two cards. Attach some colorful buttons with hot glue and round the card's corners if you want. This could make a quick and easy Valentine, especially if you use red and pink buttons.

Fold dinner napkins into hearts

Just in time for your fancy Valentine's Day dinner. I found this idea in a cookbook I have, and I think it's great. Here's my attempt (probably even nicer if you iron, but I'm too lazy). For an online tutorial with similar instructions, visit A Big Slice.

Part two: Cards

After we ate our fill at the tea party, we cleared the tables and made cards. I'm sad that my pictures of the "group shot" of everyone's cards didn't turn out. Not enough light by then, so they were very blurry. Here are mine, reshot at home. Megumi, recognize that fabric?

Part one: Food

Back from the tea party! I think it's our 6th annual, put together by Megan, Mandi and me. Every year we agonize over the invites, since Megan's apt. only holds so many. And we each know so many wonderful people. We're each allotted a handful of invitations, and we desperately hope we don't offend anyone we've left out. If we have, and you somehow happen to be reading this, we are SO VERY SORRY and hope you still like us. Anyway, here are pix of some of the food (two more card tables are in the other room.) I realize I took this before the scones appeared, so pretend you see maple scones in the empty bowl in the middle of the table. And I have to say, the chai-infused chocolate glaze on Megan's triple chocolate fudge cake was to die for.

Ready to go

I've got my fancy socks on, heading out the door to a Valentine Tea Party. Photos from the event to come!

Beeyooteeful ladies

I want to use these lovely girls (images from antique cigarette cards) for some kind of Valentine project. Just haven't had time to do something with them yet. Cut them out and glue them onto Valentine cards? String them with red ribbon to make a banner? Send them as postcards? Frame them in my bathroom? You can get these, and the whole set, here from the New York Public Library's digital archive. Keep hitting "next" to scroll through the cards.