How to Make Fabric Flowers for Hats

Dress up a plain hat by adding handmade fabric flowers.

Making fabric flowers is a quick and easy way to embellish plain hats. Whether you are new to fabric crafts or an old pro, there are many different types of fabric flowers you can make for very little money and without even needing a sewing machine. Using either new fabrics or scraps from another craft project, make these flowers for your hats or to give as gifts.

Things You'll Need

• Circle template
• Cotton fabric
• Fabric marking pencil
• Fabric scissors
• Iron
• Needle and thread
• Button blank
• Straight pins
• Cardstock
• Organza fabric
• Barbecue lighter
• Button or beads
• Spray starch

Instructions

Cotton Sunflower

1. 

   Invest in a multisize circle template for making many circles that are uniform in size.

   Trace and cut out eight 3-inch circles onto a yellow print cotton fabric. Fold each circle in half and iron flat. Fold in half again, forming a wedge shape and iron flat again.

2. Hand-sew a slip stitch with a needle and thread, starting at the open side of the wedge and running along the bottom curved edge. Pull the thread taut to gather the petal and secure it with a double knot.

3. Stitch, gather and knot the remaining seven wedges on the same piece of thread you used to sew the first wedge. Join and secure the first and eighth knot together.

4. Cover a large button blank with dark brown print fabric. Position the button over the hole in the center of the flower wedges and secure it in place with straight pins.

5. Run a threaded needle down through the end of one of the petals just under the edge of the button. Then run the needle through the button's shank and back up through the end of the petal on the opposite side of the first. Repeat this process until you have run the needle and thread through all eight petals, pulling the ends of the petals snugly under the edges of the button as you stitch. Tie off your thread with a triple knot and trim the excess.

Singed Organza Flower

1. Draw or print a small, medium and large five-petal flower, about 2, 3 and 5 inches in diameter, onto cardstock. Cut them out. Trace and cut out one small, one medium and two large flowers of organza fabric.

2. Singe the edges of the flowers with a barbecue lighter, passing the flame lightly back and forth until the organza curls inward. Once singed, stack the flowers with the smallest flower on top, then the medium, then the two largest, and sew a button or cluster of beads in the center of the flowers.

3. Ruffle the petals with your fingers, and lightly spray the finished flower with starch to help hold its shape.

References

• Sew Ritzy-Titzy; Fabric Flower Tutorial; Nov 2008
• Cool People Sew; How to Cover a Button; Mar 2011
• Little Birdie Secrets; How to Make Pretty Organza Flowers; Aug 2009