Welcome to Event #5 of the Bloggy Olympics: Fabric!
Today is the big reveal of my project - the perfect fabric-based craft! (Or as close to perfect as I could come up with, haha!)
I had some trouble coming up with my perfect fabric project at first, but eventually I just fell in love with this whole thing because it took some time to put together, but you can VERY easily make the flowers less intricate and spend less time on it. It also really wasn't difficult to do - it's the repetitive cutting out flowers that takes time. Plus, the main supplies (the stuff that you use up in this project and can't re-use, like the frame) are super-cheap at around a buck each.
Here's how to make your very own super-awesome fabric covered frame with fabric flowers (cute puppy not included)!
Supplies
Fabric Mod Podge
Stiffy or other fabric stiffener
Sponge brush or other big brush
Several scraps of fabric (I got mine for a buck each at Walmart)
Pencil
Wood frame (dollar section of Michael's for this girl!)
Straight pins
Rhinestones, buttons
Paper for drawing/making stencils or other paper stencils
Scissors
Wax paper (to cover your work area)
Hot glue gun and glue
Instructions
First you just want to gather up your supplies (full list above).
Then, you will probably want to start stiffening up the fabric you want to use for your flowers. You can let this dry while you work on the frame itself - supposedly this stuff only takes an hour to dry, but I left mine alone for at least 3 hours because I was paranoid. Basically, I just spread out some wax paper, cut some bits of fabric and used a sponge brush to sponge some Stiffy on there (I'll pause and wait while you make some jokes... just keep reading whenever you finish laughing hysterically - no judgment).
I know some people just spray on fabric stiffener, but I really painted mine on there so that it was more like ribbon with wire in it than regular fabric.
While your fabric is drying, grab the fabric you want to use on the wood frame and start cutting it and wrapping it around your wood frame, using Mod Podge for fabric to secure the fabric. I tried regular Mod Podge, but didn't really love it... it didn't really weigh the fabric down enough to make it lay flat on the frame. The fabric version worked wonderfully and I coated the finished fabric covered frame with at least one solid "finishing" coat of Mod Podge for fabric.
While that frame is drying, grab some scrap paper and start drawing some flower shapes. You can use flower paper punches or a vinyl cutter or whatever to get your flower shapes. I mostly drew mine because I didn't want super-fancy, ornate shapes. Just cut those paper shapes out and attach to your stiffened fabric with a straight pin.
Once the fabric is stiffened and dry, you can use a straight pin or two to attach your stencil to the fabric and cut it out. Cut out lots of flower shapes of slightly varying size from your different fabrics. I just used blues that I had scraps of and that I got from the dollar section at Walmart.
Then just start mixing and matching up the different flower shapes. I glued mine with the hot glue gun. Then I added buttons or rhinestones to the top centers of most of the flowers. The reason you want to use stiffened fabric for these flowers is that not only can you fold and curl the petals, but you also don't get any fraying from the flowers. It's sort of like making paper flowers, but with a different texture and thickness (and curl that doesn't look like the paper got slammed in a car door).
Once you've made a lot of your flowers, you can arrange them on the frame (once it's dry from the Mod Podge) and when you have an arrangement you like, hot glue them onto the frame.
To make the flowers more fun, I used a pencil to sort of curl up the edges of the flowers - sort of like they were blooming from a bud and in varying stages of blossoming (if that makes any sense).
It's easy and you can do that or let the flowers stay flat. But it's easier to do this with the fabric that really got soaked in the stiffener liquid.
Then just add a photo to your frame...
And ta da! Super-cute flowery picture frame. I used this picture of Miss Bella where she had some (pink) flowers on her collar so that I felt extra proud of myself for coordinating cuteness, but clearly that's an optional step! : )
I loved it on the wall, but I had to take it outside for extra awesome pictures... I just LOOOOOVE all the different blues (and it's a nice compromise that the boyfriend was okay with - flowers that are girly, but in his favorite color)!
There you have it - a tutorial for making your own fabric-covered fabric flower frame! (And it cost me about $5 in materials that I still have more of - $1 frame, $4 in fabric from Walmart. I owned the other stuff, but even if you don't, it's really rather inexpensive and you can use buttons, rhinestones, Mod Podge for fabric, and fabric stiffener for a whole lot of other projects!)
But wait - there's more!!! My two fabulous co-hosts for this event are also sharing their amazing fabric-based tutorials today! Be sure to click on over to visit Jenni at Kissed by a Frog with her sporty accessory craft and Jamie at DIY Home Sweet Home with an awesomely adorable sewing must-have craft to see the amazingness they've created! (Seriously, I got freaking AMAZING teammates and you have GOT to check out these projects... I want both!)
You also want to check out the super-talented crafty winners of event #4, featured at C.W. Frosting, Here's to Handy Andy, and Freaking Craft!
Because this is the blog olympics (it's a marathon - not a sprint!), you should also get to work on your fabric-based/focused/involved projects and get ready to link them up to this week's linky party starting Thursday!
To recap: LINKY PARTY HERE and with my co-hosts THURSDAY JULY 12th at 7pm CST (so 8pm EST) until FRIDAY JULY 13th at 11:59 CST (or 12:59am EST - 1 hour into the day after the super-scary Friday the 13th)! Entering the linky party is the only way to get the amazing prizes and buttons for your projects! (And I'm pretty new at hosting any kind of linky party like this so I'd REALLLLY appreciate your support in linking up, just in case the buttons weren't enough incentive for you!)
And, in case that somehow wasn't enough for you, there's an AWESOME GIVEAWAY from Kissed by a Frog this week!
Visit Jamie at DIY Home Sweet Home for details!
P.S. I'll be linking up to some of my favorite parties here...
Mondays: C.R.A.F.T., Polly Want a Crafter, The DIY ShowOff, Craft-O-Maniac, Making the World Cuter, Skip to My Lou, Mad in Crafts, Sew Can Do, Boogieboard Cottage, Life Made Lovely, Keeping It Simple, Polish the Stars, Pinkapotamus, Singing Three Little Birds, Colours Dekor, DIY Home Sweet Home, So Very Creative, Ask Anna, Home Savvy, Be Colorful, The Gunny Sack, Lines Across, The Southern Institute, Get Outta My Head, 3 Mango Seeds, You're Talking Too Much, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, Destination: Craft, Cherished Bliss, 11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven, Sarahndipities, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Marvelously Messy, Between Naps on the Porch, Bringing Beauty, Ninth Street Notions, Southern Hospitality, Sew Chatty, Everything Under the Moon, Thrifty Decor Chick, Reinventing the Ordinary (Pet Party)
Tuesdays: Embellishing Life, New Nostalgia, Hope Studios, Vintage Wanna Bee, Tip Junkie, Ladybug Blessings, Sassy Sites, Topsy Turvy, Funky Polkadot Giraffe, Giggles Glitz & Glam, Rook No. 17, Reasons to Skip the Housework, Coastal Charm, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Not Just a Housewife, A Diamond in the Stuff, The Ivy Cottage, homework, Crayon Freckles, Crafty Confessions, Me and My Boys, The Kurtz Corner, Sugar Bee, At Home With K, Sweet Little Gals, Chef in Training, Raising 4 Princesses, Lil Pink Pocket, Strictly Homemade, A to Zebra Celebrations, Jillify It, Natural Nesters, Today's Creative Blog, Home Stories A to Z, DIY by Design, Tales of a Trophy Wife, Our Delightful Home
Wednesdays: Creations By Kara, Blue Cricket Design, Seven Thirty Three, Sugar and Dots, Someday Crafts, Night Owl Crafting, Lil Luna, Sew Much Ado, We Are That Family, Type A, A Little Tipsy, My Girlish Whims, Eisy Morgan, Polka Dots on Parade, Passionately Artistic, Ginger Snap Crafts, Laugh Love & Craft, Not So Simple Housewife, Frugally Sustainable, Handy Man Crafty Woman, Faded Charm, let birds fly, The Sasse Life, Clean & Scentsible, Junk in their Trunk, Uncommon, Pincushion Creations, It's Just Called Spicy, Sew Woodsy, Primp Junktion, Organize and Decorate Everything, Savvy Southern Style, A Beach Cottage, JAQS Studio, The DIY Dreamer
Thursdays: Somewhat Simple, House of Hepworths, The Shabby Creek Cottage, A Glimpse Inside, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Gluesticks, Momnivore's Dilemma, Yesterday on Thursday & Katie's Nesting Spot, Beyond the Picket Fence, Making It With Allie, Rhinestone Beagle, Suzy's Artsy-Craftsy Sitcom, Tales From Bloggeritaville, Between U & Me, Christina's Adventures, Saved By Love Creations, Thrifty Decorating, These Peas Taste Funny, The 36th Avenue, Southern Lovely, The Crafty Blog Stalker, Kissed by a Frog, Bear Rabbit Bear, Designer Garden, Crafty Scrappy Happy, 52 Mantels, live. laugh. rowe., Delightful Order, The Train to Crazy, Mine for the Making, The Taylor House, Just a Little Creativity, Hating Martha, The Frugal Girls, No Minimalist Here
Fridays: Fingerprints on the Fridge, The Shabby Nest, Tatertots & Jello, Simply Sweet Home, 30 Handmade Days, WhipperBerry, Sassy Sites, Lovely Crafty Home, Catch As Catch Can, Nap Time Crafters, 504 Main, My Simple Home Life, Simply Designing, The Picket Fence, Chic on a Shoestring, The Hungry Hypo, French Country Cottage, Ladybird Lane, The Answer is Chocolate, Truly Lovely, Bubbly Nature Creations, Pocket Full of Pink, Little Becky Homecky, Delicate Construction, Serenity Now, See Vanessa Craft, Happy Hour Projects, Making Lemonade, One Artsy Mama, Mom 4 Real, So You Think You're Crafty, Faith Trust & a Little Pixie Dust, Finding Fabulous For Less, It's a Hodgepodge Life, Tidy Mom, Remodelaholic, Just a Girl, Scissors & Spatulas, While He Was Napping, Kojo Designs, Release Me Creations, Hello Hue, Love Notes By Lauryn, Craftionary, Five Days... Five Ways, The Creative Paige, Blissful Bucketlist
Saturdays: Tutus & Tea Parties, Here's to Handy Andy, Craft Envy, Funky Junk Interiors, Young & Crafty, Be Different Act Normal, To Sew With Love, Six Sisters' Stuff, Gingerbread, Lolly Jane, Homemaker in Heels, A Vision to Remember, Positively Splendid, Too Much Time, Crafty Moms Share, Polkadot Pretties, Candace Creations, Serenity You, Shaken Together
Sundays: I Heart Nap Time, Under the Table and Dreaming, LambAround, Flamingo Toes, Petite Hermine, Homemaker on a Dime, The Foley Fam, The SweetTalk Shop, Nifty Thrifty Things, Sisters of the Wild West, The Tablescaper, My 1929 Charmer
Miscellaneous: The Girl Creative, Every Crafty Endeavor, My House of Giggles, My Lil Pumpkin Patch, Vintage Gwen