How to Make Stunning Felt Flowers [Free Printable Pattern]

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Are you looking for a fun and easy beginner's craft project to bring a pop of color to your home decor? Look no further than felt flowers! These beautiful blooms are not only easy to make, but they offer endless options for use. From creating a whimsical bouquet to adorning a wreath, felt flowers are the perfect addition to any DIY project. In this article, I'll teach you how to make felt flowers step by step, with tips and tricks for creating beautiful petals that will have everyone asking, "Where did you get those flowers?" So grab your felt, scissors, and glue, and let's get crafting! 

1. Basic Supplies for Felt Flowers

When it comes to crafting felt flowers, having the right tools and supplies is essential. To begin with, you will need a sharp pair of scissors to cut through felt smoothly. You will also need a good quality felt material in various colors, preferably wool blend felt, as it is more durable and has a nicer texture. Having good fabric glue can also be useful for attaching smaller details, such as leaves or centers, to the flower. Lastly, having a set of different sized circle templates can be helpful for creating uniform petals in different sizes. All of these supplies are basic but integral to creating beautiful felt flowers. With the right tools and materials, you can create stunning felt flowers that will last for years.

List of Basic Supplies:

• Felt flower template - to download the file, subscribe to the FunClothCrafts newsletter. In the newsletter, you find a password to the subscriber's Free Downloads Vault

• Felt sheets (find great felt at Benzie Design or find more buying options in the Types of Felt section of the How to Sew Felt blog post)

• Scissors (my favorite ones are KAI 5 1/2 inch embroidery scissors or KAI 6 1/3 inch patchwork scissors)

• Hot Glue Gun (I find Tilswall Hot Melt Glue Gun 50W easy to work with)

• Glue that works on felt (Elmer's crafts bond fabric glue or Beacon Fabri-Tac permanent adhesive) - for tiny pieces

What Kind of Felt Do You Use for Felt Flowers?

If you want to try felt flower making, use any felt you have at home. At the beginning of your felt flower crafting, you might want to practice anyways. However, if you’re serious about felt flowers, go for high-quality felt - one made from natural fibers like wool or a wool blend. Wool felt has the advantage of being soft to the touch, warm, and full-bodied, making it easy to work with and perfect for creating delicate, three-dimensional petals. Plus, wool felt comes in a wide range of beautiful colors and shades, making it an easy choice for making various flower types. If wool felt is out of budget, wool blend felt sheets or 100% PES felt sheets (Korean soft felt) are a good alternative. Of course, you could also use craft felt, but it's more difficult to work with and doesn't have the same structure and look as wool. In summary, the type of felt you use for creating felt flowers matters and using a high-quality wool felt sheet will give you the best results.

2. How to Make Felt Flowers in 4 Ways

There are four basic techniques to make felt flowers, but don't be afraid to combine them for even more impressive results. With a little bit of shaping and cutting, you can achieve the desired look of any flower, such as a gorgeous rose or a cheerful daisy.

1. Rolled: To create the flower, a strip of felt is rolled and attached with glue or sewn together. The felt can be cut into a spiral, a linear shape, or a rectangular piece, which is then folded and rolled up. 

2. Petal by Petal: These flowers are constructed by affixing each petal to another petal or a foundation. The petals range from basic circles and squares to more intricate floral forms. 

3. Folded: These flowers consist of multiple felt circles with simple or intricate borders (including those with deeply carved petals) that are folded in halves and quarters and subsequently affixed at the base. 

4. Flat (or Stacked): To use this technique, you will need to cut out multiple flower shapes from felt in different sizes and stack them on top of each other. The biggest piece should go first, and the smallest should be at the top. Once arranged, they can be sewn or glued in place through the center. 

Felt pieces for 3 rolled felt flowers

Felt pieces for a folded felt flower

Felt pieces for a petal by petal felt flower

Felt pieces for two flat or stacked felt flowers

Rolled Felt Flower Tutorial

1. Using a sharp pair of scissors, cut the stripe or spiral-shaped flower. Fold in half and glue. One option is to glue at the edge and the other one at the fold. This will give you different types of flowers.

2. In regular intervals, cut to 3/4 of the glued stripe.

3. To begin rolling the flower, apply a small amount of glue to the outer edge of the flower and roll the edge in. Note that you start rolling from the outer edge in the spiral-shaped flowers. 

   After that, gradually roll the flower toward the center trying to keep the bottom edge flat. As you go along, keep rolling and applying some glue (fabri-tac or hot glue). Note that the hot glue dries fast, so don’t move in too large chunks, as the glue might dry before you reach it.

   You can cover the bottom of the rolled felt flower with the circle if you prefer. Note that sometimes the circle is part of the spiral-shaped flower. 

4. Rolled felt flower. Find these flowers and more in the felt flower template - to download the file, subscribe to the FunClothCrafts newsletter. In the newsletter, you find a password to the subscriber's Free Downloads Vault

If you don’t have a spiral-shaped flower template, you can make your rolled flower this way: Using a sharp pair of scissors with pointy ends, cut a circle from felt. Continue by cutting a spiral shape into your circle. Start at one end and cut towards the center in a wavy pattern. Also, cut a wavy design around the circle's perimeter to produce a flat, serpent-shaped spiral. Then you can start rolling the flower.

How to make rolled felt flowers with the open end (this technique can also be use for flower center).

Rolled felt flowers (with open end and closed end), find more types of rolled felt flowers in the template.

DIY Rolled Felt Flowers

Rolled Felt Flowers Bouquet made from a smaller rectangle of one color and one larger rectangle of a different color

Petal by Petal Felt Flowers Tutorial

1. Prepare a felt circle and a bead (if you have; it’s not necessary but makes it easier).

2. Close the circle around the bead with a hot glue gun.

3. Glue two petal shapes to the center piece opposite each other.

4. Continue to glue two petal shapes to the center piece opposite each other. Now you have 4 petals glued to the middle.

5. Glue the second layer of six petals to the preceding layer.

6. Petal by petal felt flower. Find this flower and more in the felt flower template - to download the file, subscribe to the FunClothCrafts newsletter. In the newsletter, you find a password to the subscriber's Free Downloads Vault

How to continue making petal by petal felt flower.

Folded Felt Flower Tutorial

1. For this technique, cut six felt circles as per the template. Take one circle, and fold it in half. Add a small dab of glue in the fold and hold in your fingers until dry.

2. Then again, fold it in half and glue it. 

3. Repeat to complete all 5 felt circles. One felt circle with remain.

4. Glue the four folded circles (petals) to the base circle. 

5. Glue the fifth folded circle to the previous layer of petals.

6. Folded felt flower. Find this flower and more in the felt flower template - to download the file, subscribe to the FunClothCrafts newsletter. In the newsletter, you find a password to the subscriber's Free Downloads Vault

TIP: You can cut the circles with pinking shears to make a different look.

How to continue making folded type of felt flower.

Flat (or Stacked) Felt Flower Tutorial

1. For the flat flower, cut several shapes from larger to smaller and layer the shapes. 

2. Glue the shapes together in the center. 

3. Flat (of stacked) felt flower. Find this flower and more in the felt flower template - to download the file, subscribe to the FunClothCrafts newsletter. In the newsletter, you find a password to the subscriber's Free Downloads Vault

TIP: You can use these stacked flowers in applique embellished by embroidery.

Felt flowers - find all flower types in the free template

Make this stunning felt flowers with the free template

3. Felt Flowers DIY Ideas

Felt flowers are gorgeous, low-maintenance, and they last forever. There are many DIY ideas for felt flowers. Here is some inspiration for you:

• home decor - felt flower wreath, frames and wall decor, felt banners, felt flower mobile in a nursery

• flower bouquet not only for special occasions - weddings, birthdays

• hair & head accessories - headbands, hair clips, felt flower crown

• other accessories - magnets, and pins

• clothes applique on hats, bags, clothes

Let your home shine with felt flowers. When crafting a flower wreath, frame, wall decor, or banner, lay out the flowers and leaves first to get an idea of placement. Then add the hot glue to adhere them to the project.

4. DIY Felt Flowers: Tips for Beginners to Avoid Common Mistakes

Felt flowers are a great way to add bloom and color to any craft project, and they are perfect for those who are just starting in the world of felt crafting. However, beginners often make a few mistakes when working with felt flowers. To help you avoid these mistakes, here are some handy tips to keep in mind:

• Choose the right type of felt for your project. A high-quality wool felt sheet will give you the best results in flower-making.

• Use sharp pointy scissors for crisp cut felt shapes.

• Keep one pair of scissors only for felt cutting.

• Cut a piece of felt slightly bigger than the shape you're going to cut. This will make the actual cutting easier.

• Cut in long fluid movements.

• When cutting curved shapes, turn the shape as you cut to guide your scissors around.

• Take your time when assembling your felt flowers.

• Use a hot melt glue gun with a fine nozzle (an on/off switch might be handy).

• Heat your glue gun up properly (better wait for about 3-5 minutes than be sorry)

• Work in smaller chunks when using a hot glue gun, as the glue dries fast.

• For felt flower wreath, wall decor, headbands, etc., lay out the flowers and leaves first to get an idea of placement, then add the hot glue to adhere them to the project. 

How to Customize Your Felt Flowers

With the basic techniques of creating felt flowers under your belt, it's time to get creative and start customizing your blooms. There are numerous ways to put your own personal spin on these flowers, making each one unique and special.

• One way to customize your flowers is by varying the size and shape of your petals. Instead of sticking to the standard oval shape, experiment with different shapes like hearts, stars, or even abstract designs. You can also add texture to the petals by cutting notches, scallops, or curves into the edges.

• Another way to make your flowers stand out is by incorporating different materials into the design. Consider adding beads, sequins, or other embellishments to the center of your blooms to give them a little extra sparkle. You could also add lace or ribbon to the stem for a decorative touch.

• Color is another element that can be used to customize your flowers. Beyond using different colors for the petals and leaves, consider adding shading or ombre effects to create a more detailed and nuanced look. You could also experiment with dyeing the felt to create custom colors that are not available in the store.

5. More DIY Felt Flower Tutorials:

Learn how to add dimension in this tutorial at Benzie Design. By dimension, I mean adding folds, ridges, or wire to strengthen your petals and leaves.

The Yellow Birdhouse shows you how to make a felt flower bouquet DIY Felt Cosmos Flower.

Molly and Mama shares a free pattern for a tiny felt flower with petals.

6. To Wrap Up

As we conclude our journey from felt sheets to blooming beauty, it's clear that anyone can create stunning felt flowers with a little guidance and patience. By choosing the right type of felt, selecting the perfect color palette, cutting the flowers and leaves, assembling the blooms, and customizing your flowers, the possibilities are endless. Remember to add creative touches and experiment with different shapes and sizes to create unique flowers that reflect your style. As the saying goes, "Practice makes perfect," so don't be afraid to keep practicing and perfecting your craft. The joy of creating something beautiful and one-of-a-kind is truly rewarding. So pick up those felt scraps and start creating - who knows, you might surprise yourself with what you can make!

Be sure to visit more on this website for free embroidery and sewing tips & tricks to help you out as you stitch my patterns. For free felt patterns, visit my Freebies page.

Let's craft together!

XO, Anna

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