Felt Flowers: Three Easy Constructions and Where to Use Each

Most felt flowers, however elaborate they look, come from one of a few constructions: flat pieces stacked on top of each other, a strip rolled up, or petals gathered on a thread. Learn one example of each and you can read almost any felt flower you come across and work out how it was made.

The three flowers below each take a single small piece of felt and start from shapes you draw yourself. They are followed by a simple leaf and a comparison of which flower suits which use, from brooches to bouquets.

What You Need

• Wool-blend felt or craft felt in two or three flower colors and one green
• Embroidery floss and an embroidery needle
• Small sharp scissors
• Tacky craft glue or fabric glue
• Paper, a pencil and a ruler
• Round objects to trace: about 3 in (7.5 cm), 2 1/4 in (5.5 cm) and 1 1/2 in (4 cm) across
• Optional: a button or a few beads for centers

Wool-blend felt holds a crisp petal edge and resists going fuzzy when handled, which matters on small pieces. Whatever felt you use, sharp scissors make the biggest difference; the guide on how to cut felt covers curves and small shapes in detail.

Flower 1: Flat Layered Daisy

This is the flattest of the three and the quickest. Finished size: about 3 in (7.5 cm).

1. Cut two circles. One 3 in (7.5 cm) and one 2 1/4 in (5.5 cm), in the same color or two shades.
2. Divide each into eight petals. Snip straight in from the edge toward the center, stopping 3/8 in (1 cm) short of the middle. Make four snips like the points of a compass, then four more between them.
3. Round the petals. Trim the two square corners of each segment into a curve.
4. Stack and offset. Lay the smaller circle on the larger and turn it so its petals sit over the gaps below.
5. Add a center. Cut a 3/4 in (2 cm) circle in a contrasting color. Stitch through all three layers with a few French knots or a small cross of straight stitches, or sew on a button.

Flower 2: Loop Flower

A folded, snipped strip rolls into a full, rounded bloom. Finished size: about 1 3/4 in (4.5 cm).

1. Cut a strip. Measure 1 1/2 x 9 in (4 x 23 cm).
2. Fold and join. Fold the strip in half lengthwise. Run a thin line of glue along the inside of the two long cut edges and press them together, or join them with a running stitch 1/8 in (3 mm) from the edge. Let the glue set.
3. Snip the loops. Cut through the folded edge toward the joined edge every 1/4 in (6 mm), stopping 1/4 in (6 mm) short of it.
4. Roll. Starting at one short end, roll the joined edge up tightly, adding a dot of glue every inch or so, or taking a stitch through the base on each turn.
5. Secure and open. Fix the end of the strip to the roll, then press the loops outward with your fingertips.

For a fringe flower, use a single unfolded strip 1 x 9 in (2.5 x 23 cm), snip it the same way from one long edge and roll it up. The result is spikier, like a small chrysanthemum.

Flower 3: Five-Petal Gathered Flower

Five folded circles pulled up on one thread give a cupped flower with real depth. Finished size: about 2 1/2 in (6.5 cm).

1. Cut five circles. Each 1 1/2 in (4 cm) across.
2. Thread the needle. Use about 16 in (40 cm) of floss, separated to two or three strands, with a firm knot at the end.
3. Stitch the first petal. Fold a circle in half. Sew a running stitch along the curved edge through both layers, from one end of the fold to the other, about 1/8 in (3 mm) from the edge. Four or five stitches are enough.
4. Add the rest. Without cutting the thread, fold the next circle and stitch it the same way. Continue until all five hang on the thread like beads.
5. Gather. Pull the thread so each half circle cups into a petal. Take the needle back through the first petal to close the ring, pull snug and knot firmly.
6. Cover the center. Glue or stitch a 5/8 in (1.5 cm) felt circle or a button over the middle, and a slightly larger circle on the back to hide the gathers.

Simple Felt Leaves

Fold a 1 1/4 x 2 1/2 in (3 x 6.5 cm) piece of paper in half lengthwise and cut a curve from one end of the fold to the other. Unfold and use it as a pattern on green felt.

A flat leaf is fine behind a daisy. For a leaf with shape, pinch the base so the two edges meet, and hold the pinch with two small stitches or a dot of glue. A line of backstitch or running stitch down the center makes a vein. Tuck one or two leaves under a flower so that about half of each shows.

Which Felt Flowers to Use Where

A gathered flower with a backing circle is already most of the way to a pin; the tutorial on felt brooches shows how to attach the pin back securely.

Changing the Size and Where to Go Next

All three flowers scale by changing the starting measurement. Daisy circles can go up to about 4 in (10 cm) before the petals start to flop. A longer strip makes a fuller loop flower, and a wider strip makes longer loops. Gathered flowers work with circles from 1 to 2 1/2 in (2.5 to 6.5 cm).

Mixing sizes and constructions in one color family looks more natural than repeating a single flower. For a fourth shape to add to the mix, rolled felt roses are cut from a spiral and need no sewing. Once you have a handful of blooms, the guide to making a felt flower bouquet explains how to put them on wire stems and tie them together.