{Green} My Favorite Things #7: Fabric Flowers

Project Wedding's DIY Wedding Challenge 2010 Paper Flower Bouquets

Last weekend I shared tutorials for paper flowers. Picking up where I left off, here's a round up of fabric flower tutorials. Before I share the rest of the fabric flower tutorials, indulge me while I share some yarn flowers. (The bouquets above are a mix of paper and yarn flowers.)

Credits: Yarn Flowers designed by Lauren De Bellis, photographed by Kate Mathis for Country Living, spotted on Poppytalk.

These yarn flowers are a flash from the past. My mom, my sister, and I used to sit around the dining room table on rainy days making these to top packages. Kid Craft Central has a tutorial that matches how my mom taught us. One thing my mom did to keep the blooms fully plumped was to add a little spray starch to stiffen the finished flower.

When we were planning our wedding I fell in love with chiffon, tulle, and organdie flowers. There was something so romantic about how soft and ethereal they appeared.

Credits (left to right): Chiffon Peonies by Ruffles and Stuff; Chiffon and Tulle Flowers photographed by Olivia Kanaley, spotted on Project Wedding; Organza Flower Headband by Elizabeth Anne Designs from a tutorial by Reese Dixon.

There's also something timeless about organdie as evidenced by this tutorial from 1922.

Organdie flower tutorial shared on Wearing History. For information about the type of stitches used,  Lauren recommends reading Lesson X-A Good Start Deserves a Good Finish from Paris Frocks at Home (1930) at Vintage Sewing.info.

Want something a little more substantial? What about turning t-shirts into flowers? These two tutorials will show you how: Linda of Craftaholics Anonymous makes pom pons and Maize Hutton creates a bouquet for The Bride's Cafe.

Credits: Top Row (left to right) - Jersey Pom Pons by Craftaholics Anonymous, spotted on Something Old, Something New; Flower Roses photographed by Mark Brooke, spotted on Green Wedding Shoes. Bottom Row (left to right) - Handkerchief Rosettes by Ruffles and Stuff; Handkerchief Roses from Eco-Proper, spotted on My DIY Wedding Day.

Some brides have handkerchiefs from their mothers or grandmothers that they use for their Something Old, typically wrapping it around their bouquet. Another thing you can do with handkerchiefs is create flowers. You could even wear the handkerchief flowers in your hair or go flowerless for your groom's boutonnière.