Denim Flowers

by JOANN |

Item # 352113723P141
Advanced Varies
SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
  • Denim
  • Scissors
  • Rotary Cutter & Board
  • Hot Glue & Gun
  • Loctite Heavy Duty Spray Adhesive
  • Wire, 22 Gauge, 1 spool
  • Wire Cutter
  • Dowel, 1/4in, 1in per flower
  • Foam, 1/in thick, 1in x 3in for each daffodil
  • Large paper or drop cloth to spray glue
  • Pen
  • Duck Tape, 2in for each daffodil
  • Masking Tape
  • Wood, 1/2in - 3/4in thick, 3in x 3in, for tulip
  • Saw
  • Pliers, Needle Nose (optional)
  • Base:
  • 1/4in - 1/2in plywood
  • Rigid Foam Insulation board, 2in
  • Drill & 1/4in bit
  • Band Saw
  • X-Acto Knife, no.11 blade, 1

DIRECTIONS:
Daffodils:
  1. Base of flower head: Cut one 1/4" wide 3" long curve from foam. This will be used for the flower head, directing head to the side rather than straight up from the dowel. Use a rotary cutter to cut one 1 1/4" x 2" strip of denim. On one long side of the denim cut fringe, 1/8" strips to 1/4" from other long side. Use hot glue to attach solid long edge to one end of foam. Roll around one end of the foam.
  2. Cut three of the triangular shape, center of the flower, cutting the top edge with pinking shears. Apply hot glue along one side, 1/8" from raw edge, and attach to one side of a second piece. Repeat so all three pieces are attached along the sides, leaving one side unattached. Apply a small amount of hot glue around the first piece attached to the foam and quickly wrap the lower 3/4" of the center of the flower. Apply hot glue along the remaining, open edges of the center three sections, 1/8" from the raw edge and press to secure. Fold the edge cut with pinking shears out about 1/8", at each hot glued seam. Apply a small dot of hot glue under the folded edge, close to the vertical seam, to hold the top edge fold. Repeat at each seam.
  3. Cut a strip of denim twice the height of the double thick flower petals, 7 1/2" x 9". Trace 5 of the large petal pattern on to the inside of the fabric lining up the bottom squared edge with one long edge of fabric. Cut 5, 3 1/4" pieces of wire. Lay the fabric on a flat surface inside up. Spray with glue. Quickly lay the wire pieces inside the petal shapes lining up with the bottom edge of the transferred patterns. Fold the fabric down matching up the long edges. Press firmly to secure. The wire locations will be visible on the pressed side of fabric. Transfer the petal pattern lining up the wires in the centers of the petals. Cut the petals. Apply glue to one side of the bottom flange of a petal and press in place over the bottom edge of the center of the flower. Overlap the second petal halfway over the first. Continue gluing petals. Glue the last petal base under the first petal.
  4. Cut a 5" piece of wire. Insert one end through the base of the foam stem and fold down. Center the dowel on the end of the foam. Spiral the wire an inch down the dowel. Wrap a length of duct tape over the wire to secure the foam to the dowel.
  5. Cut a strip of denim 3/8"- 1/2" x 8". Wrap around the bases of the petals and down over the duct tape. Apply with hot glue.
  6. Cut 4 of the smaller petal shape. Apply a small amount of hot glue to the inside of the squared off end of each piece. Attach each piece over the spiraled denim directly under the other large petals. Line up the bottom edges. This will create a clean finish to the underside of the flowers.
  7. Cut a 1 1/2" strip of denim to cover the end of the spiral denim down to the end of the dowel. Place a line of hot glue down the length of the dowel and press the denim in place. Roll the denim around the length of dowel and secure by another small bead of hot glue down the length. This will give a smooth finish to the stem.
  8. Leaves: Finished width 3/4" - 1" at bases tapered to the top, length same as flowers. Cut pieces of wire 1" less than the length of leaves. Repeat the process from the double sided petals. Lay out a piece of denim twice the height of the leaves inside up. Lay wires every about 1" apart starting at the bottom raw edge. Spray glue. Fold the top half of the denim down to cover the wires and hand press. The wires will be visible on the pressed side. Cut leaves starting at the bottom edges and tapering to a point above the wires.
  9. Attach leaves to flower stems. Apply a small amount of hot glue to the bottom 1" of a leaf and roll to secure to the bottom 1" of a stem. Repeat to apply a second leaf to the other side of the stem. Separate groupings of leaves could be attached in the same manner.
Tulip:
  1. Cut the two wood patterns. Wrap wire around the wood patterns twisting the ends of wire together at a length about 1" past the bottom points. Create 3 wire loops from each wood pattern.
  2. Cut denim two times the height of the petals, 8" x 12". Place the fabric inside up on a flat surface. Lay the wire petals shapes lining up the twisted ends along one long raw edge of fabric. The tops of the wire loops should be about ¼" below the center of the fabric. Spray glue the fabric. Fold over the top half of the denim to the bottom edge of fabric and hand press in place. The wires should be visible from the pressed side. Transfer the fabric shape pattern around the wire shapes and cut.
  3. Use rotary cutter to cut one 1 1/4" x 2" strip of denim. On one long side of the denim cut fringe 1/8" strips to 1/4" from other long side. Use hot glue to attach solid long edge of the fringe panel to one end of dowel.
  4. Apply a small amount of hot glue to one side of the squared end of the smaller petals and apply to the dowel directly over the first denim fringe wrap. Repeat with other two small petals keeping them equidistant around the dowel. Apply the larger petals in the same manner centering on the spaces between the first set of petals.
  5. Cut a strip of denim 3/8" - 1/2" x 6". Spiral wrap the strip around the base of the petals and down the dowel, secure with hot glue. Cut a 1 1/2" strip of denim to cover the end of the spiral denim down to the end of the dowel. Place a line of hot glue down the length of the dowel and press the denim in place. Roll the denim around the length of dowel and secure by another small bead of hot glue down the length. This will give a smooth finish to the stem.
  6. Leaves: Height of flowers, width approximately 2". Cut denim twice the height of the leaves plus 1". Cut wires 2 x the height and fold in center. Curve to form the outsides edges of leaves. Cut one straight piece to go down the center of each leaf. Lay out denim inside up on flat surface. Lay the wires on the denim and spray with glue. Fold down the one side of denim lining up the raw edges. Hand press firmly. Cut out leaves 1/8" - 1/4" outside of the wires.
  7. Attach leaves to flower stems. Apply a small amount of hot glue to the bottom 1" of a leaf and roll to secure to the bottom 1" of a stem. A center pleat hot glued together at the bottom of the leaf may be necessary. Repeat to apply a second leaf to the other side of the stem. Separate groupings of leaves could be attached in the same manner.
Delphinium:
  1. Cut length of dowel. Spiral wrap wire starting 3" - 4" from one end of the dowel. Bend wire out from dowel 2" - 3", fold back on itself and spiral once around dowel. Make 5 spikes around dowel, looping and twisting wire. Spiral up 1" - 1 1/4" then make 5 more spikes. Apply a cut of masking tape over the spirals as they are completed. This will keep the wire from sliding on the dowel. Continue up the dowel decreasing the distance that the wire sticks out from the dowel. Taper the spikes to 1" out from the dowel at the end of the dowel. Also reduce the spikes around each section to three at the top of the dowel.
  2. Use a rotary cutter to cut 1/2" strips of denim. Hot glue one tail end of strip to the dowel between spikes. Spiral out one spike adding a small amount of glue in the center of the spiral. Cut off the end at the tip of the wire and hot glue the tail on itself. Continue spirals around each spike. When complete, Add a spiral up the length of the dowel. This spiral should cover all the ends of wraps from the spikes.
  3. Cut circles out of denim for flowers. Trace 1 1/2" circles on to denim and cut. The flower sizes may be reduced on the higher spikes. Fold each circle in half and cut in the top and bottom curve to produce flower shapes with four petals. Open circle and cut one line, into the center of each petal, just past the center point. Place a small line of hot glue along one side of the center cut. Fold the flower around one spike and press the center cut together under the spike. The top spikes may have two small teardrop like shapes just covering the spike ends. These would represent buds.
Dusty Miller:
  1. Bend wire pieces to represent the veins in the leaves. Cut denim to spray glue to either side of the wires.
  2. Spray glue and hand press each leaf. Cut around the wires in a random oak leaf type pattern. Cluster groupings of leaves for ground cover, hot glue lower portions of center stems together.
Spikes and grasses:
  1. Use the same method of spray glue double sided petal for daffodil for rigid spikes or grasses. Alternately, foam may be spray glued between layers of denim. Cut fringe into laminated sections leaving one edge uncut. The uncut edge may serve as an area to be glued if the section of grass or spike is to be rolled or folded into a cluster.
  2. Base: Determine size of arrangement. Cut plywood in a curved shape as a base. Layer plywood with 2" foam. Use saw to round over top edges of foam with band saw and/or rasp. Hot glue foam to plywood. Mark circles where each stem will be inserted into the foam. Drill holes. Some holes may be expanded to ensure that the bottom edges of the leaves that have been attached to the flowers will set below the foam. Set stems in place to be check locations. Remove stems. Use hot glue to attach denim to the base form. Use an X-Acto knife to cut through the denim and expose the holes for the stems. Place hot glue into the holes and insert the stems. Quickly make sure that the stems are facing the proper direction before the hot glue sets.
CRAFT HACK TIPS & TRICKS:
  • If attaching flowers to a foam and plywood base, leave 1 1/2" - 2" of dowel at the bottom of each flower stem without denim.

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