Tutorial Thursday - Scrappy Roses

These little fabric roses are popping up everywhere and I have discovered that they are a fantastic way to use up your scraps.  These roses look great on headbands, clips or even a bobby pin.  Add a pin back and decorate a bag or jacket.  Accent a neckline on a plain tee or tank and add an instant vintage flair to your look.  The best part is that they are very simple and quick to make.  Don't let the look of them intimidate you, the shabbier they look, the better!

To start, decide how big you want your rose to be.  For this demonstration, the rose will be about two inches wide.  Start with a piece of fabric 2" wide and 44" long.  I frequently cut this size piece off a bolt to straighten up yardage, so even a crooked piece will work.  A narrower piece will create a flatter flower, a shorter piece of fabric will make a smaller rose.

You can also snip and tear for a frayed, shabby look.  You can use any type of fabric to achieve different looks - velvet, corduroy, silk, knits and even lace or ribbon.  Experiment with what you like.  You can always make a flower to see how it looks, hold it in place and stitch later instead of making a more permanent decision like gluing along the way.

Next, fold your fabric in half the full width of the scrap.  You can even fold as you go, no need to iron.

Now tie a knot at the end.

Start twisting and wrapping your fabric around the center knot.  Twisting and folding as you go.

Glue or stitch every half inch to secure.  I am going to sew this together through all layers at the end, so I am holding this in place with pins for the photos.

When you get to the end or to the desired size, twist and secure the tail under the flower with a dab of glue or stitching.

You can now accent the center of your rose with a single bead or several if you are jazzy like that.

That's it!  All ready to attach to a clip, barrette, headband, bag, t-shirt, coat - anything!  Can you believe how much you paid jcrew to do that?