Picture Perfect Flower Headband (Tutorial)

 I made these great flower headbands for a photo shoot last year and I finally made another one last week so that I could share the tutorial with you! I absolutely love the drama and sophistication that these flowers add for a special occasion. Ready to make one?

You will need a very lightweight synthetic material, I used the lining from an old bridesmaid dress. Why synthetic? So that it will melt when you singe the edges of the flower petals rather than burn. The lighter the fabric, the more it will curl when you singe around the petals. Thicker fabrics singe, but retain more of a flat shape and aren’t suitable for this type of flower. You won’t need more than ⅛ yard of fabric though, so if you’re not sure, just buy small amounts of a variety of synthetics. Once you’ve experimented a little at home, you’ll have a better idea which fabric to use in the future.

 Okay, so you’ll want to cut a good number of “petals” in 3-4 sizes, progressively increasing in size. Try cutting a few petals and then singe the edges to see what the finished size will be. I set my petals next to a ruler to give you an idea of my sizing (prior to singe). You’ll need approximately 4-8 tiny petals, 10 small petals, 15 medium petals, and 10-15 large petals. They don’t have to be exact.

 Now, you will need a flame to singe the petal edges. It’s easy to light a candle, so your flame is at the ready. But, a little kitchen torch works really nicely, too. Pass the flame near the edge of the fabric until it melts and curls. Singe all the way around each petal.

 Stack your prepared petals in groups by size.

 To make the flower, I like to use a needle and thread to sew the petals together. This gives me a lot of control over how the petals are arranged.

 Start with four small petals (not the tiny ones, those can be added to the center at the very end to cover your stitches). Point each of the smaller ends in toward the center. Poke your needle up from the bottom through all four layers at the center and then stitch back down, up once more and down again to make a little x. Now you have your center foundation for your flower.

 With your needle and thread through the top of the flower center, place a couple more small petals below your center foundation. You’re just going to start adding petals, moving in a spiral, spacing each subsequent petal so that its center rests below the space between the two petals above it – does that make sense? Once you have used all of your small petals, start adding your medium, then large, adjusting the number of each size petal for your desired fullness. Each time you add a couple petals around the base, poke your needle down through the center and back up again to catch the new petals and secure them in place. Cup the flower in the palm of your hand as you add petals to make sure they are placed where you like. Finish your flower by poking the needle down through the bottom, tie off in a knot, and clip the extra thread.

 This is how the bottom of your flower will look when you’re about done. See the spiral of petals?

 Now you can finish the inner center with a button or by gluing a cluster of the tiny petals to cover the stitching inside.

To attach the flower to a headband, you will need a small circle of felt and a matching headband.

Use hot glue to secure the back of the flower onto the topside of the headband (figure out where you want the flower positioned by holding it up on the model). Glue the circle of felt on the center back of the flower with the headband sandwiched between. Done!!

 This is my friend’s daughter, Maddy, by the way. Isn’t she gorgeous? I got to take some pictures of her and her brothers last year – such an honor. I love it when my friends humor me and let me photograph their families. These pictures kind of take my breath away, still.

 This is also the way that I made the Christmas headbands for Addie last year – you can see what the picture perfect flower headband looks like in red.