This is a take on a tutorial that I wrote for Green Upgrader back in 2010. I made these sunflowers for a girlfriend’s bachelorette party and was so happy with how they came out, I thought I’d share the tute with you guys!

Not only do conventional flowers have a limited shelf [...]]]>

This is a take on a tutorial that I wrote for Green Upgrader back in 2010. I made these sunflowers for a girlfriend’s bachelorette party and was so happy with how they came out, I thought I’d share the tute with you guys!

Not only do conventional flowers have a limited shelf life, they often aren’t very eco-friendly. Unless you’ve found a flower shop that stocks local or organic flowers, chances are those cut flowers were shipped from far away and grown using nasty pesticides and chemicals to keep them looking fresh. You can skip the guesswork with fabric forever flowers!

Burlap is an eco-friendly fabric that I’ve talked about at Crafting a Green World before. You can find burlap new at some fabric stores or ask around at your local coffee shop to see if they get their beans in big, burlap sacks. Often, they just end up tossing those empties, so they’ll be happy to let you take one off of their hands.

This tutorial is for one flower, and you can make as many as you like!

To make your burlap sunflower you’ll need:

• a 4″ square fabric scrap in a cheery print (I went with this bright polkadot vintage fabric).
• a 3″ square of recycled felt in yellow or orange
• a 2.5″ square of burlap
• Pinking shears and regular fabric scissors
• sewing machine and red (or contrasting) thread
• vintage button with 2 holes (not 4 holes)
• embroidery thread and needle
• A stick or nice sized twig from the yard

Here’s how to make your sunflowers:

1. Use your pinking shears to cut your 4″ piece of fabric into a 3 3/4″ circle.
2. With regular fabric scissors, cut your 3″ piece of felt into a 2 3/4″ circle, and cut the burlap into a 2 1/4″ circle.
3. You’re ready to stack your flower! Lay down your 3 3/4″ circle, right side up, stack the felt circle on top of that, then stack the burlap on top of those. Pin.
4. Head to the sewing machine, and use your zigzag stitch to sew around the outside of the burlap. This stitch serves two purposes: keeps the burlap from fraying and assembles your sunflower head.
5. Now, use your machine’s straight stitch to sew an astersik shape across the burlap (see the photo above).
6. To attach your flower to the stick, grab your vintage button and your embroidery thread. Thread your needle, and start from the back of your flower’s head. Push the needle through just off-center, then feed it through one of the holes on your button. Feed it back through the button and push the needle through the face of your sunflower head. What you should have now are two loose threads hanging off of the back of your sunflower head, and a button sewn to the center on the front. Use those loose threads to tie your flower tightly to your stick.

That’s it! I displayed my burlap sunflowers in a vase that we had at the house. They’d also look lovely in a mason jar (maybe full of beans or lentils?). Really, you can show them off however you like!

Related Posts:

• Easy Eco Home Decor: Painted Burlap
• How to Make a Pillow Sham
• Turn old Toothpaste Tubes into a Toothpaste Holder

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments
Post tags: burlap, burlap sunflowers, craft project, DIY, fabric flowers, fabric sunflowers, how to

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Looking for a refreshing alternative to throwing away your toothpaste tubes? This easy do-it-yourself project upcycles your empty tubes into a simple toothbrush holder. Upcycling materials like these are a great way to reuse without costing a mint.
(. . [...]]]> This is a guest post from Tiffany Threadgould, TerraCycle’s Chief Designer.

Looking for a refreshing alternative to throwing away your toothpaste tubes? This easy do-it-yourself project upcycles your empty tubes into a simple toothbrush holder. Upcycling materials like these are a great way to reuse without costing a mint.
(. . .)
Click here to read on!

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments
Post tags: craft project, DIY, guest post, handmade, toothbrush caddy, toothpaste

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Of course, I am head over heels for this awesome paper bunting that Jessica Wilson at Scrumdilly-Do made out of junk mail. All you need to [...]]]> If you know me, you know that I love a repurposed banner! They’re quick and fun to make and work for so many different occasions!

Of course, I am head over heels for this awesome paper bunting that Jessica Wilson at Scrumdilly-Do made out of junk mail. All you need to make your own is junk mail, a heart punch, ribbon, paint, and your sewing machine! Want the full scoop? Head on over to Scrumdilly-Do for the complete tutorial!

Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by jek-a-go-go

Related Posts:

• How-to: Burlap Sunflowers
• What does green mean?
• How To: Build a Spiral Container Garden

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2010. | Permalink | Comment
Post tags: banner, bunting, craft project, DIY, garland, junk mail, recycled, repurposed

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It was one of those “AHA!” moments. As you know, I am a crazy hoarder of fabric scraps. I’m constantly looking for ways to use them up, and my scrap bin often has trouble closing because it’s so stuffed. At the same time, I go through quite a bit of ribbon. Each [...]]]>

It was one of those “AHA!” moments. As you know, I am a crazy hoarder of fabric scraps. I’m constantly looking for ways to use them up, and my scrap bin often has trouble closing because it’s so stuffed. At the same time, I go through quite a bit of ribbon. Each Lunch Kit that I make takes a little bit for wrapping up the napkins and utensils, and that adds up when I’m making lots and lots of them.

AHA! It turns out, you can make functional, coordinating ribbon with just long, skinny fabric scraps and a pair of pinking shears! The pinked edges avoid fraying, and I love the look of it.
(. . .)
Click here to read on!

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2010. | Permalink | 4 comments
Post tags: craft project, DIY, easy, handmade, make, ribbon

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This week, I wrote a couple of posts for Crafting a Green World on reusing materials that would otherwise head to the trash bin:

The banner is now living at Brian and [...]]]>

This week, I wrote a couple of posts for Crafting a Green World on reusing materials that would otherwise head to the trash bin:

• Ten Projects for Plastic Bottles
• Making a Banner out of Fabric Scraps

The banner is now living at Brian and Kip’s house out in their garden! I wish I’d gotten a picture of it strung up in their garden, because it looked just lovely.

Related Posts:

• How to Make a Fabric Scrap PomPom
• Tutorial: Make a Cowl from a Sweater Sleeve
• How-to: Make Your Own Washi Tape

© Becky for Glue and Glitter, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments
Post tags: craft project, Crafting a Green World, reuse

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I just love seeing kids encouraged to get crafty! You can read more on their Stuck at Prom website!