Easy Felt Flowers (and paper ones too)

 I've been making some headbands with these easy felt flowers.  You can get quite a few flowers out of each sheet of felt from the craft store.....I think they run around 35 cents if I remember right.  I had to be the model for this post since Jaycee wasn't home.  I wish I could say it was an unusually spiky hair day but I'd be lying.  I always have the spiky hairdo.  Gotta have some attitude in life! 

I'm sitting in the backyard enjoying this weather in my Adirondack chair (just don't ask me to pronounce it!) with my netbook and Diet Dew.  I'm making sure the neighbors mean dogs don't jump the fence and eat the ducks....which they just decided look like dinner....so we haven't dared to let them roam the backyard like we used to.  A small section of fence on that side of our backyard is only about 4 feet...so easily jumped by a determined dog.  Taller fence is now on Gary's "To Do List."  (Not going to mention how much these $6 ducks and $2 chickens have cost us!)  Anyway, on the the tutorial.

 I'm going to show you how to make paper flowers first since you can see the method better.  You used double sided scrapbook paper.  I started with about a 5 inch square and cut the circle out freehand.  Don't trace a circle...believe me freehand is better.  

 Then cut a spiral to the middle.  Don't go smaller as you go into the circle.  The middle will be the outside of your flower.  Leave a little circle in the middle.  You will glue your flower to it.

 Then on the outside edge cut scallops for your petals.

 I inked the edges of this one.  You don't have to....just adds some dimension.

 Then start at the outside and roll to the middle on the inside of the circular cut you made.  Remember that the side of the paper you want to show should be face up when you roll.

 When it's all rolled up put a little hot glue on the little circle.  Let the flower unwind a bit and then glue it down on the circle.  

 Ta-da!!  Easy.  The next part was hard for me to do...thought it would ruin my perfect flower.  Turn it over so the petals are down and gently smash it with your fingers/hand.

 I couldn't get the ink off my fingers.....and I need a manicure.  Geez....everything shows up in pictures.

 The finished product.  Mashing the flowers really makes the flower look good....I promise!

 The felt flowers are made in a similar fashion.  You cut out your circle.  I cut off the end of the felt before I start rolling.  It makes a nice center to glue the bead in.  For the felt flower you don't cut the scallops.

 Start rolling.  Be sure to roll on the inside cut.  I put a little strip of glue and then roll.  You don't want to pull the felt tight when rolling it...just a loose roll.  

 Then put the hot glue on your rolled flower and fold the circle over on the glue.  If the circle is larger than your flower just trim with your scissors.

 Easy flower!

 Add a drop of glue in the center and add a bead.  I buy $2 bracelets at a little store in the mall and then cut them apart and use the beads.  I'm sure you can find them at the craft store too.   

 I buy headbands at the dollar store and cover them with ribbon using my glue gun.  It makes the headband more durable.  Then glue various shapes and colors of flowers on your headband.  I put a little strip of matching felt on the back of the headband/flowers for more stability.  You can glue a couple on an alligator clip too if headbands aren't your thing. 

 It's fun to play around with different colored beads and flowers.  

I glued 2 pieces of felt together and made this flower.  It was a little harder to roll but a fun look!

 A little addicting.....so many sizes and colors!