BrittanyMakes

Happy Monday! This post is long overdue and FINALLY complete.  The original idea to make these felt flowers came up after my sister had her baby girl about 2 weeks ago. I wanted to photograph her wearing a flower in her hair.  I shopped around, but didn't exactly care for any of the headbands or hair accessories I saw at baby stores like Gap or Gymboree.  All the styles I saw seemed so mass produced.  I wanted something with a handmade feel to it, but didn't want to pay an arm and a leg at some baby boutique.  So… I decided to make my own.

I'll admit, I may have gotten carried away, but they're so cute and easy I just can't couldn't stop making them.  There are so many baby girls in my life right now, between my sister and my girlfriends all having baby girls, I can only begin to share the inspiration I had for each individual flower.

 

 

I love handmade accessories. There's something unique in every piece that evokes a special and heart warming feeling when giving or receiving handmade gifts.  I love to see friends and family open a handmade gift, the instant they realize I made it just for them. I had their personality, style and tastes in mind.  It's special, and one of a kind.

These headbands are very easy to make.  Continue reading and I'll show you how it's done!

FELT FLOWER HEADBAND

 

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

1. Felt of choice, min 1 sheet
2. Scissors
3. Glue gun & 2 glue sticks
4. Thin piece of cardboard
5. Plain headband or stretchy lace

 

STEP 1 – cut your felt in the following sizes and shapes:

 

STEP 2 – cut a 2" diameter circle out of thin cardboard for the base of the flower.  I used a Luna Bar box, the cardboard is perfectly thin and not too heavy.

 

STEP 3: Cut the felt strips into squares to prep for cutting out petals

 

STEPS 4 – 9:

 

Step 4 – Cut the 1" felt circle.  Fold the circle in half and cut in a W pattern around the edges. 

 

Step 5 – Cut petals out of the square pieces of felt

 

 

Step 6 – Fold the petal in half and cut the second side the same as the first

 

Step 7 – the petal should look like this

 

 

Step 8 – apply a dab of glue on the bottom center of the petal

 

Step 9 – fold the bottom corners in and ontop of the glue

 

 

 

Repeat steps 5-9 for all petals.  You roughly need 12-13 1.5" petals for the bottom layer, 10-12 1.25" petals for the second layer, and 9-10 petals for the third layer.

 

STEP 10 – Glue the 1.5" petals on the cardboard base.  I used 12 1.5" petals for this flower.

 

 

STEP 11 – Glue the 1.25" petals on top of the first layer.  I used 11 petals on the second layer of this flower. 

 

STEP 12 – Glue the 1" petals on top of the second layer.

 

 

STEP 13 – Glue the 1" W trim felt circle and the 1/3" W trim felt strip to the center of the flower.  First, glue down the felt circle, second, roll the 1/3" W trim felt strip around itself, then glue in the center and on top of the circle.  It will look like this:

 

 

STEP 14 – Measure & cut the lace, glue to the back of the cardboard, then glue the 2" felt circle on top to secure the lace in place

 

 

Here is a general size chart for baby heads:

• Newborn – 10 inches
• 0-3 Months – 12 inches
• 3-6 Months – 14 inches
• 6-9 Months – 16 inches
• 9-12 Months – 18 inches

And voila! You've made yourself a headband. 

 

 

Here are a few images of the other headbands I made

 

 

 

The entire collection

 

And, my BF's niece, aka my favorite model

 

These headbands alone might force me to open an Etsy account to sell them online.  What do you think? Would you buy one? Instead of turning the flowers into headbands, you could turn them into pins and pin one to a jacket or a sweater.  I think i'm doing that next, I feel a little silly at my age wearing a flower in my hair, but a mustard yellow flower pin on a smokey gray sweater? That, I think I can do!