vintage style fabric stamens

{this making project was originally featured in April/09}

 

 

Gather Together

 

 

small fabric scraps

-I used upholstery velvet, wool felt, velvet ribbon, a smidge of a fat quarter + vintage number ribbon

 

a piece of cardboard

- cereal box cardboard is fine

 

covered wire stems

decorative paper scraps

- I used damaged text pages from old books

 

 

Scissors (craft + fabric scissors if you have them)

Glue (tacky type of craft glue)

Paint brush (just a cheap one)

Pen or pencil for tracing

Circular object for tracing around

Bamboo skewers (I use the pointy tips to tidy up glue that might ooze around edges)

Needle (not shown) - for poking holes into cardboard

 

 

Trace circles onto one side of cardboard. Flip over + glue text pages onto other side. Allow to dry. Cut out circles.

 

 

Trace circles onto wrong side of fabric pieces using a pencil or a fabric pen. Cut out.

 

 

 

Pierce a hole in your cardboard circles with your needle.

 

 

 

Thread the wired stems up through the text side of the cardboard circles. This will be the underside.

 

 

 

On the top side of the cardboard circle, bend over the end piece of the wire into an L-shape, just a smidge, approximately ¼”. Push the wire upwards a bit and holding 2 fingers under the cardboard + wire to keep steady---using your brush, apply glue onto the cardboard circle. Pull the stem back down, so the "L" lays flat on top of the cardboard. This will secure your wire stems to the cardboard circle.

 

 

 

Brushing on a bit more glue you can begin to glue your fabric circles on top, covering the wires.

 

Do not worry if the fabric circles do not fit perfectly onto the cardboard circles. You can easily trim around the edges with your scissors. 

 

 

This is an easy way to use up even the tiniest of fabric scraps from ribbons to tattered pieces of clothing.

 

I like to cluster these on top of gift packages and twist them onto branches (I'll share a photo one of these days…) These are perfect as a starting point for a boutonniere, as filler pieces or a central focus. To make them extra special for a wedding day, you could photocopy bits of your family history and use that in place of the text I glued to the cardboard. Perhaps you have pieces of fabric from a sentimental, yet threadbare garment that could be given new life as a bouquet of these.

 

 

You could also build up around your stamens by adding petals and leaves - try using interesting paper scraps or other fabric textures for additional components.

 

 {vintage on the left; my reproductions on the right}

 

Modeled after vintage stamens, I love these just as they are- lovely little bouquets of dots.