Embellishments are the finishing touch that can bring a project from mediocre to amazing in just a matter of minutes, but they also can get to be expensive, especially some of the more intricate versions available on the market today. This month I have challenged the senior design team to take the path that Michelle Wooderson has explored lately (such as demonstrated in her posts HERE and HERE) and create their own embellishments with supply basics in their stash. Not only is Michelle's whole idea fun & economical, it also allows you to customize color & style to give you coordination possibilities for nearly any type of project.
I thought I would start you off with my new little exploration, the world of crocheted flowers. There are several big-name manufacturers that carry these little homespun beauties, but they can run anywhere from 50-75 cents each and the color selection can tend to be quite limiting. I decided to go on the hunt for a crochet pattern I could use to create my own, but after hours and hours of research and trial runs, I never found anything that I was completely happy with. So I combined several aspects from different patterns that I liked and created my own method. It's quick, easy and inexpensive to build your own little stash of crocheted flowers, ready to use in your paper crafting adventures.
I have created a step by step tutorial that even a beginner could follow along with.
- 4 yards DMC cotton embroidery floss (about half a standard package)
- US size 2 crochet hook
You will notice that I decided to use DMC embroidery floss instead of the traditional crochet thread. I chose this merely for the color availability. I was able to find the floss in all of the Papertrey colors and with that as a resource I will be able to create these flowers to coordinate with all of my projects.
If you would like to see my list of PTI/DMC numbers, you can access it HERE.
ABBREVIATIONS
(you can click on each stitch for step-by-step video tutorials that I located)
ch= chain stitch
sl st= slip stitch
sc= single crochet
dc= double crochet
3dc= three double crochets in same stitch
Step 1: ch 5. Join with sl st to form ring.
Step 2: Add 10 sc through ring.
Step 3: sl st to top of first sc.
Step 4: create a small petal in the first sc using the following pattern (sc, 3dc, sc).
Step 5: continue creating a small petal in every other sc with the same pattern (creating 5 petals total). sl st to join with first sc of first petal. You can stop here and fasten off for a small flower that measures approximately 1-inch in diameter. Or you can continue to create a more elaborate 2-layer flower.
Step 6: flipping to the back of the flower, sc down through base opening of small petal.
Step 7: ch 3, and sc through next petal base opening.
Step 8: repeat 4 more times in each opening. sl st through first sc, creating a series of 5 loops total.
Step 9: create a large petal in the first loop using the following pattern (sc, 5dc, sc).
step 10: continue creating a large petal in each of the remaining 4 loops with the same pattern. sl st to join with first sc of first petal. COMPLETE! These really only take a matter of minutes to put together, and once you have the hang of it, it's something you can do while watching tv or waiting in the doctor's office.
The perfect finishing touch for the center is one of our vintage buttons.
(click the image for an enlarged view)
Here is a quick little card I put together using my handmade flower and a few of my favorite stamp sets: Birds of a Feather for the sentiment, Beyond Basic Borders for the border and Background Basics: Text Style to accent the leaves I cut from cardstock (inspired by a recent post by Dawn).
I'm looking forward to using these little beauties in the future. I mean, what's not to love? They are even post office friendly!
OTHER FUN FLOWER RESOURCES...
Here are some other interesting resources that I stumbled on along the way that I thought you may find of interest.
Crochet Pattern Central shares an entire library of flower patterns, all for free!
You can register to receive the Lion Brand Yarn Newsletter yourself HERE. Every week they provide a new flower pattern!
If you like to do things by the book, THIS ONE is an awesome resource.
Now for even more AMAZING, economical embellishment options, be sure to check out what the rest of the gals have done!!!
CLICK HERE to read more from Heather Nichols
CLICK HERE to read more from Lisa Johnson
CLICK HERE to read more from Becky Oehlers
CLICK HERE to read more from Lauren Meader
CLICK HERE to read more from Michelle Wooderson
CLICK HERE to read more from Kelly Lunceford
On a side note, I wanted to take a moment to thank Kelly for particpating with us for the past two months as our Distinguished Guest Designer! She has inspired me SO much in the different ways to utilize our products and she has been an absolute joy to work with. We are thrilled that she will be continuing on with us in her participation within the Timeless Template Team. Look for more of her work during the upcoming countdown week and in the future! Thank you, Kelly!!!
I hope you have all been inspired to start mass producing your own embellishments after all of the idea springboards that have been presented today! We would love o see what you do! Please feel free to leave a link in the comments section! Happy stamping!
Supplies for my project, please visit individual team members blogs for complete instructions & supplies for their projects...
Stamps: Birds of a Feather, Beyond Basic Borders, Background Basics: Text Style
Ink: Vintage Cream (leaf border), True Black Detail (sentiment), Versamark (text leaves), Vintage Touch Tea Dye Duo (card edges)
Paper: classic kraft, ripe avocado
Other: new leaf vintage button, needle & thread, handmade flower (directions above)
Finished Size: 4.25 x 5.5"
