Last December, my co-workers and I went to the mall to buy gifts for our significant others for Christmas. We all ended up buying fashionable pocketbooks from the same store. Personally, I wanted to make my wife's pocketbook stand out from the others in some way and not look like all the others. I pondered over this for a few days afterwards, then I had a marvelous idea. Some of my wife's favorite things are from the fabric store and the flower shop. Since I am an avid origami flowers buff making the usual paper origami flowers would be predictable, therefore that was the answer - Making fabric flowers.



My only worries were that I would not know where, or what materials I needed to make them, or even exactly how to make the flower since I had only been accustomed mainly to paper crafts, including paper flowers. To my relief, the needed materials were very easy to acquire at the local hobby shop.

The other thing I was worried about was the time it would take to make the fabric flower, since I didn't know how long it would take to make and Christmas was quickly approaching. Not to mention messing up this new and expensive pocket book and whether or not my flower, even if created correctly, would look okay on it! Again, to my relief it was very inexpensive to buy all the supplies and once everything was acquired it took very little time to make it.

There are only a few items that are needed to make this fabric flower for your significant other, or even your mom or daughter. You will need some fabric, a little piece of felt, some thread (preferably of the same color), some fabric glue (this is optional), and a template (this is the pattern of your design that you trace on the fabric) which you can easily draw the outline for yourself, have someone do for you or find on the internet and print out. The only tools needed are scissors, needle, button (this is used to hide the stitches), and a pin back.

1. first step is use your scissors to cut out the number of flowers needed (indicated on the template) in your fabrics. Use the dotted line to cut into each flower.

2. Next, take the two large pattern flowers and stack them neatly on each other. Fold in half, then lay the smaller flowers on top of the larger flowers, overlapping them.

3. Then, use your needle and thread to make stitches in the center to hold all the petals together. Now, tie the button over the stitches with the remaining thread from the previous step.

4. Finally, cut off a round piece of the felt and secure the pin back on to the felt and then sew the felt to the center of the back of the flower.

You can use a dab of fabric glue behind the felt for more security.

I have to tell you that I stupidly tried making my first flower on the pocket book and I did mess up the fabric flower and then had to buy another pocket book. Ouch! I guess I was anxious to get it done on time and my better sense eluded me. I learned my lesson and I recommend you practice a bit on some paper or cheap cloth first. However, I ended up getting it right and it came out great.

After the holiday was over, my wife began showing off her new pocketbook with the cute fabric flower on the front of it. All her friends were in awe because they didn't understand how I could have found the time and the patience to make the pocket book with the fabric flower and how different I had been from most in the originality of my gift. Unbeknownst to them, it took me about an hour to make it and a ten minute stop at the store to get the supplies. That was it!!!

I never thought that in a million years that this would be a hobby to recommend to others. I had grown fond of paper and origami crafts but never fabric in this sense. I admit that I was terribly mistaken.

Now I recommend this creative hobby to you or anyone that is asking for a fun and inexpensive way to express your creativity, not to mention impressing your wife and friends. Just don't go starting out experimenting on expensive pocket books like I did!