DIY Fabric Flowers Shabby Chic style

Learn how to make Shabby Chic Fabric flowers without the boutique price! These easy DIY Fabric Flowers can be used for a dress, as hair bow accessories for girls and women, jewelry, brooch pins, or even a bag accessory! Easy to make in under 30 minutes, and can be customized based on your fabric choice!

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Fabric flowers are an incredibly easy sewing craft that is great for any beginner. They are sewn by hand, not a clunky machine. And only require a few basic stitches. Basically, if you can sew on a button, you can make these fabric flowers!

They make stunning fashion accessories that can be used for dress embellishments, brooch pins, headbands, hair clip accessories for little girls and babies, fabric flower necklaces, hat accessories, and even for totes, bags and purses. There are so many fun and creative fashionable ways to use a shabby chic fabric flower.

These are also very popular with teenage girls who want a hand in creating their fashion style. Let them mix and match fabrics and buttons and create something that is completely and uniquely them.

These DIY fabric flower fashion accessories also make amazing gifts for little girls, easter basket fillers, stocking stuffers, gifts for new moms of baby girls, your daughter’s girlfriends, and even teachers.

Before I began Busy Creating Memories, I was known for creating boutique fashion hair accessories. I used to make them for my daughter and sell extras on my Etsy page under the name JadeLouise Designs.

After I developed carpel tunnel I found I wasn’t able to keep up with the demand and could no longer sell boutique style hair bows and crochet items. Now I can only sell my crochet patterns, Mug Designs, and some art on Etsy.

But I still love creating boutique styles when my hands allow. And my girls LOVE to wear them. So I wanted to share with you some of the tricks of the trade so you can make them for your own family! Your daughters may not realize it just yet, but give them a few years and they will be so proud to say “My MOM made it for me! Isn’t she awesome?!”

Fabric Flower Cloth Choices

The biggest challenge of these DIY Fabric Flowers is simply selecting your fabrics. You can have all one fabric pattern, or you can mix and match different fabrics.

These shabby chic fabric posy flowers are also great for using up scraps of fabric. If you sew and have left over cloth scraps you can make these to match any outfit you sew!

In our Patriotic flower hairclip, I used all the same US Flag patterned fabric to make it patriotic.

I have also mixed and matched satin with lace. Or burlap with lace. I even use lace with cotton and netting.

You can use any fabric of your choice and make it fit any holiday, wardrobe, or even a special occasion like a wedding (think lots of chic lace and satin)!

This time I’m using three different green St. Patrick’s Day fabrics so my girls have something green to wear on St Patrick’s Day.

Supplies Needed to Make Fabric Flowers

• 6 squares of fabric ( 4X4 inch squares) We will be cutting these up into different sizes.
• Clover Small and Medium Flower Frill Templates
• Needle
• Spool of thread in a matching color to your fabric when possible.
• Cover Button tools set
• Extra small strips of fabric for Cover Button
• Backing of choice- lined alligator hair clip or brooch pin, etc. (Optional)

Note: The flower frill templates package allows you to make both 3″ and 4″ flowers and these turn out great for hair accessories. They also have a large template for 5-6″ flowers and a small template for 2-2.5″ flowers.

How to Make Fabric Flowers

You can make these shabby chic posy flowers in many different sizes, but I love the 3-4″ style so that’s what I’ll be showing you today.

Cut the Fabric

Cut out 6 squares of fabric that are 4X4 inch squares in your choice of fabric.

Use the Medium sized Clover Flower Frill templates to cut each fabric square into a fabric flower shape.

To use the template: fold the square of fabric in half and fold the template over it as well. Then follow the dotted line marks on the template and keep folding as the template illustrates. Always make sure the fabric stays tight against the creases and even. Cut slightly above the curve of the template and trim off the excess fabric. Be careful not to cut the template.

Unfold and withdraw the fabric and continue cutting your squares until you have 6 cut out flower fabrics. You can mix and match patterns all you want. I did two of each of my three fabrics.

Create the Fabric Petals

There are multiple ways you can fold and lay the fabric flower cutouts when building your shabby Chic fabric flowers. It all depends on how fluffy you want it and on the texture of the fabric.

Fabric Petal Folding method #1:

Start with two fabric cutouts and lay them flat, one on top of the other.

Fold the remaining fabric cutouts in half, with the pattern on the outside. Then layer them as you would fold a cardboard box; overlapping them with one end under and the other on top of the next layer.

Then hand stitch in the center to connect each petal to the base petals.

Tie off on the backside and trim the thread.

Fabric Petal Folding method #2:

Start with two fabric cutouts and lay them flat, one on top of the other.

Working one at a time, fold all the remaining fabric petals in half. Then fold in half again. This will leave you with a heart-shaped fabric petal. This is one less foldover from when you were cutting the pattern out. So that might help you picture how it should be folded.

Center the tip of the fabric petal heart in the center of the 2 base petals. Hand stitch a very simple up/down stitch, connecting each end of one petal to the next, while also connecting them to the base petals. It doesn’t take much.

Stitching Tips: You want to keep the stitching as close to the center as possible. This will make it really simple to cover up the stitching with the embellishments. It will also allow your flower petals to fluff more and have more dimension.

I usually use Folding method #2 the most because it is easy, yet also results in a nice fluff of the petals. However, if the fabric doesn’t give enough fluff or lay right, I will use folding method #3.

Fabric Petal Folding method #3:

Lay out two fabric cutouts one on top of the other for the base.

Fold the petals in half just like the other methods. But now with the crescent shape, you take the two outside edges and fold them in towards the center of the inside of the first fold, as though you are tucking the tip up under the center “heart shape” of the petal.

You don’t end up with a perfect tip in the center like the other methods, but they will still line up well together.

With this 3rd folding method, I have to stitch each petal on, one at a time, instead of folding them all and then doing all the stitching at once. Simply because they don’t stay folded on their own.

So I fold one up, place it onto the base, and hold it in place while I quickly stitch the corner into place on the base flower petals. Then I fold the next petal, place it, and stitch it in place, then add the next petal and stitch; slowly working my way around the circle. By the time I’m around to the beginning you have to refold in the unstitched half of the first petal to finish off the last petal stitch.

This method takes a little more effort, but it gives a bit more dimension and fluff to the petals when you have a more flimsy fabric that doesn’t like to give a 3D effect.

Make the Button Center

If you have a good cover button tools pack it gives step-by-step instructions on how to cover the button with the fabric. You can use the same fabric as the petals or pick a completely different fabric to make it stand out more.

I recommend using two layers of fabric if your fabric is light. I found lighter fabrics can sometimes show the silver button underneath after very light use. But it all just depends on the fabric.

Once you have a button center; sew it onto the center of the fabric flower just as you would sew on any regular button.

If you happen to get a flat back cover button, use hot glue to glue it into the center of the Fabric Flowers.

Finishing Touches

The finishing step depends completely on how you plan to use your fabric flowers. You can attach them to a lined alligator clip for a hair clip. Or attach a brooch pin clip. Or you can sew or glue them onto a headband, bag, tote, purse, or dress. You can even attach them to a handmade necklace.

A brooch pin allows you to wear them on a shirt, or attach it to a purse, diaper bag or other decors. You can also attach them to paper crafts!

Fabric Flower Alterations:

Want something a little more your style? Change up the centers and get a completely different look! You don’t HAVE to use a fabric-covered button.

Use different jeweled buttons, mini faux silk flowers, or even earing and necklace charms! Trim up the wires a bit and add a little silk flower for diversity!

Really, you can be as creative as you want. That’s what makes these DIY Fabric Flowers so much fun. Once you have the basic pattern for the flower base, you can jazz up the Shabby Chic Fabric flower to fit your personal style.

Can I Sell it?

Let’s talk about sharing the love of handmade creations! This tutorial is meant to inspire you to craft beautiful fabric flowers. You’re welcome to sell your own unique creations you make using these instructions at craft fairs, fundraisers, or even your own Etsy shop. That’s the beauty of handmade businesses!

Here’s the key thing to remember: Copyright protects the original design and instructions. So, while you can sell your finished flowers, please don’t copy and sell the tutorial itself. Also, it would be fantastic if you could mention where you learned this technique, by giving credit back to this website. Every visitor helps keep this platform running and inspires more creativity!

How would you use these Shabby Chic DIY Fabric Flowers?

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