Bouquet of kanzashi fabric flowers

This tutorial will teach you how to make a beautiful bouquet of fabric flowers, using the Japanese kanzashi construction method. While this project did take me several evenings to complete, this would be a great group activity. If everyone made one or two flowers, you'd have a bunch in no time!

Standard sewing materials:

• Fabric scissors
• Hot glue gun
• Needle and thread
• Pen or chalk

Bouquet supplies:

• Mason jar or vase
• Green yarn
• Balloon holders, 13 inches long
• Fabric strip for flower centres, each roughly 22 inches long by 2 inches wide
• Green fabric circle to cover base of flower. Recommended 2 1/4 inch circle, with 0.5 inch excess to fold over and hide raw edge
• Five fabric circles for petals (per flower), each circle 5 inches wide

Step 1 - Flower petals

For 3 video tutorials on how to make kanzashi flowers, please refer to my previous post. Fold each circle in half. Knot the thread on the outside edge of the first petal. Using needle and thread, baste around the outside (curved) edge of the half circle and put taunt to gather. You are creating a chain of petals on a single piece of thread. Knot on the outside edge of the fifth petal.

I found it easier to glue the petal ring shut, once the middle had been inserted. Your completed petals should look like the above. 

Step 2 - Pistil

Now we will prepare the flower's centre. Using your hot glue gun, lay a steady, thin line of glue to the lengthwise bottom edge of the fabric strip. Fold in half.

Using sharp fabric scissors, cut thin slits into the unglued, top folded edge of the fabric strip. Stop cutting about half way down. This will create loops. 

Tightly roll the central fabric strip like a cinnamon roll, keeping the loops even. Dab small dots of hot glue periodically to the inside of the strip to secure the roll. Secure the end of the strip.

Step 3 - Assembling the flower

Ensure that the petals can reach all the way around the centre. Insert the centre and glue the open petals closed. Then secure the ring of five petals to the centre with glue, ensuring they are evenly spaced and lie flat. Trim off any excess fabric from the back of the centre roll.

Step 4 - Stem

Glue the curved cup of the balloon holder to the back of the flower. Be sure to use lots of glue! 

Step 5 - Sepal

Take your green fabric circle and glue the edges over. I found it easiest to glue tangential lines from the rim of the circle all the way to the edge of the fabric and fold the excess over. This prevented any of the edges from puckering and escaping. 

Fold the green circle in half and mark the centre point with chalk. Fold in half the other way and mark the intersection point. Snip a small x in the middle of the fabric.

Slide the green fabric circle over the balloon holder to hide the mess on the underside of the flower. Secure the fabric to the petals with more hot glue.

I tried to cover the base of another flower with yarn, but it turned out too bulky. It was difficult to wrap as well. The green fabric sepal worked best. 

Step 6 - Wrapping the stem

To give the flower stems a warm, organic feel, wrap them in yarn. Start at the bottom of the balloon holder and tack the yarn down with hot glue. Wrap the yarn tightly and densely around the stem shaft, securing it every so often with glue. Stop once you hit the green fabric sepal. Cut the yarn and glue the end down. 

Et Voila! Repeat to create a bunch.