Twine Flowers

July 30, 2013

Twine Flowers

I love these little cuties! Started out making a few for a wreath, and just couldn't stop! Found a few tutorials on how to make them, but had to tweak them a bit. These will be adorable on wreaths, hair clips, frames, or packages. I've also seen them used to embellish cards.

Warning! This tutorial is VERY detailed, and wordy. Don't get overwhelmed, you should be able to follow the pictures.

Okay, so lets begin.

Supplies:

Cardboard (I used a cracker box)
Circle shape to trace or circle cutter

Pencil or pen

Ruler or straight edge

Scissors

Hot glue

Stick pins (tip, have one pin marked differently than the rest - I used a black pin)
Masking tape

Bakers twine, sisal twine, hemp chord, ribbon, etc.

Large eye needle

To make the looms:

If you don't have a circle cutter, trace and cut two circles from the cardboard. I used two different size cups to trace circles, 2 3/4 inches and 3 1/2 inches. You need two circles the same size for each template. Using a straight edge, draw lines across the diameter intersecting in the center (or as close to the center as you can), creating pie pieces. I made six lines on each, to make eight petals.

Glue the matching circles together, in the center, with the piece with your lines facing out.

Put a small dab of hot glue between the circles in the spaces between the lines. Place a pin between the pieces along each line with the head out about 1/2 an inch. If the pins seem loose (loose enough to slip out on their own), add glue between them. You want the pins to be secure, but easy enough to remove and re-insert. For added measure, place a piece of masking tape between the pins. My black pin becomes my starting pin (pin 1) and reference point.

To make the flowers:

Begin with the end of the twine held to center of the template, with about an two inches of extra twine beyond. You will use this to tie off the finished end. (In this pic, I didn't have a long enough tail, so make yours longer than shown).

Wrap the twine around pin 1 and straight down and around the opposite pin.

Bring it back up and around pin 2 - to the left of 1.

Down to its opposite pin and back up to pin 3 to the left of 2. Repeat. Once you go completely around, you will have two loops of twine on each pin. Go half way around again, so you have three loops on each pin.

Cut the twine leaving about 20 inches of length. Thread it onto the needle.

At this point, you'll need to slide your finger or yarn needle between the petals, pushing the twine toward the center of the loom, so your flower center will be small. This will also define your petals.

Take the needle and insert it behind the right side of the loops on the pin opposite where you stopped making loops (should be the pin to the right of pin 1).

Pull the chord out on the left side of those loops and pull tight.

Insert it, again, behind the right side of the same set of loops and across behind the set of loops to the left of the first.

Pull tight and repeat around until the end.

When you reach the last set of loops, only insert it behind that set and stop and hold the chord tight. If you find the loops look uneven, adjust the stitches you just made up or down as needed, and loosen or tighten the stitches also as needed. You have secured the petals. Now you need to secure the center.

Insert the needle between the two petals across from and one petal to the right of where you finished securing the petals and under all of the strands of twine across the center to the opposite side. Pull tight. Insert again, across and one petal to the right of where it came out. Repeat until you have "sewn" between each petal (six stitches total).