DIY Felt Rosettes

Update -Benzie is now blogging over at Benzie Design - don't miss any of our new tutorials or news!

What a better time to make a dozen (or more!) roses for ones you love the most! These flowers are made easy with the use of WRMK Rose die and wool felt by Benzie.

Supplies you will need:
Wool blend felt from Benzie -we use the colors from Carnation Collection
Rose die from WRMK
Leaf die from WRMK
Florist wire
Hot glue gun

First, go crazy die cutting flowers! If you've never die cut before we suggest reading more on using die cut machines over at this blog post. This flower die comes with a white 'ejection foam' -this is helpful when cutting paper -but not so much felt. We suggest removing the white foam to make it easier to cut the felt.

Take the end of the felt spiral and glue around the top of the florist wire. Continue wrapping around the base until you get the desired flower look -secure with glue. I wrapped a green leaf around the base to finish off the flower.

Make a couple dozen more! I love how Coral, Peach and Thistle look here -and then in a bouquet!

Happy Valentine's day friends!

Felt Flower Bouquet DIY

Benzie's very first blog post included some finds of alternate wedding bouquets -some used ribbon and some felt but we inspired you to think differently about the fresh bouquet that traditionally adorns brides. Jen at Something Turquoise did just that -she rocked the felt foliage and pumped out 8 diy's that cumulated in one beautiful bouquet in all its wool felt glory. Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?

In order to make a single bouquet in the colors pictured -all you need is a 9x12" bundle of 15 sheets in these Benzie wool blend felt colors: Pink (2), Cotton Candy (2), Fern (2), Sage (2), Butter, Parchment or Linen (Jen used Parchment but our new color Linen might be a more creamy fit!), Rainstorm, Oats, Graphite, Rose and Mulberry. If two sheets of the same color are selected (like the Pink) -you will receive it in the larger 12x18" sheet.

To get all the crafty details and to view the eight flowers and foliage diy's check out Something Turquoise. And let me know if you make the bouquet or just your favorites -tag with #benziefelt -I would love to see what you create!

Felt Flower Tutorial

Update -Benzie is now blogging over at Benzie Design - don't miss any of our new tutorials or news!

We are blog hopping today with my friends at We R Memory Keepers -scroll down below to find more diy's and to enter in a giveaway!

My favorite felt craft has to be flowers -always beautiful and I love being able to use all the colors of Benzie's rainbow! These remind me of wildflowers -pretty, bright and whimsical -you'll be crafting up a whole bouquet in no time!

Supplies needed:
Benzie Felt (we love how Fern, Foxglove, Guava and Periwinkle look together)
Benzie PomPoms in Foxglove, Lemonade and Fern, 1cm and 2cm size
Oval Punch Dies from Shop We R
Wire flower stems
Hot glue

First you'll going to want an nice pile of large and small ovals using your die cut machine and the Oval Punch Die. I love this die and find it quite versatile (check out our Succulent DIY -we can't stop using it!) -it makes so many at one time!

To make filler stems and leaves on flowers you will use the large oval die -place a dot of glue on the bottom of the oval and pinch around the floral wire. Space to your liking. 

These little flowers remind me of Cosmos -I love all the colors! We use our small 1cm felt balls and attach to floral wire with a little hot glue (you may want use a needle or an awl to pre-pierce a hole). We use 4 small ovals -place a bit of glue on the bottom and pinch along the base of the felt pom. 

Our large flowers used 12 large ovals total -but this can be varied to adjust the look and style of your bloom. The first layer uses 4 ovals -we pre-pinched each petal before attaching to the base. This helped form the flower.

To finish the flower keep adding ovals around the pom-pom -add a green leaf or two to finish it off!

Don't forget to checkout We R Memory Keepers other diy's this week!

Aimee's Armoire	http://aimeesarmoire.typepad.com
Benzie Design	http://benziedesign.blogspot.com
Cokie Pop Paper	http://cokiepopaper.blogspot.com
Cutesy Crafts	http://cutesycrafts.com
Ginger Snap Crafts	http://www.gingersnapcrafts.com
Gluesticks Blog	http://gluesticksblog.com/
Homework	http://www.carolynshomework.com
Kutz Paper Scissors	http://andreayokley-jessup.blogspot.com
Making the World Cuter	http://makingtheworldcuter.com
Midwestern Girl Missy Dear	http://www.midwesterngirldiy.com http://www.missy-dear.com
One Scrappin Mama	http://onescrappinmama.blogspot.com
Popsicle Toes	http://shellypop.com
Pretty Providence	http://prettyprovidence.com
Scrap Time	http://scraptime.ca
Sew Craft Create	http://sewcraftcreate.com
Snapping Monsters	http://snappingmonsters.blogspot.com
The Creative Mom	http://www.thecreativemom.com
Tried and true	http://triedandtrueblog.com
Waffleflower	http://waffleflower.com
We R Memory Keepers	http://wermemorykeepers.wordpress.com
Worley House	www.andreaworley.com

Go to We R Memory's Keepers facebook to enter to win their Crafters Tote too (love the color -looks like Benzie's Peacock!).

Anemone Brooch by Benzie

I've been working on a little project -a brooch inspired by an anemone. They are gorgeous flowers -large petals with dark button centers and distinctive stamen. Just gorgeous and I envisioned one as a brooch. I made my first one over a year ago -it looked something like this:I've worn it a lot over the past year, even fulfilling some custom orders for friends. This gave me the opportunity to refine, tweak, perfect and refine some more (yep -total perfectionist!!). And now I have some ready in Benzie's handmade shop -and just in time for mothers day!

Loving the little french knots!  Enjoy!

Wedding Bouquets: using the non-traditional

source
A beautifully mixed bouquet of ribbon, fabric, and felt. The added buttons, from grandmothers attic, are a memorable way to add "something old" to your wedding day. And these "fresh" flowers will be around a lot longer as well!

1. This bouquet was created by the very talented LaLaLaurie. Most reminiscent of the bouquet I held on my wedding day eight years ago -mine a perfect sphere of fully handcrafted white crepe paper flowers with hints of blue and green. I love the use of velvet ribbon. How would you incorporate velvet and felt together?
2. This bouquet is created fully out of felt and is all hand embroidered by Princess Lasertron. She has undertaken hundreds of bouquets, all in the most amazing colors and endless eye candy.
3. Rose Bud Bouquet and easy to do tutorial! I love the body and fullness this arrangement makes and the contrast of pearl centers.
4. I appreciate the simplicity of these flowers and bright button centers. Purchase this flower arrangement from I Do Take You.
5. Another classy Fabric and Rick Rack bouquet -a unique color combination and rick rack flowers create great texture and form to this flower arrangement.

I can imagine many more lovely additions to these fabric and felt flowers -how about live flowers? Or feathers and birds? I like beads and pom poms! Either way, a bouquet is a wonderful way to personalize and carry out a theme of any lovely couples wedding. To have and to hold...