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Flower pin tutorial
This is my very first tutorial so I just want to say if you have any questions or if you have a better way of explaining something, please let me know because I found out these things are hard and I commend the people who can explain things clearly! A lot of this is very origami-like, so if you have experience, you are one step ahead, but anyone can make these. These pins are very much like the kanzashi pins I have seen recently. I have no idea if this is actually how to make them, this is just the way I made up to make something similiar.



Materials:
Fabric remnant
Matching thread
Decorative button or earring for center
Glue gun and glue sticks
Pin back or hair clip


1. Cut your fabric into squares. The size of the square determines the size of your flower. You can use all the same size or different sizes in the same flower. I chose to use 3 1/2 inch and 2 1/2 inch squares and alternated them in my flower for variety.


2. (There are a couple of ways to get to step 5, this is just the way I do it. I will try to explain a second way as well.**) Fold a square in half diagonally, right side facing out.


3. Fold it again diagonally in half.


4. Holding it in your left hand with the side made of two folded edges up, push the corner of the other side up between the two wings and fold to create an even smaller triangle.



5. You should have a triangle with raw edges on one side, two folded edges on another side and three folded edges on the last side. With the three folded edges up, we need to fold the outer wings up so that their edges are flush with the others.


6. Sew through all layers at the raw edge end. When I say sew, I mean just stick the needle in and pull it out the other side, do not actually make any stitches.


7. Cut the excess raw edge off of the longer flaps. They will just get in your way later when assembling more petals.


8. Continue on to the next petal, stacking them up and cutting off the ends. Then the hard part is over and it wasn't even that hard. You will notice that the petals have an A side and a B side. Either side can be the good side, it gives you options. But unless having two different looking petals as your plan, make sure when stringing them together that they are all the same side up.


9. This flower took 7 small and 7 large petals. You can use as many as you like. When you have enough petals strung together, just tie off your thread. I like to make a glob of hot glue and dab it into the center of the back, this gives the flower more stability and it will keep its shape. Then on top of this glob, I place my pin back or hair clip.


10. Then put something cute on the center front to disguise the hole. Get creative! Buttons, old clip-on earrings with the backs removed, appliqués and felt shapes are some ideas to get you started. Anything you can hot glue or sew on will do nicely.

**Alternative folding technique: Fold in half diagonally, but fold the points of the longest side down to meet the other point. Then just fold the resulting square in half in between the two triangles you just created. Origami Diagram Follow steps 1 and 2 from this origami instruction, then fold in half so that triangular flaps are on the outside.