The pointy petals are the easiest ones to make. They also require less precision, although they look great in chrysanthemums, gerberas and in more complex combinations, such as the lotus flowers.
This tutorial will teach you the basic moves that you’ll get in no time. In a few minutes you’ll be able to make a cute flower of your own.
Take into account the fact that, from the same square of fabric you can make a long and narrow pointy petal or a short and wide round petal.
If you want to mix them in complex petals, the square for the pointy petal should be a bit larger, to accommodate the wide round petal.
A pair of tweezers can help you achieve higher precision, especially when you work with tiny squares of silk.
Traditionally, in Japan, all petals are made using tweezers, from 2×2 cm squares. But since what I make is normally larger, I like to use my fingers to grab and hold the fabric.
Experiment, see what works best for you.
Jump to the video demonstration
Materials and tools: a square of silk, a pair of scissors, silicone glue gun
First you form the petal, then you glue it and give it a nice finish.
Fold the square along the diagonal.
You end up with a triangle.
Then you fold the resulting triangle along its median.
This is the view from a different angle.
Cut off a bit from the corner in order to expose all the layers to the hot glue.
Put a bit of hot glue between the layers. Wait 2-3 seconds, then press the end of the petal with your fingers. Care is needed here. Only use really small droplets of glue and don’t touch them right after placing them. Wait for a few seconds.
Cut off the excess silicone.
Even out the base by cutting through all the fabric layers.
Seal the bottom with a bit of silicone. Then cut off the excess.
Your petal is ready!
When working with synthetic fabrics, you can use a source of heat for finishing the petals (a candle or a soldering iron work best). You will use the glue gun or other kinds of glue only for assembly.
Video tutorial
What can you make using these pointy petals?
Here are some examples of my designs that use the pointy petal.
Cute butterflies to wear in your hair or on your lapel. Click on the photo for the tutorial.
Dragonfly brooches.
Pretty lotus flower earrings. Click for photo tutorial (soon in English).
Opulent chrysanthemums for special events. Click on the photo for the tutorial.
A lovely iris flower for a hat or to wear as a brooch. Click on the photo for the tutorial.
I hope you’ll have a lot of fun making these petals and experimenting with different sizes and arrangements. You can check out my kanzashi Pinterest board for inspiration.
If you want to be notified when I publish the next tutorials and articles in English, write your email address in the form to the left and tick “English articles”.
Keep up the great work!
Andrea