Camp craft: DIY fabric flower headbands & barrettes

As some of you may recall, I saved last year’s yo-yo crafts for this year’s girls camp. The girls with patience and determination loved making yo yos. For others, hand sewing was a bit arduous. So, I came up with an easier alternative: fabric flower headbands. It was a hit. (I just added pictures of some of the fabulous yo-yo headbands the girls made. Check them out here.)

Two girls with fabric flower headbands in their hair, photo

We used the same circles of fabric that were cut for making yo yos, but no sewing was required. All it took was a little trimming, folding, and hot gluing. I based the idea on a flower pendant I saw for sale at Michael’s a few months ago.

A woman with a flower headband and flower barrettes with bullet shells, photo

The girls — and their adult leaders — got pretty creative with it. Some combined fabric flowers and yo yos. Some mixed patterns with reckless abandon — with beautiful results. And one girl made boutonnières with .22 bullet shells in the center (photo on the right) as gifts for a couple of the volunteer dads in camp. The girls were all grateful and excited that they got to learn how to shoot .22 rifles this year. Many of them saved their bullet shells as souvenirs and incorporated them into their crafts.

How to make fabric flower headbands & barrettes

Supplies and tools to make fabric flower headbands, photo

SUPPLIES & TOOLS

fabric (thin fabric works best)
buttons, gems, or rhinestones
scissors
headbands (we used Goody Stayput headbands)
bobby pins or barrettes
pencil, pen, or fabric marker
cup, quarter, or other circle templates
hot glue gun and glue
felt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Trace your circle template onto ironed fabric with a pen or pencil. You need eight circles for each flower. Our circles were 2¾ inches. Cut each just inside the circle you drew (so you cut off your marks). If you are cutting many circles, use thinner fabric and fold it so you can cut 2-4 circles at a time.

2. Trace a smaller circle template onto some scrap felt. Our felt circles are 1¼ inches. Cut them out.

3. Cut five scallops at the outer edge of the circles to create petals. They don’t have to be even. In fact, I think the flowers look better if the petals are uneven.

4. Petal #1 — Fold one of the scalloped circles in half, then in half again so it’s shaped like ¼ of a pie. Put a tiny dollop of hot glue at the pointed tip and glue it in the center of the felt circle.

5. Petal #2 — Fold each petal the same way and glue it down so that it covers half of the petal underneath it.

Note: The key to a fluffy flower is using as little glue as possible.

6. Petal #3 — Your petals should create ½ a pie now.

Note: These photos show the open end of the folded petals layered underneath the petal next to it. Your flowers will be fluffier if you place the open end above the petal next to it instead.