Turning plain fabric flowers into blingy handmade brooches is fun and easy, and makes a great gift to give to any trendy lady.
Instructions
STEP 1:
Warm up both your heating elements, making sure they are nice and hot. You will need to clear an area so that nothing gets burned or melted by your glue gun, Hotfix tool or iron.
STEP 2:
While your tools are warming, lay out your Hotfix crystals on a flat surface, color side up, so you know which colors you are working with. The flat, gray side of the crystal is the side with the glue.
STEP 3:
Take your fabric flower and decide where you want to add bling ahead of time, and decide if there will be a pattern to follow. It’s important to get an idea of exactly where you want your crystals and which colors work best before you begin because once you’ve started to adhere the crystals, you can’t go back. Space a few out to be sure you like the look. After you have chosen your design, you may begin the Hotfix process.
STEP 4:
If you are using a Hotfix tool, one at a time you will place your crystal in the desired location with the grey side down, and firmly press the Hotfix tool on top of the crystal for about 10 seconds. The faceted, color side of the crystal is where you will be positioning the tool. Don’t worry, they won’t melt and the crystals won’t get damaged.
STEP 5:
After 10 seconds you’ll notice the thickness of the glue on the bottom grey side of the crystal slowly start to melt away. This means it’s adhering and you can lift the tool off.
STEP 6:
Designer Tip: I like to use the flat headed Hotfix tool because the crystals have less chance of getting stuck inside the head of the tool this way. If you’d prefer to use a millimeter head Hotfix tool and the crystal does get stuck, just run a pin down the inside of the tip and the crystal will pop right out.
STEP 7:
Once you’ve lifted the tool off, allow the glue to cool for about 5 seconds.
STEP 8:
After it’s cooled, lightly apply pressure to the crystal, left and right, as if you’re wiggling a loose tooth. As long as it stays in place, it’s good to go. If it moves or pops off, you’ll know right away that need to repeat the 10 second process again.
STEP 9:
If you’re using an iron, you could place a few crystals at a time on a flower petal and apply the same 10 seconds of firm pressure. Just make sure you only use the top inch of the iron that doesn’t have steam holes in it, or the crystals could get caught there and they are harder to pry out. Plus you don’t want glue residue left behind.
STEP 10:
Once you’ve determined your method, it’s step and repeat until you’ve completed the look you desire. In this example I’ve only highlighted the flower petals with a few crystals, but used the green leaves as a place to really accentuate with bling. Depending on the flower you’re working with, you may choose otherwise.
STEP 11:
Once your design is completed, you’re ready to adhere the pin. It’s good to test out the placement of the pin beforehand so you can be assured that the location you chose isn’t going to make the flower too top heavy and thereby flip over when you wear it. The best way to do this is to flip the flower over and put a safely pin through a base of the flower and then try pinning it to a sturdy lapel.
STEP 12:
Designer Tip: Be Careful – use pins only on bulky or loose fabrics; no silk or any material that will leave a permanent hole.
STEP 13:
Once you’ve determined pin placement, simply dab a speck of glue with your glue gun and adhere. Take care for the hot glue to pop through holes on the pin. This gives a strong fasten once it’s dry. Allow about 1 hour to make sure that the pin is good and dry. Then it’s ready to be wrapped up as a beautiful gift or worn by you. Either way, it’s a hit every time!
STEP 14:
Designer Tip: To add extra flair and make this project even more versatile, try adding a barrette to the back of the flower, right next to the brooch pin. Then the piece can be worn as a stylish hair accessory too!