We have created this post specifically for those of you who are interested in the the Plush Floral dies! Using these dies with felt opens up a whole lot of creative opportunities - though you may be wondering how to get started, so we've put together a basic guide to help you.
After all, dies can be used for so much more than just cardmaking! Many of you have asked about assembling the flowers once they are die cut, so hopefully the following pictures and instructions will help get you started. The April 2016 Look Book is loaded with ideas for using these fun 3D flowers (as well as a few other felt projects). The important thing to keep in mind is there is no right or wrong way for designing your flowers. You can opt to use 10 petals or 30 to achieve very different looks.
One general tip for assembling the flowers is to use some hot glue at the bottom of each petal. As you assemble, try to keep the center of the flower lower than the petals you are adding. If the center of the flower starts getting higher than the petals, then you will end up with more of a cone shape than a flower shape.
Plush Camelia
Don't you just love the 99427 Plush Camelia? Cut out the center and roll the felt, gluing as you roll, to create the center stamens. Note that you may not need the entire piece, depending on the size of your flower - you can cut off some of the center and save it for another project. Once the center is rolled begin gluing, starting with the smallest petals. Try to position the petals a little randomly when assembling - and the more petals you add, the tighter the flower becomes.
Plush Anemone
Similar to the Camelia in assembling is the Plush Anemone . Here you can see a close up of the center of the flower. Remember, you don't have to use the entire center for your flower. It can be cut to match the size of your flower.
Look at how different the 99431 Plush Anemone looks if you choose a different color for the center. The great thing about the flower dies is that you can change the colors to match your favorite colors, your home, school colors, wedding colors, or so much more. The choices are endless. To assemble this flower, you will want to space the flowers out more than the Plush Camelia. Start with 5 small petals and 5 large petals, gluing the small petals first around the center. The flower turns out rather flat, but the felt can be shaped to appear more dimensional once the project is completed.
Plush Succulent
Is there anything hotter in papercrafting right now than succulents? They seem to be showing up everywhere! To create your own version with the 99425 Plush Succulent, start with the smallest petals and pinch tightly in the center when gluing. Place petals onto your flower starting with the smallest petals and moving to the larger petals. Remember to add the petals in random positions rather than symmetrically. As you move away from the center of the flower, the petals are still slightly pinched in the center to give dimension, but not as tightly as the center.
Plush Narrow Succulent
Want to try a different version of a succulent? Why not try the new 99429 Push Narrow Succulent? It is assembled in a similar fashion to the Plush Succulent. Starting with the smaller petals, pinch them tightly in the center and glue. As you add more petals, continue to pinch the centers, but not as tightly as the center petals.
Plush Classic Rose
Who doesn't love roses? They are perfect for pretty much any occasion. With graduation and the wedding season coming up, the 99421 Plush Classic Rose is very practical to own.
To assemble the roses, cut out the petals - in general, you will be cutting several pieces for each size of die. Depending on the look of you flower, you may use more small petals for a tighter center. Or you may use more large petals to create a fuller bloom. Try out different combinations!
You will see that each die creates a slit in each of the petals. To create the curved shape of a rose petal, grab the point on either side of the slit, overlap the two pieces and then glue the two sides together. When you start the flower, overlap the two points tightly to create a petal that is almost cylindrical. As you move farther and farther away from the center of the rose, overlap the points of each petal less and less so that they aren't as curved as the center petals. Once your petals are ready, you can begin assembling by starting with the smallest petals in the center and building outward. To finish the flower, you can bend the outside edges of each petal with your fingers to "open" up the flower more.
Plush Ruffled Rose
Want a different look to your rose? The 99423 Plush Ruffled Rose is an elegant option. It immediately makes me think of creating decorations for bridal or baby showers. To create the ruffled rose, start with the smallest petals and pinch tightly in the center when gluing. Place petals onto your flower starting with the smallest petals and moving to the larger petals. To finish the flower, you can bend the outside edges of each petal with your fingers to "open" up the flower more.
Plush Ranunculus
One of the nicest things about ranunculus flowers are that they comes in so many gorgeous colors...white, yellows, oranges, soft pinks, and hot pinks. Such wonderful options! To make this flower, cut out your petals and assemble starting with with smallest and moving to the largest. When you start with the center, pinch the petals tightly in the center and glue into place. Add a couple more tightly pinched small petals to the center. Add larger and larger petals to the flower as you move outward from the center, but don't pinch the large petals and allow the bloom to become more "open". Again, this is all up to you - you can create just the look you want by how tightly you space the petals. To finish the flower, you can bend the outside edges of each petal with your fingers to "open" up the flower more.
Plush Gardenia
Ahhh...the gardenia. What a yummy scented flower. It brings to mind so many thoughts of prom and weddings! To make this flower, cut out your petals and assemble starting with with smallest and moving to the largest. This is a flower that is very easy to adapt in terms of size. Use just a few petals for a smaller flower or add many petals for a much bigger finished look. When you start with the center, pinch the petals tightly in the center and glue into place. Add a couple more tightly pinched small petals to the center. Add larger and larger petals to the flower as you move outward from the center.
Creating Stemmed Flowers:
As mentioned in this post, the plush floral dies are great for decorating your home or a special event in your life. You can build your flowers onto floral wire to create beautiful stemmed flowers that can be placed into a vase or attached to any item you want to decorate. Some of the sets have "bottom leaves" that can be used to give a realistic look to your flowers. All you have to do is thread them onto your floral wire and glue them to the base of your flowers.
Wouldn't it be fun to hand out flowers to the special mothers you know for Mother's Day? It is a beautiful gift that they can keep forever.
More Ideas
Take a look at the Look Book below to get inspired! Once you get started with using your dies to create handmade felt projects, you may find yourself dreaming of all the things you can do!
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