Make it: Chiffon Flower Corsage!

It's yet another snow day here in NYC, with schools, bus and subway service suspended. Libraries are all closed. Many museums are too. The streets and sidewalks are a mess. So what to do with a toddler who hates playing in the snow? I wish she were movie-marathon age, or read-Harry-Potter-while-mommy-sews age. But instead she's needs-to-be-entertained-at-every-second-of-the-day age. I love winter in New York because it's not sweltering hot and I don't have allergies. But when the snow is this frequent and heavy, we're going really stir-crazy. 

If you're stuck inside today like we are, maybe you should make something. Like this springy chiffon flower brooch in a peachy orange, which if the Golden Globes were any indication, is going to be a hot colour this spring.

I started making these flowers because I thought they'd look pretty grouped on the sashes of the flower girl dresses I'm making for a wedding in the fall. The colours are green and orange, which clearly look beautiful together when done in the right shades (see left)

It will take you only about 20 minutes to make one of these.

All you need is:

-some chiffon, about 1 square foot

-one or more small buttons

-a brooch pin or alligator clip

-hot glue gun

-needle and thread

-small scrap of thick fabric or suede

1. Cut out 6 circles of any colour chiffon. I cut two 4-inch circles, two 3-inch circles and two 2-inch circles. You could vary this number and size depending on the size and poufyness you want your flower to be. The circles need not be perfect. I just free-handed mine because imperfection is more organic looking, in my opinion.

2. Light a candle and melt the edges of of your chiffon circles a little bit. They will curl inward in a pretty, crinkly way. Be careful!

3. Stack your finished circles atop each other, from biggest to smallest. It's already looking like a flower!

4. Cut a small (1-inch to 1&1/2-inch) circle of felt or suede or some other fabric that won't fray on you. I traced a spool of thread to make my circle: 

5. Grab your needle and thread and stitch through all six layers of chiffon and sew on a button in the middle. I clustered three small buttons for my corsage, but you could do any number of buttons you like.

6. Sew your brooch pin to the small circle you cut from felt or suede.
 Stitch it down really well:

7. Heat up your hot glue gun and apply glue to back of suede circle:

8. Press gently to back of chiffon flower near the top of the flower (otherwise the flower may end up kind of droopy on top)

9. Alternative: If using alligator clip, hot glue your fabric circle to back of chiffon flower:

10. Then apply hot glue along the alligator clip and gently press onto suede circle:

That was fast, right? Sorry. You'll still have to find something else to do for the other 9 hours and 40 minutes you need to kill today. Perhaps plan all the outfits you'll wear with your new brooch? Happy Snow Day.