Yarn Posies

Way back then, we made these flowers of four-ply yarn on rather large cardboard circle patterns. The flowers were usually about 1-1/2 inch in diameter. This time around I tried embroidery floss, narrow satin ribbon and even some of the metallic threads that are now readily available. The flowers averaged about 3/4 inch in diameter. Instead of a vase, I planted several in a small flower pot. Experiment. That’s the name of the game.

Materials:

4"-5" square of cardboard
piece of paper
pencil or pen
scissors
embroidery floss
tapestry needle
lightweight wire for stems (about 24-gauge)
green floral tape
masking tape
green paint or marking pen for leaves
small flower pot for planting (optional)

1. To make a pattern: Draw and cut out of paper a 3-inch circle. Fold it in half, then in half again, and in half again. Make a small angle cut at each of the two top corners (figure A). Open the circle. It should have 8 sections with a small notch on the folding lines between sections. This is your pattern.

2. Trace the paper pattern onto cardboard (figure B) and cut out.

3. Begin with about 2 yards of embroidery floss. After making one flower, you may decide whether you need more or less thread. Holding one end of the floss down with your thumb in the middle of the cardboard disc (figure C), bring the floss across the cardboard, down through one of the notches, behind the cardboard, and back up through the notch directly opposite the first one.

4. Catch the strand of floss under your thumb along with the first one and then move to the next notch. Pull the floss down through that notch, along the back (underneath) side of the disc, and up through the notch next to the first one. Continue in this manner until all notches are threaded. They should all meet in the middle on both the top and the back of the circle (figure D).

5. Thread the end of the floss on a tapestry needle, and thread it under the spokes of floss at the center of the cardboard disc (figure E). Knot tightly with the other end of the floss. Turn the disc over to make certain that all the spokes meet in the middle on the backside as well.

6. Start to wrap the spokes one strand at a time. Pull the needle under one of the spokes to the right, bring floss up and over that spoke and down under it again. Before lifting the needle, continue on and put it under the next spoke as well. Pull the floss up, over, under again and under the next spoke to the left. Continue in this manner around and around and around until you run out of floss or come to the edge of the cardboard (figure F).

7. Turn the cardboard over and, with small scissors, cut through all of the spokes at the center where they all meet (figure G). Remove cardboard.

8. Gather the ends of the spokes together so that what was once the outside (the top that you were working on) is now the inside(figure H). Wrap the spoke stems together with fine wire to form the stem.

9. Cut and stretch a short length of floral tape and wrap the stem, pulling the tape at a downward angle (figure I).

10. To make leaves: Cut 2-inch lengths of masking tape. Place the sticky side up on the tabletop and place a 2-inch length of fine wire halfway up the tape. Fold the top of the tape down covering the wire.

11. Color the tape green with paint or a marker and cut into a leaf shape. Repeat to make several.

12. Place the stems one at a time along the stem of the flower and wrap with more tape to secure. Plant in a flower pot!