Vintage Millinery

Don’t you just LOVE velvet flowers…

 

 

No, I didn’t luck out at the thrift store and these aren’t REAL velvet flowers (sigh). But if you’re tired of being envious of everyone’s vintage finds (like me), I’m going to show you how to make your own.

Find some flocked (fuzzy) poinsettia bushes, these came from the Dollar Tree…

 

Remove the flower heads from the stems, then remove the pistils (centers) and any green plastic pieces that may be holding it together.

Some of the flower heads may not have any plastic backing. Those you can simply cut into individual pieces.

Those that have the plastic backing, gently peel off the flower petal from the plastic. 

I always start at the farthest edge of the petal and work towards the center.  You can cut the petals apart one at a time, whenever you like. Not all of the plastic will come off nice and neatly from each petal. Some will tear the webbed backing, some will not pull off no matter how hard you try. You can choose to keep the not-so-perfect ones for a distressed look.

And now you have a whole pile of your very own vintage-y velvet goodness! Use as is, or cut new flower shapes from the individual pieces! And just make sure you make enough to last you through the year as the flocked poinsettias can only be found at Christmastime!

Hope your weekend was special!