Fire Flowers

I have always loved the ribbon flowers where the edge is burned so that it is all frilly and pretty. But, the idea of using a match to burn the edge really freaks me out. Then, when I was talking to someone one day they said that when ever they do that they use a candle. So last week, I decided to give it a try, and I was super pleased with the results!

Sorry for the glare, I guess that the fabric is SOOOO silky, I should have turned off the flash. If you can't tell, there are a three white pearls in the middle.


Supplies 


Silky Ribbon or Fabric, I used fabric because I didn't want to have the width of the ribbon limit my layers.
Beads for the center, I used pearls to keep the elegant feeling.
Hot glue
Scratch paper
Candle
Alligator clip, I glued mine on to a clip, you don't have too, they also are cute glued  on photo frames, or you can even glue them on a pin to dress up a blouse. 


Instructions


1. Cover your surface with scratch paper so that you don't end up with hot glue on your counter.


2. Cut circleish shapes put of the fabric/ribbon. Mine ended up more ovalish, and due to the nature of the project, the circles don't need to be perfect. You want them slightly larger then you want them to be when they finished, but they won't shrink much. Although there are only three layers shown here,  I ended up using 4 in the end.

3. This next step is a WARNING!!!!! I feel it is so important, I will type everything from this point IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS!!!!! CANDLES AND HOT GLUE ARE VERY HOT!!!!!! EVEN WHEN YOU ARE HOLDING YOUR FABRIC ABOVE THE FLAME, IT WILL BE HOT!!!!!! BE CAREFUL, PLEASE DO NOT BURN YOURSELF!!!!!!!!  IF YOUR FINGERS START TO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLY WARM. STOP. WAIT. AND BEGIN AGAIN!!!!!!! PLEASE DO NOT BURN YOURSELF!!!!!! 

4. Now that I have scared you to death, we can continue with the project :) It really isn't that dangerous, just please don't be stupid. At this point, plug in your hot glue gun, and light your candle.

5. Before you burn the layers for your flower, it is good to get a feel for what you are doing. Cut a scrap of fabric, and practice on it. This will show you how long you need to burn it without scorching it.

6. Once you have the feel, burn the layers of your flower. The best way to do this is hold you layer above the candle  and turn it fairly fast. It only takes a second to scorch the flower. Repeat with the other layers.

7. Next hot glue your layers together, a little goes A LONG way!!!

8. Finally, place a small amount of glue in the center of the flower, secure your beads there.

9. If you wish to glue it onto a  clip, put a small amount of glue on the clip, and place the flower on top. Clip the clip to a piece of paper for about 30 seconds, then take off. This keeps it from being glued shut. 

Enjoy your flower!

Lots of Love, 

Rapunzel