Crafting a Silk Flower Christmas Ornament: A Closer Look

Hi everyone, Fran here! I’m absolutely thrilled to share my latest creation for my 12-month Christmas advent calendar project: a beautiful silk flower Christmas ornament. Let me walk you through the process, focusing on the techniques that brought it to life.

Petal Perfection: Folding and Cutting

It all began with simple 4×4 inch squares of fabric. To create the petals, I used a specific folding and cutting technique. Each square was folded in half to form a triangle, and then folded in half again to create a smaller triangle. From this smaller triangle, I carefully cut a curved shape along the open edges. When unfolded, this created a lovely, symmetrical petal shape. This method ensures uniformity and a delicate, natural look for each petal.

Assembling the Bloom: The Running Stitch

Once all the petals were cut, the magic of assembly began. I took each individual petal and threaded them onto a needle using a running stitch along the straight, bottom edge of the petal. A running stitch is a simple, effective stitch that creates a gathering effect. By threading multiple petals onto a single length of thread and then pulling the thread taut, the petals naturally drew together to form a beautiful, ruffled flower shape. After gathering, I carefully secured the ends of the thread with a knot to hold the flower firmly in place.

Embellishing and Backing: Adding Structure and Sparkle

To give the flower a finished look and some dimension, I added a decorative button to the center, securing it firmly. For the back of the flower, I cut a circular piece of felt, slightly smaller than the flower itself, and glued it in place. This felt backing provides excellent support, keeps the petal gathers tidy, and creates a neat finish, hiding any raw edges or stitching.

Next, I decided to incorporate a beautiful gold maple leaf I found at the dollar store. To prepare the leaf, I sprayed it with a clear satin Verithane. This is a fantastic trick for dollar store finds, as it not only gives a lovely satin finish but also prevents any glitter or gold speckles from flaking off, keeping the ornament pristine for years to come. Once the leaf was dry, I carefully glued the silk flower onto its surface.

Layered Leaves: Heat and Bond for Dimension

I wanted to add more depth and gold accents to the ornament, so I created some additional gold-rimmed leaves. For these, I used a product called HeatnBond, which is an iron-on adhesive. I ironed the HeatnBond onto the back of my fabric, then cut out leaf shapes. This allowed me to easily fuse them to the back of the main flower arrangement. To give them that distinct gold edge, I used a sewing machine and a gold metallic thread. I stitched a blanket stitch around the perimeter of each leaf. The blanket stitch is a decorative edge stitch that adds a lovely, finished border. These gold-rimmed leaves were then strategically glued to the back of the main flower and leaf, peeking out to add an extra layer of texture and shimmer.

The Finishing Touches: Hanging and Adornment

To make it an actual ornament, I needed a way to hang it. I fashioned a small ribbon loop and secured it to the back of the ornament with another felt circle, which both reinforces the hanger and keeps the back looking tidy. Finally, for a little extra dangle and charm, I added a small ribbon and a delicate pearl button to the very bottom of the ornament.

I’m so pleased with how it turned out! I just love the rich texture from the layered fabrics and the harmonious color combination of the silk, gold, and pearl. And the best part? It fits perfectly into my 6-inch square advent calendar spots, ready for its big reveal come December!