The Martha Stewart Show

Straw Flowers How-To

The Martha Stewart Show

California crafter Cathy Callahan makes charming straw flowers inspired by vintage crafts of the 1960s, the decade in which Lilly's brightly colored prints first rose to fame.

Straw Flowers

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Make charming straw flowers inspired by vintage crafts of the 1960s, the decade in which Lilly Pulitzer's brightly colored prints first rose to fame.

Tools and Materials Synthetic raffia in two colors
Flower loom
Tape
Large craft or tapestry needle
Small pointed-tip craft scissors
Optional:
Needle and thread
Hair clip or pin back

Straw Flowers How-To
1. Wrap raffia in figure-eight patterns around opposite pairs of outer pegs. Work clockwise until all pegs are wrapped, and go around two or three more times, creating three or four layers. Tape tail of raffia to side of loom to secure.

3. Wrap the inner pegs of the loom with a different color, using the same technique to create two or three layers.

4. Thread a craft needle with the 24-inch tail from the first color.

5. Bring the needle up from the bottom of the loom through to the top, between a pair of petals near the center of flower. Avoid piercing the raffia as you do this. Sew small and large petal layers to one another by back-stitching the small petals to the large petals below them, around their bases.

6. Turn the loom over and secure all loose ends by knotting the tails. Snip off excess raffia and gently remove the flower from the loom.

7. Optional: Thread a 6-inch length of raffia through the loops of the small petals and tie ends together, cinching the petals, to create the look of the raised center of a daisy.

8. Fluff the petals by placing the point of a pair of small scissors into a petal loop and opening up the scissors.

9. Optional: Add a hair clip or pin to the back by sewing in place with needle and thread and wrapping with more raffia.

Resources For more information on Cathy Callahan's flower looms and kits to make the flowers, visit cathyofcalifornia.com. Raffia from Raffit Ribbons can be found at raffit.com.

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The Martha Stewart Show

Straw Flowers How-To

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