these cute shirred ric rac flower brooches are super fast and easy to make, even for someone like me who has little patience for hand stitching!
these are based on part of a ric rac wallhanging project from the book “creative crafts & stitchery” (1976). in the original project, the shirred ric rac was glued to a cardboard base. i modified it by sewing the ric rac to a felt backing to make it more wearable.
for the backing, i used two layers of felt cut into circles. shirr the ric rac by stitching in and out at the bottom of each V, gathering and sewing down to the felt backing as you go along.
i found that the soft, cotton ric rac is easier to work with than the stiffer poly ric rac. this would be a great project to use up all of those packages of vintage ric rac that are too fragile to use on clothing!
finish up the center with a pom pom (or three!) and sew on a pinback. the next one i make, i think i’ll sew a cute button in the center. ooh, or maybe a flashy acrylic gem!
the medium sized light green brooch is about 2¼” wide and used about 2 yards of size 29 ric rac.
P.S. i just made a few of these with patterned ric rac and ric rac with lurex, they came out really neat! check them out here.
Wow, those are SO DARN CUTE!!!! I don’t have a lot of patience for hand sewing, but I will definitely make some of these!
I can’t wait to make these! They are so cheerful and cute!
Super cool!
OOH! My two most fave things, ric rac and dahlias and the pom poms are cute!
oh lordy these are soooo cute.Is there no end to rickracs charm?!
it’s a good idea !!!!! and so beautiful
Oh my gosh these are so cute :)
I love them… I’m going to have to go get some ric rac!
These are so so so cuit and they look easy and quick. I think I will try some. Do you have some more cuit ideas for ric rac?????
Brilliant idea! I just love these!!!
these are great - I plan on putting them on a new purse I plan to decorate - I have plenty of ric rack I have horded all these years and now I can use….Thanks for the neat idea….
These are just SOOOo cute! I really am going to have to try one. :-)
I love hand stitching - can’t wait to try this. Perfect for spring!
Thanks for tutorial!
I love this! I plan on putting buttons in the middle. Gotta love buttons!
love the ric rac flowers! i had oooodles of ric rac that were old and i gave them all away to a sewer! ( this was before i started papercrafts!)
Lovely ! A sooooo good way to use all the remnants from the long ago years of sewing for my girls, in the eighties…
ok, those are ridiculously cute!!! i will HAVE to make some tonight!! Hope I can find my ric rac. :)
ooo…thank you! such a beautiful idea!
Those are wonderful! I also tried this type of rick rack flower after opening up some vintage packages and finding the instructions on the inside!
Those are beautiful! I love the fullness of them. I’ve got some vintage ric rac, so guess what I’m going to make?
Thanks!
~Elaine~
fabulous! i love ric rac, but never know what to do with all of it. must dig out the vintage rick rack now!
Really unusual project, very pretty and they look speedy to make. Thanks & best wishes - Valerie
Does everyone but me have a ridiculous stash of vintage cotton ric rac? Anyone know of a good place for cotton ric rac besides a date with destiny at a thrift store or someone bestowing lots of it on you?
hannah,
it’s hard for me to read your blog. everything you post is amazing and gives me a huge case of the I WANTS, followed by a life-altering adrenaline rush.
will you be my friend?
xo
kittee
This tutorial was perfectly timed to inspire me for the middle of a sunflower on a mini quilt for an entry in a fabric art journal. Thank you so much. (it’s near the end of my May 16 blog entry if you fancy looking)
Oh and then I saw your A line skirts. I make these too, for myself, but with rather less beautiful fabric, usually from bargain bin bedlinen! I really must try your jumbo ricrac trim idea.
Lots of things to look at, I shall happily bookmark your blog.
E
xx
These are so neat I am going to make some I think if I can find some decent rick rack only I think I will use some bottlecaps in the center with some pictures in the center.
Oh these are so so cute…always looking for new flowers to make…I will have to give these a try.
Deby
The flowers reminded me of earrings my Mother made in 1956. The same idea but smaller. She sent my brother and I to sell them .50 cents a pair. They were pretty. She attached them to an earring back and added a rhinestone to the center. The Dahlias are beautiful.
wow this flowers r so cute m dying to make it thanks 4 ur tutiorals,ill enjoy my holidays making such gud things
This is so great. I am surely going to try this. Thanks
Fabulous! TFS!
Hi Hannah,
I recently came across a huge box of vintage ric rac and rememebered these great dahlias of yours. So I am sitting here with my felt circle, and a needle and thread trying to figure out how exactly you attached the ric rac to the felt. I can gather the ric rac, but am wondering if you stitch down every 1 ric or perhaps across every 6 racs? :)
Upside down…no, hmmmm. Help!
hi laura! stitch the ric rac down to the felt at the bottom of each V. you gather one & stitch it down, gather one and stitch it down, etc…
ooo…thank you! such a beautiful idea!
Those are beautiful! thanks admin
I have been wanting to try these for over a year now and finally did it last night! They turned out so cute and were super easy! Why did I wait so long?…I have been missing out! Thank you so much!
Wow, those are stunning!
What a darling flower. I have some rickrack that must be 30 years old and my sister made fun of me. Now I have a use for it. Woohoo. Maybe I’ll surprise her for Christmas.
I love these! What a creative way to use the tons of rick rack I’ve accumulated through the years, probably some from 1976! Thank you for the instructions.
Hannah!
I never imagined something so cute could be made with rick rack. I’ll try it, thanks a lot!!!
SUPER cute!!! I’ll have to try to make some for my kids to wear as “hair flowers!” Thanks for the instructions. I think we’ve even got some rainbow rickrack to play with. I think I might go try it right now….
Hi
I just found your tutorial and the 2010 sewing calendar, and these are so addorable! Can’t wait to make some… :-)
I love them… the flowers wonderfull.
oopsy!!
thanks!
plus
LOOKIT!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2501/4221361574_b582d8f9b2_o.jpg
I Just started looking for a rickrack earing pattern when I found your site, I saw Sherry B.’s comment about earings in the 50’s. My mother and I made them also to sell during that time period. I plan to make them to put on a tote I just made. May have to make matching earings also! Thank you for your Dahlia pattern, it is different from what we made years ago but I can certainly use it. What is considered old always becomes new again!