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Fun + Frayed Flower Girl Basket
Anjeanette from Roots & Wings Co. shares this sweet Flower Girl Basket tutorial today. It’s perfect for weddings, but we also think it would be fun for Easter too! You can find Anjeanette’s intro here. Enjoy!
From Anjeanette: It seems as if the big thing in fabric is natural and even burlap. I wasn’t going to go with burlap, but wanted something organic and earthy and fun. You could totally use whatever kind of woven fabric you would like. I just used a linen type fabric.
Supplies:
- 1 – 13″ x 3″ piece for the handle
- 2 – 4 1/2″ x 12 1/4″ piece for the body and lining of the bag
- 2 – 12 5/8″ x 1 1/2″ with frayed edge pieces for the ruffle and the handle**
- 2 – 4 inch circles
- 1 – just under 4 inch circle Peltex for lining
- 1 – 4″ x 12″ Peltex for the lining
- 1 – 2″ x 42″(or width of fabric) with frayed edges for the flower**
Handle:
To make the handle, fold in half lengthwise, and press.
As if you are making bias tape, fold again so that the raw edges meet the center fold. Press. Topstitch from each side down the length of the handle.
Set aside for now.
Ruffles
**Now let’s work on the ruffles. To make the edges frayed, you are going to snip about 1/4″ and then rip, rip, rip away. I ripped my pieces so that both edges are frayed. Part of the fun of this fabric is it is fairly natural looking. This frays extremely easily and adds texture to the piece.
Fold one ruffle piece in half lengthwise and press. Open up and use the pressed line to stitch a long basting stitch. Gather loosely by pulling one thread while holding the other one still. Repeat with the other ruffle piece.
Take one ruffle piece, tuck the end under and pin to the handle, 2 inches from the end.
Pin the ruffle leaving 2″ from each side. You can fold pleats in the ruffle if your gather wasn’t tight enough. I pinned the ruffle in a wavy fashion to give it a little character. But if you would rather, you can pin it straight. Sew down the center of the handle to keep the ruffle on the handle.
On the outside body piece, use a water soluble pencil (or light pencil because it will be covered with the ruffle) to mark 1 1/2″ from the top down. Mark all the way across the body piece.
Use the line to line up the second ruffle piece. Again, I pinned the ruffle to the body piece in a sort of curvy wave. I also made some pleats as needed. Sew the ruffle to the body.
With right sides together, pin the inside of the basket to the ruffled outer piece. Sew along the top edge. Press.
Turn the right sides out and press again.
We have to do a little frogging here. I find the easiest way to put the handles in is just a bit of unpicking. But if you would rather, you can pin the handle in before you sew the top of the basket together. The handle is fairly short and I find that way I have a harder time getting the handle straight.
I measure from the center of the basket top about 2″ out and unstitch the top 1 inch. From the other side I do the same. This leaves two holes bigger than the handles. (The handles are just there to show you how they will go. Wait a minute to put them in.)
Add your Peltex body piece now. I did this by lifting the outside layer and placing down the Peltex piece, then lay the top down over it so the right side is up and you have a nice sandwich of fabric, Peltex, fabric.
Insert the handles in the holes making sure the ruffle is facing out each time. This does make a loop for the handle. Pin in place. Top stitch along the top of the entire basket.
Top stitch again over the center of the ruffle, about 2″ down from that and finally just up from the bottom. This is to hold the three pieces of the body together.
Now, let’s sew the basket together. Fold the basket in half with wrong sides together. Sew along the edge of the basket.
Turn the whole basket right sides together and sew a 1/4 inch seam. This is going to cover the other seam and leave you with a French seam.
Take your two fabric bottom circle pieces and your Peltex circle. Make a sandwich with the fabric pieces on the outsides and the Peltex inside the sandwich. Zig-zag around the circle to keep them all together. With the right sides of the basket still together, pin the bottom circle to the bottom of your basket. Stitch the two pieces together. Go around it twice if you must.
You can turn your basket right side out now.
For the Flower:
Take your long piece and press it in half lengthwise. I leave it folded.
Prepare a long thread and needle. Remember this is Sew,Mama,Sew! not Hot Glue, Mama, Hot Glue! Slowly roll the flower up, making stitches in the folded end every 1/4 inch or so. More stitches are better because you really want to hold it all together. Continue to roll and stitch until your flower is the size you want or you run out of fabric.
Tuck the end of the flower under and stitch the flower securely. I took more stitches through the bulk of the flower now too to make sure it was all going to stay together nicely. I also fluffed the frayed edge a bit and pulled out and left some exposed fibers to give it more texture.
Hand stitch the flower to your basket and you are good to go!
Of course this is a small basket. You could make it as large as you want, just remember the way to do your measurements is by using pi. Start with your circle size for the bottom (pi is 3.14159265 times the circle diameter).
Comment in any post this week for your chance to win one of these great prizes: $15 gift certificate to Shey B; $15 Gift Certificate to Blessed Designs; $15 gift certificate to Galyan Girls; $15 gift certificate to Girly Girl Bags; $15 gift certificate to Sew,Mama,Sew! Take a look at the February “True Love” prize master list to see other great prizes we’ll be giving away this month.
52 Responses to “Fun + Frayed Flower Girl Basket”
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so sweet.
Very cute!
This is lovely! I’d love to make one for my daughter.
So girly and pretty! Love that flower, it’ll look great on something else too!
Forget the flower girl! I want to make this for me!
So sweet!
So cute!
This is adorable! Thanks for the tutorial.
Wow, this would be so lovely for Easter!
What a sweet idea, love to make one for Easter!
this is really cute! i’m thinking easter baskets.
Would be a nice little gift bag too =)
WOW! have you ever seen something so cute?? AWE!
Very unique and special flower girl basket above the rest
Lovely!
I love this adorable flower girl basket~! I want to make an Easter version for each of my granddaughters! They will absolutely love it!
Thanks so much for the tutorial.
Judy
This is so cute! I love the addition of the flower – it adds just the right touch!
I agree – that is sweet. Great tutorial.
Great tutorial. I love the way that sewing involves math. That’s what I told my teen sewing class. Learning Math is not a waste of time!! I use it everyday in my “creative” endeavors.
I think this would be great for any occasion for a little girl.
very nice. thanks for the great ideas. love the nail polish color, by the way
This is adorable — could be a little girl’s Easter basket
Great tutorial, clear and easy to follow. Great way to personalize a wedding! Thanks Sharon.
so many ideas!
very cute.
What a great tutorial! it would be really pretty in other colors too!
This is such a great tutorial and one that I will be using. The texture of the flower is perfect.
That would be a cute easter basket as well.
These are cute, they could be used for easter too. Thanks for sharing.
Cute!
Cute!
Wouldn’t a set of these (without the handle)be cute for a little girl’s hair supplies and small toys? Thanks for sharing!
Too cute, and we have a September wedding coming up.
I love the ruffles.
I’ve never been a big fan of ruffles until just recently. Now I can’t get enough! Love the flower girl basket.
it’s so sweet! I want it just to have and I know my daughter would too.
Great tutorial! Thanks for the project idea.
Lovely!
Thank you for doing this tutorial.
I want to use this idea to make a purse and I
think that flower idea would be pretty on a
ribbon type belt! The LOFT has one like the
one I would like to make. It might be on their
site.
adorable.
I love all the ruffles and frills. Thanks for the great tutorial.
So cute! It would be adorable for my sister’s wedding.
Anjeanette, you never cease to amaze me! Beautiful!
Precious, and I agree that it would be fabuous for a little girl for Easter!
It’s so innocent. Love the flower. Great pictures & tutorial. Be proud!
I think all girls would like a purse like this.
This is beautiful!!! Thanks for the tutorial!!
Too cute!! Perfect for wedding, Easter, everyday.
Ok, the Hot Glue Gun Mama part made me laugh out loud! I just love this flower and plan to make one.
Hi all,
I am a novice sewer and apparently not well equipped.Can you explain the flower like I’m three? I rolled and it just doesn’t look like the photo.Please help…
love it!
do you gather the fabric for the flower before you roll it? Or maybe gather as you go?
Such a cute idea!
Fascinating, I have not heard about this…