DIY Leather Flower with Glue Stiffener

Step 1

Leather flowers like these are used to decorate bags and brooches, and to make necklaces and bracelets. Making one yourself is very easy.

You will need any thin leather and PVA glue. Make a petal pattern on paper, transfer it to the leather, and cut it out. The size of the finished piece depends on the size and number of petals. Make petals in different sizes—smaller and larger—so the flower looks more natural. If you have leatherworking tools, specifically a single leather knife, you can make very beautiful leaves.

Step 2

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Step 4

Make a little stiffening solution by mixing PVA glue and water in a 1:1 ratio. Brush it onto the wrong (suede) side of the petals. Then fold each petal into fine pleats. They should radiate from the tip and run along the petal. Twist the petal tightly into a cord and leave it to dry for a couple of hours. When it is almost dry but not yet hard, carefully open it without smoothing it out and let it dry completely. Treat all the petals this way.

Step 5

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Step 7

When the petals are ready, assemble the flower. Take a small leather circle and a hot glue gun. Glue the petals on beginning at the edge and moving toward the center. Glue the larger petals at the edge and the smallest ones in the center. Leave a small empty area about a centimeter in diameter in the middle.

Step 8

Step 9

Make a full center from fishing line and beads, then use hot glue to form a firm stem. Make a hole in the flower center, insert the center piece, and secure everything with glue. The flower is ready.

There is another way to make equally beautiful decorative flowers in another technique.