The unofficial theme of the week is: What projects and crafties can I do to avoid doing my taxes. Over the weekend, a friend came over to get my help with an embroidery project. She wanted to make sunflowers, so I finally tore open the wrapping of the New Old Stock Bucilla “Studio Twelve” Flower Looms that I bought on ebay, like, 10 years ago. The little sunflower turned out so well that I went on a Bucilla flower-making spree all weekend! So much fun!
What will I do with all of them (and I keep making more!)?
What should I do with them??? Ideas welcome!
I found lots of videos on this youtube channel for making variations.
Looms like this seem to be made new today (I see them on Amazon), but if I buy any more, I will surely go for vintage — there are even squares! — and from a variety of olde companies — all spotted on ebay. For example, searching “flower loom vintage”:
[ebayfeedsforwordpress feed=”http://rest.ebay.com/epn/v1/find/item.rss?keyword=flower+loom+vintage&sortOrder=BestMatch&programid=1&campaignid=5336396791&toolid=10039&customid=5336396791&listingType1=All&lgeo=1&feedType=rss” items=”5″]
$20 Vera Neumann design tablecloths at Home Goods — Kate uses three to make roman shades 
Nine hand-lettered 1940s furniture store signs 
Flamingo bed sheets and a flock more flamingo stuff at The Company Store 
10 midcentury finds we love from DWR 
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No, Pam, you should not have included links for eBay!!! 😉
I have always contemplated buying these – they look like so much fun!
Wreaths for spring come to mind.
HAHAHAHA!!! Girl, you DO KNOW you’re supposed to connect them together SOONER or later into afghans and throw pillows. Didn’t the kit come with ideas? You could probably make a duster-length vest for cooler day tiki bar parties. Ooh! vests for the poor puppies!
Anyways, my advice for purchase would be to buy vintage because even though the plastic is decades old, it was made to last for at least a couple of kids. Now it’s use it a few times and throw it away. Great way to use up little schnibbles of yarn that somehow makes it into your home.
Taxes? sometimes it’s cheaper to just take them in to have someone do them for you, sort of like doing oil changes and tire rotation. Sure you could do it yourself but…why?
Very pretty. I’d make a summer door wreath out of them. Just buy a styrofoam form and glue away. You could also do a Christmas wreath with all red and green ones, or a 4th of July with red, white and blue, etc. etc. I’d also do a pillow completely covered in them.
I love the idea of a wreath — plus, I could pin them in, so I could re-use them if I decide to incorporate them into another project. Plus: I have a bunch of styrofoam wreath forms in my stash already. And lots of pins! Gonna start this right away and pin onto the wreath as I go. It’ll keep me going. Thanks for the idea.
P.S. I’ll wrap the wreath in green yarn first!
How fun! I would put them on a throw pillow.
Cute! I think you should make a pillow with them. Sew them on to a piece of fabric-close together so you don’t see the fabric background. I think you could either make the pillow casing first, then sew them on or put the flowers on first, then finish the pillow.
Also to avoid your taxes-how about doing a crewel embroidery kit? I pick them up at estate sales when I see them. They’re usually pretty cheap. I bought one recently for $1-a bouquet of flowers stamped “Erica Wilson 1971”. I’ve been slowly finishing them and hanging them in my den. The theme for my den is “tacky crewel embroidery”-LOL. I love them.
I remember we had a big straw beach bag/market tote. It had flowers like these artfully arranged in a clusters, but the flowers were made of raffia or straw type stuff. But I think you could doll up a shopping tote with yarn ones too.
How about attaching them to hair/pony tail ties?
Maybe onto a throw pillow?
At the thrift store I work at, we get bulky cardigan sweaters with big yarn flowers , but they are sewn in like crewel work. Don’t see why you couldn’t tack them on to sweater or jacket with a few stitches or a safety pin.
Sew them together into a window valance! Gorgeous
Funny, just talking with my Dad the other day about these flower looms. I have an afghan made by my paternal grandparents completely of all flowers connected together. Sweet memory and a treasured gift from long ago.
Gosh I had forgotten about these! I remember making them with my Mom when I was young, in the early 70’s. Like the other comments, I think they would make a great wreath or embellish a tote bag or purse. Whatever you end up doing with them please share your projects!
Wait – I thought you were doing your taxes to avoid painting dentils?!
No, I was painting my dentils to avoid doing taxes. I think.
I “helped” my Mom with one of these kits when I was about 7 years old (early 1970s). It came with a pre-printed piece of fabric in order to make a wall hanging of a basket of flowers. The basket was done in crewel stitch and there was a mark for where to attach each flower. It hung above the buffet in our dining room for years. About 10 years ago I spotted it on one of her yard sales. I snatched it up, didn’t even give her the $3 she was asking. After a dusting and new frame it hangs in my living room. Ours is in warm colors-oranges, yellows, browns, olive green, but I’ve seen one in cooler colors-burgundy, pinks, hunter green. About this same time, one of my aunts made a bunch of these flowers out of twine instead of yarn, in Christmas colors. She attached them to our Christmas gifts. I still have mine and I hang it on my tree every year. I have a wall hanging/banner with the twine flowers in lavenders, blues, greens arranged as a Christmas tree. Found it at a antique mall several years ago. The owner happened to be there and said that she found it at a thrift and it was in some disrepair. She fixed it up and it is stunning. Just some ideas and thank you Pam for featuring these crafts.
My Grandma was big into yarn crafts and made me one of these when I was little. Mine look like little daisies (white flowers with yellow centers stitched together with green). I have it in my cedar chest.
Well, if you’re looking for crafts, howsabout that pokey tool that you stuffed yarn into to make a picture?
After all the tiki parties, you’ll have quite a few bottles left over – the bottle-cutter crafting – ?!
Why are we all still alive today with all the crazy and dangerous stuff we played with? I’m REALLY sad they no longer make those DipIt flowers…
Well, now you obviously need to order this.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/craft-instructional-on-Flower-Loom-Projects-from-Studio-12/162447182823?_trksid=p2141725.c100338.m3726&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20150313114020%26meid%3Dc07b4173881f48548f9a891cba1dd994%26pid%3D100338%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D11%26sd%3D222441373598
If that link is a fail, it’s the Flower Loom Projects by Studio 12 book.
You could make a wall hanging for the new Mahalo Lounge. Put a wooden dowel across the top of a burlap type fabric backing, then make a design out of colored flowers. Maybe different shades of brown and do a big Tiki in the middle, then surround him with other colors. Or…you could string them into lei/leis to wear when the festive mood hits. 🙂
Could also be cute in little picture frames, or shadow box thingies.
Whatever you pick will be great I’m sure. Have fun.
Just an idea… how about an uploader sometime for readers’ vintage yarn and crewel crafties?
Or for that matter, just vintage crafts of all sorts (unrelated to Christmas, of course).
Nothing quite as fun as seeing what other readers have in their houses… 🙂
These would be cute on a beach tote or a beach hat. You could use buttons in the centers and just stitch them on.
I’ve been re-learning crochet & want to crochet some cute flowers..YouTube is great for tutorials.
Go to http://www.knitting-and.com/search/search.html and search for flower loom and knit wit.
Woah!
I second that emotion! Knitting-and is an amazing trove of vintage craft information– highly addictive! I discovered it while trying to figure out my Singercraft Be sure to explore all the nooks and crannies, and Sarah’s blog is great! So inspirational. Flower looming is one of my favorite vintage crafts: easy, fun, versatile, practically instant results, and the tools and supplies are still relatively inexpensive. Which is a good thing, because I have about two dozen flower looms…
What FuN! Oh to return to simpler times when we could just immerse ourselves in a project & relish the finished creation with not a care in the world! Sigh…
Love the color combinations you chose. I like that there are two different sizes. I noticed you did a ‘double’ in there. Reminiscent of a Peony. 🙂
I like the ideas of corsages or Lei’s, especially on “MuMu’s” or Hawaiian shirts. or hair/hat accessories. Cocktail rings?