Since I first saw Kanzashi on
CraftyPod, I've admired them. They are gorgeous! I assumed, though, that they were difficult to make, so I didn't even add them to my list of crafts to explore.
But now that I've had a chance to read the instructions in
Kanzashi In Bloom and even make my own, I've found that they are simple and quick to make. They give the impression of intricacy, but no *hint* that they are handmade. That's a combination that's near impossible to find in the crafting world.
I made this cute hairpin in about 15 minutes. No joke.
These are the five 2-inch squares of fabric I cut to make my flower. It's quite possibly the smallest amount of fabric I've ever used to make something. This is a perfect project to use up precious scraps of your favorite fabric.
These are my folded and trimmed petals. The folding part is super-easy if you've ever done origami. If you haven't, definitely make a larger flower first. You could also practice the folds on paper.
Next you string them on some thread. Cake.
The hardest part is getting the flower to look right when you tie the thread. Diane has lots of hints and tips to help you through this process. This is the back of my flower before I glued on a circular piece of fabric.
I picked a button from the tidbits
Ester included in my
Specky Surprise. The shank button has a glittery purple sparkle center that perfectly matches the purple paisley fabric.
To finish it off, I sewed a
bobby pin to the back and stuck it in my hair. So fast, so cute, so beautiful!