Kanzashi Bloom Tutorial!! Fun handmade Fabric Blooms!!

I've been loving some of the fabric blooms I've seen coming out by my favourite manufacturers and thought I would show everyone how to make some wonderful blooms made from fabric scraps or ribbon pieces.

Kanzashi blooms are an ancient technique used by the Geisha girls in Japan. They would use left over scraps from their beautiful outfits to make these pretty fabric flowers for their hair and clothing. Above are some samples of blooms I made up using scraps of fabric and some cut ribbon pieces.

ROUND PETAL TECHNIQUE (See White bloom above)

Step 1 ~ Cut a square of fabric in the size you need for your project. I like to use pieces in sizes of 1" square up to 3" square for scrapbook pages.


Step 2 ~ Fold your square in half diagonally leaving the 'good' side of the fabric on the outside (bad side inside the fold)


Step 3 ~ With fold at the top of the triangle bring down point 'A' to point 'B'


Step 4 ~ Now do the same for the right side, bring down right side to meet in the middle, then flip the project over, you will have the folded edge at the top of the project


Step 5 ~ Keeping the folded edges at the top and raw edges at the bottom, fold in the right and left points to meet in the middle


Step 6 ~ Now bring both edges together again, essentially folding your project in half. Your finished petal will be the back edge of this fold (you will see 3 folded edge, this is the front of the petal)


Step 7 ~ As mentioned above the front of the petal is the edge with the 3 folds, you will round out the top of the petal to give it it's shape. Secure each petal with a pin or with a couple of small stitches (I prefer to use a couple of small stitches as it's easier to put the bloom together later if you're not fiddling with the extra pins)


Step 8 ~ Trim away extra fabric (below your stitch or pin)


Finishing your Bloom (Step 9)

With a need and thread string together all of the petals and tie off creating a ring (the less petals you use for your blooms the more fiddling it may take to create your circle of petals) I used 7 petals to make up the white bloom with the pearl centers. Add pearl or crystal beeds, metal pieces, crystal stickers, flower stamens, buttons.....whatever you like for centers to your blooms.


Here is a finished picture of a rounded petal bloom



Basic Pointed tip Kanzashi bloom Tutorial



Step 1 ~ Cut out several square pieces of fabric or ribbon (I used 6 pieces of 2" fabric for the above bloom.


Step 2 ~ Fold fabric in half diagonally ...good side of fabric on the outside....


Step 3 ~ With fold at the top of the triangle, fold in half again, bringing left side point to right side point.


Step 4 ~ You will now have 2 folds at the top. Bring down the right point to the bottom. Do the same with the other point except in the opposite direction.


Step 5 ~ You will now have 2 folded edges on the right side again. Bring this edge to the main middle fold (basically folding the flap in half)....do the same for the opposite side.


Step 6 ~ This is your completed pointed petal. It will look like the photo below on one side. It can be used like this for pointed petals (this also works very well for leaves). Finish off by securing with a couple stitched or a pin. Trim as shown in the diagrams for the rounded petal technique)


Step 7 ~ If you flip this petal over you will get a ruffled looking petal as show in the photo below......


Step 8 ~ Put petals together using the instructions above in the rounded petals technique. The example you see at the top of this tutorial shows a flower made using the backside of the pointed leaf. Below is a sample of a flower I made using the front side of the pointed petal technique (the orange petals)......I layered a smaller bloom made with the rounded petal design on top of it.


So if you have some pretty fabric scraps you've been saving or some wonderful ribbon, give this technique a go! The above bloom was made using sheer organza ribbons.

It's really quite easy to do once you've given the technique a try, my 11 year old daughter made this wine colour bloom using some sheer ribbon.


Experiment with different types of fabric.....I've seen this done with cotton, organza, silk, satin, linen and even with felted wool.....each giving a different effect.

During the holiday season there are so many shimmery, velvety pretty ribbons out there to experiment with!

Use on your scrapbook pages or even attach to hair combs or clips. Above all have fun with it!

~Gabrielle xxx