For a little whimsy, I’m sharing a floral fascinator that’s easy to make, with inexpensive materials you may already have at home.

sunflower-fascinator-outfit

It’s the third in a trio of tutorials on how to create unique and fun headpieces or party toppers.

All three millinery designs were made to stock the Mad Hatter’s Trunk Show, where 16 guests chose a fascinator to compliment their fashionable attire. Each then posed for posterity in the party photo booth.

It was in celebration of my milestone Alice in Wonderland, Unbirthday Party.

Today’s floral fascinator project is part of a huge craft blog hop organized by Chloe of Celebrate and Decorate. If you’re looking for some creative ideas and inspiration, you’re bound to find it here! Twenty-five bloggers from all over the country are participating in this crafting celebration.

Thanks to all for stopping by! And, a special welcome to those coming from Create with Cynthia and her cute stenciled handkerchief.

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Hats Off

mad-hatter-fascinator-shop

Since I’m spending most of my free time sewing handmade masks these days, I went back into my photo archives to find a craft project I hadn’t already published. Originally, I had intended the floral fascinator “show and tell” for last year, in time for Kentucky Derby parties.

But, in the weeks before the race, my dad went into the hospital, then hospice and passed away. With the virus and stay at home orders, there will not be a Derby this May.

Virus be darned, Sistah B pulled out the floral fascinator I made her to wear as an Easter bonnet. Then she and her husband got on their bikes and had their own Easter parade near their Charleston area neighborhood. She even wore it while taking rescue pup Jack on a walk. Texting me the pictures brightened my Easter.

Hope springs eternal, and I hope we’ll once again be donning fun to fabulous millinery creations for tea parties, May Day garden soirees, and weddings.

And, the Kentucky Derby has been rescheduled for September 5th. It’ll be the perfect occasion to perch a floral fascinator on our heads — while sipping a refreshing (and stiff, lol!) mint julep for good measure!

Or, consider making several now to mail to family or friends for a virtual tea or birthday party on FaceTime or Zoom. 

How to Make a Floral Fascinator

It’s possible you already have most, if not all the materials you need around the house. If not, supplies are easily ordered online. Your choice of materials and the scale of florals and embellishments will determine how fanciful or elegant the floral fascinator is.

Materials
photo-booth-yellow-sunflower-floral-fascinato

  • Small, disposable foam or paper bowl (4 1/2 to 6″ diameter)
  • Scrap paper or newspaper
  • Scrap fabric & netting (equivalent of about 1/4 yard, depending on width & dimensions)
  • Faux florals & leaves
  • Assorted embellishments (ribbon, feathers, etc.)
  • Craft foam sheet
  • Headband
  • Glue sticks

No special equipment is needed; just a pencil, scissors, glue gun, and small knife.

Here, my BFF and college roomie is sporting her sunflower fascinator in the Wonderland Tea Party photo booth.

Step 1: Make a Pattern & Cut Fabric

You can purchase hat bases (see links below) or make an inexpensive one as I did. It’s the foundation for your floral fascinator. To keep it lightweight, I used 4 1/2″ foam bowls as the millinery base. They were leftover from graduation parties.

floral-fascinator-pattern-pieces

First, trace the circular bottom of the bowl with a pencil onto a piece of paper. Next, cut out the bottom of the bowl and across one side. Flatten out the foam as best you can, and then trace that shape onto paper. That’s the most challenging part of the project. Don’t fuss too much over the shape, as it just needs to be a rough approximation,

Sketch about 1/3″ extra seam allowance on one edge, and another 1/2″ on one end for overlap.

Now you’re ready to cut out both paper pattern pieces. If you are making more than one floral fascinator, save the pattern to reuse again.

Pin the paper pattern pieces onto fabric of your choosing. It can be any color or print that compliments the florals and embellishments. After all, you’re the designer!

Because of the Wonderland party theme, I had plenty of leftover scraps of black and white, checkerboard fabric.

I used it to create everything from table runners to Character Dolls to another Mad Hatter Fascinator style.

Step 2: Glue Fabric to Bowl Base

Begin by gluing the fabric around the bottom edge of the bowl. Work in sections, pausing to apply pressure to insure the glue holds the fabric in place. Once you’ve gone all the way round, overlap and glue the ends.

floral-fascinator-glue-fabric

Now, flip the bowl over to glue the fabric around the rim. Do this by “pleating” the excess fabric every 1/2″ or so around the top edge.

floral-fascinator-hot-glue-bowl

Flip the bowl over again, and glue the circle of fabric to the bottom. Don’t worry or get overly picky about the edges, as the majority of the fabric will be hidden under the florals and embellishments.

Step 3: Add Florals & Embellishments

For the yellow floral fascinator, I used one giant sunflower and two other larger faux stems — reserving all the large leaves from the stalks. They were leftovers from Bee Wreath and Skep Bee-autiful DIY Inspiration, Party Decorations.

First, I cut the flowers, leaving about 4″ stems. Then I sliced three small slits in the fabric-covered bottom of the bowl base — one for each flower stem. Next, I took several leaves and arranged them under the blooms and glued them into place.

yellow-floral-fascinator-back

To check the positioning of the flowers, I held the bowl on top of my head while looking into a mirror. Once I was satisfied, I pushed the sunflower stems through, and glued the underside of the blooms in place. Then I snipped off all but about an inch of the stems from the underside of the bowl base.

I also added a butterfly embellishment leftover from How to Make a Floating Teacup Centerpiece.

craft-yellow-butterfly-floral-fascinator

While the glue was setting up and drying, I cut pieces of ribbon and a bit of netting to create a “tail” for the back, and a little veil in front. They were easily glued in place to the underside edges of the bowl base.

Step 4: Add Headband 
teacup-fascinators-headband

Cut an oval or egg-shape from a sheet of foam or stiff felt. Both are readily available from craft stores.

It should be slightly larger than the base. Then glue it to the rim underside of the floral fascinator.

The picture on the right shows foam glued to the underside of a saucer in How to Make Whimsical Teacup Fascinators. In that case, the oval foam is smaller than the base because the saucer base is large to begin with.

After the glue dries, cut two slits into the foam and slide a plastic or fabric-covered headband (Dollar Tree) through. Don’t glue it in place.

Position the floral fascinator comfortably on the head by easily sliding it along the headband.

Playful Accessory

Although mine may look exaggerated and over-the-top (it was a mad event after all!), each floral fascinator was actually lightweight and easy to wear.

In fact, the gals wore them throughout the party, including while Playing Flamingo Croquet and Building a House of Cards. Sistah B is sporting an indigo blue version of the floral fascinator.

blue-floral-fascinator-side-view

I actually made two of this style, using silk hydrangeas and peonies I had in my craft stash. But, the steps to make them are the same as the sunflower fascinator.

indigo-blue-floral-fascinator-front-back

Here’s what they look like from two sides. For the fabric, I used a tiny blue print and ribbons leftover from other projects.

blue-floral-fascinator-hummingbird

As with the yellow floral fascinator, I used large leaves to dramatic effect.

yellow-hummingbird-blue-floral-fascinator

Rather than a butterfly, I added either a large blue or yellow bird (Dollar Tree) to embellish each.

craft-yellow-hummingbird-blue-floral-fascinator-front-back

For a third floral fascinator style, I used up some craft decoration leftovers from the Breakfast at Tiffany’s Theme Brunch.

pink-tiffany-blue-floral-fascinator

A piece of pink feathers (Dollar Tree) came from the same boa used to embellish some of the Whimsical Teacup Fascinators.

As Queen of Hearts for the day, I sported the third crafted style —How to Make a Mad Hatter Fascinator. It was more of a top hat design.

alice-in-wonderland-tea-party-menu-helpers

All three party favor toppers were included in the Mad Hatter’s Trunk Show. Which style would you have chosen?

See DIY Arts & Craft Project Ideas & Inspiration for a roundup of other how-to’s and tutorials on Debbee’s Buzz.

Craft Blog Hop

I can’t wait to see what projects all these talented bloggers have to show and tell! Next up is my friend Shelley of Calypso in the Country and her DIY napkin rings.

Celebrate & Decorate ♩ At Home With Jemma ♩ Hearth and Vine ♩ My Hubbard Home 
My Thrift Store Addiction ♩ Home is Where the Boat Is ♩ The Painted Apron
Chas’ Crazy Creations ♩ Harbour Breeze Home ♩ My Family Thyme
Sustain My Craft Habit ♩ Birdz of a Feather ♩ Decorate and More ♩ Our Crafty Mom
Design Morsels ♩ White Arrows Home ♩ Create With Cynthia
Debbee’s Buzz ♩ Calypso in the Country ♩ B4 and Afters ♩ Purple Hues and Me 
Bluesky at Home ♩ Raggedy Bits ♩ Faeries & Fauna ♩ Elle Marie Home ♩ Zucchini Sisters

Healthy Mask Making Bug

Since taking up my new acrylic painting hobby, I haven’t devoted much time to crafting. Lately, most of my available “playtime” is  devoted to sewing homemade masks for family, friends, medical staff and first responders.

sewing-machine-setup

I was motivated by niece’s hard work detailed in New Normal: Stay Home & Wear a Homemade Mask. Initially though, I was unable to source materials with a stay at home order. Then I read an article on the front page of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about a local sewing shop right in my own community.

homemade-mask-work-area

They are currently selling mask-making kits online that include hard-to-find elastic — with contact free pickup and drop-off. Employees and customers are making and donating thousands of masks for local police and fire departments.

Gotta get back to it. Stay safe all!

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