As you can see from my photo, you don’t need to be too exact – I just eyeballed everything.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n2. Cut each square in half along the diagonal. You’ll end up with 6 triangles of each colour.
\n![\"felt](\"\/blog\/tut_images\/feltpoinsettia2.png\")
<\/p>\n
Green Layer<\/h2>\n
3. Prepare a sewing needle with a length of thread. Tie a large knot near one end of the thread, leaving a couple of inches of thread beyond the knot. Put the needle and thread to one side for now. <\/p>\n
4. Hold one green felt triangle with the long edge facing down. Fold the triangle in half from side to side.
\n![\"felt](\"\/blog\/tut_images\/feltpoinsettia3.png\")
<\/p>\n
5. Imagine a straight line from the bottom of the folded edge to about 1cm (3\/8″ up from the 2 original bottom corners. This just removes some of the bulk from the petals and you can eyeball it so it looks like my diagrams below; if the leaves don’t end up exactly the same size it’ll just look more realistic! Cut along this line to give you the shape A-B-C (where A-B is the folded edge).
\n![\"felt](\"\/blog\/tut_images\/feltpoinsettia4.png\")
<\/p>\n
6. Fold the front corner C forward to meet A (below, left). Fold the back corner C back to meet A (below, right) – this view shows the back of the leaf.
\n![\"felt](\"\/blog\/tut_images\/feltpoinsettia5.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
7. Keeping all the folds together with your fingers, flip the leaf over so you can see the front (below, left). Stitch through all the layers of the felt, slightly in from the very tips of the corners so the stitch will be secure (below, right). Pull the thread right through until the knot catches on the right (left if you’re left-handed) side of the leaf.
\n![\"felt](\"\/blog\/tut_images\/feltpoinsettia6.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
8. Make a second stitch back through all the layers, a couple of mm below the first, and then make a third stitch in the same position as the first. This will keep all the layers together so the leaf won’t reopen. Lay down the leaf and needle, but don’t fasten off.<\/p>\n
9. Fold a second leaf. Using the same needle and thread, make the first and second stitches through the leaf as in steps 7 and 8 above, but snug the 2nd leaf up to the 1st (see picture, below) before making the third stitch that locks everything into place.
\n![\"felt](\"\/blog\/tut_images\/feltpoinsettia7.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
10. Repeat for the other 4 green leaves. When all 6 are attached together, pull them around to complete the circle, and stitch through the first leaf and back again to lock everything together.
\n![\"felt](\"\/blog\/tut_images\/feltpoinsettia8.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
11. First layer finished (below, left)! Flip the layer over, pull both thread ends to the back, tie them together (below, right) and trim the excess thread (don’t worry about hiding the ends though).
\n![\"felt](\"\/blog\/tut_images\/feltpoinsettia9.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Red Layer<\/h2>\n
12. Repeat steps 3-10 with the 6 red triangles to complete the second, red, layer.
\n![\"felt](\"\/blog\/tut_images\/feltpoinsettia10.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Assembly<\/h2>\n
13. Centre the red layer on top of the green, with the leaves offset (below, left). Use the remaining thread, or cut a new length, to stitch the two layers together, making stitches in a small circle around the central holes (below, right). Make sure your stitches can’t be seen from the top of the poinsettia! (Again, you may glue the layers together instead, if you’d prefer.)
\n![\"felt](\"\/blog\/tut_images\/feltpoinsettia11.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Centre<\/h2>\n
You can use whatever you want for the centre of the poinsettia; here are a couple of ideas. <\/p>\n
Simple centre<\/strong>
\nUse a button with a shank (i.e. no visible buttonholes on the surface of the button). Just stitch it on – easy!
\n![\"felt](\"\/blog\/tut_images\/feltpoinsettia12.jpg\")
<\/p>\nDecorative centre<\/strong>
\nMy preferred method! You’ll need 7 small beads and a needle and thread.<\/p>\n1. Thread 6 beads onto the thread (below, left), leaving a long tail so they don’t fall off. Pass the needle through the first 2 beads again (below, right).
\n![\"felt](\"\/blog\/tut_images\/feltpoinsettiacentre1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
2. Draw tight to pull the 6 beads into a ring (below, left). Thread the 7th bead onto the needle and pass the thread through the bead on the opposite side of the circle to keep the 7th bead in the middle of the ring (below, right).
\n![\"felt](\"\/blog\/tut_images\/feltpoinsettiacentre2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Pass the needle through all the beads around the circle until it meets the starting end. Tie the two ends together to secure the bead flower. Use the ends to stitch the flower into the centre of the poinsettia.<\/p>\n
![\"felt](\"\/blog\/tut_images\/feltpoinsettia13.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Finishing<\/h2>\n
Cover all the thread ends and the hole in the bottom of the green layer with the circle of green felt you cut earlier. Glue in place, or, for a more decorative finish, whipstitch or blanket stitch around the edge of the circle, catching the bottom of the green leaves with each stitch.
\n![\"felt](\"\/blog\/tut_images\/feltpoinsettiaback.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
For display, you can add a pin back, glue on a magnet, or add a loop of ribbon so you can hang your poinsettia.<\/p>\n
![\"felt](\"\/blog\/images\/poinsettia2010.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Please leave me a comment if you did, and consider leaving me a donation. Thanks!<\/p>\n
![\"felt](\"\/blog\/images\/pattern_feltpoinsettia.jpg\")
<\/div>\n![\"felt](\"\/blog\/tut_images\/feltpoinsettia1.jpg\")