Felt Flower Magnets

These are very easy to make! They would make nice gifts for Mother's Day or other occasions. The purple flower is about 3/4" wide and the yellow flower is about 2 1/4" wide.

Tip: I put magnets on the backs of my flowers, but you could omit the magnets and use the flowers to decorate other projects, such as headbands. You could also use pinbacks instead of magnets and attach the flowers to backpacks or clothing.

1. One piece of felt in color of your choice for flowers (approximately 8" x 12") NOTE: one piece of felt can make four flowers like the smaller purple one or two flowers like the larger yellow one + 1 smaller one.
2. One piece of green felt (approximately 8" x 2" for four flowers)
3. Sharp scissors intended for fabric
4. Glue gun and glue sticks (I used low-temp)
5. 4 round ceramic magnets (approximately 3/4" in diameter, one for each flower you plan to make)

1. These directions are for the purple flower. If you want to make the yellow flower, see NOTE below.**
2. Using the felt color you chose for the flower, fold the felt in half, making the long edges line up.
3. Using your fabric scissors, carefully cut the felt in half on the fold line.
4. Once the felt is cut in half, take one of the pieces and fold in half again, making the long edges line up.
5. Using your fabric scissors, carefully cut this smaller piece of felt in half on the fold line.
6. Repeat the folding and cutting process for the other half-sheet of felt.
7. You will now have 4 strips of felt, each about 2" wide.

**NOTE: If you want to make the larger yellow flowers, instead of folding and cutting the 2" wide strips as directed, measure and mark 3" wide strips--the lines you mark should be parallel to the long side of the felt. Cut with fabric scissors. You can make 2 larger flowers + 1 smaller flower from one 8" x 12" piece of felt.

1. Take one of the felt strips you have just cut and fold it in half, lining up the long edges.
2. Starting at one end of the strip, using your hot glue gun, apply glue, a little at a time, along the lower "flap" created by the fold, very close to the end of the felt. Press the top flap down onto the hot glue, lining up the edges. Continue all the way to the other end of the strip.
3. Take the folded felt strip you have just glued and fold it again, repeating steps 1 and 2. When you are finished, you will have a strip that has been folded and glued twice.

1. Hold the glued felt strip with the folded (unglued) side closest to you. Make sure that you DO NOT cut into the side of the strip that has been glued.
2. Using your fabric scissors, cut one slit approximately 1/4" to 1/3" (no need to measure exactly, estimating is fine) in from one end of the felt strip, cutting about 3/4 of the way through the strip. MAKE SURE you do not cut all the way through the strip. When you feel your scissors running into the dried hot glue, stop.
3. Continue moving down the strip, cutting more slits every 1/4" to 1/3". You can vary the distances between 1/4" and 1/3" if you like. If you vary the widths, the result will be that the petals of the finished flower will be slightly different widths. I think it looks more natural this way (the yellow flower was done this way).

1. Lay the strip down, with the side with the slits away from you and the previously glued edge close to you.
2. Starting at the right end of the strip, close to the already-glued edge, apply a little bit of hot glue close to the end of the strip, rolling up the right end of the strip fairly tightly and pressing the rolled up end of the strip onto the hot glue.
3. Continue applying glue, a little at a time, onto the lower edge of the strip, rolling up and pressing the rolled up felt onto the hot glue. Continue to the left edge of the strip.
4. When you are finished, you will have a circular flower. Pull off any extra strands of hot glue.

1. From the green piece of felt, using your fabric scissors, cut two leaves (see picture for shape). For the purple flower, I cut the leaves about 1 3/4" long and for the yellow flower, I cut the leaves about 2" long.
2. Using your hot glue gun, apply glue to the back of the flower, in an area about half the size of the leaf, going from the center out to the edge of the flower, closest to the end of the rolled up flower. Press one of the leaves into the glue.
3. If you wish, apply a little bit more hot glue to the side of the flower where the end of the rolled up is. Press the leaf into the hot glue to cover the end of the roll.
4. Repeat step 2 for the other leaf, gluing the second leaf at an angle to the first (see picture for placement). Apply a little more hot glue to the side of the flower near the second leaf and press the second leaf into the glue.

1. Apply hot glue to one side of the round ceramic magnet and press the glued side of the magnet onto the center of the back of the felt flower.
2. You have completed one felt flower with magnet. Repeat steps 2 through 6 for more flowers.

Congratulations! I hope you enjoyed this Instructable.