Vintage Lace and Button Flowers ~ tutorial

This mirror lends itself well to a changing theme.  For a lower maintainance look, I decided to make some vintage lace flowers to embellish it.  Here is how I made my flowers:

Because I'm using hand crocheted lace, I used white glue to keep the cut edges from unraveling.  I want simple five petal flowers, so I used a nicely scalloped lace and applied glue every five scallops.  Wax paper under the lace keeps your glue from sticking to the table.

Once the glue is dried, I cut through the center of it.  This strip of lace was long enough for five pieces.

Stitch the glued edges together, then gather the bottom edge of the lace with a running stitch to gather.

Gather it tightly enough to leave a hole, just large enough for your button to squeeze through.

I stitched my vintage buttons to small circles of felt, so I can easily switch them out if I want to.

Use the hole in the center just like a button hole!

I used copper wire for stems, making a spiral on one end.  Now the flower can be gently "screwed" onto the stem, and is just as easily removed. 

There you have it!  Lovely little vintage lace flowers with dainty button centers.  With the wide variety of lace and buttons available, the possibilities are endless!

Here is another style flower I made last night.  I was going for fuller shape, more like a Mum or a Zinnia.  I used a longer piece, and spiraled the gathered lace around to make two layers.  I like it! 

Warning!  Making vintage lace flowers can be addictive!!
I found some really sweet amber colored buttons in an antique shop the other day.  They remind me of butterscotch candies.  Of course I came right home, and created yet another style, simlar to the first ones I made, but with the petals doubled up.  The lace is a bit different too.