leather flower tutorial

New leather flower tutorial is out!

by | posted in: handmade gifts, handmade hair accessories, handmade in the uk, handmade jewelry, handmade leather flower, leather accessory, leather brooch, leather corsage, leather flower uk, leather gift, leather jewelry | 0

LEATHER GERBERA TUTORIALNew leather flower tutorial is out now

LEATHER GERBERA TUTORIAL IS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD NOW.

As promised yesterday I am sharing a link to the new leather flower tutorial.
To read more about it, see the materials and tools needed and purchase please go to https://presentperfectcreations.com/product/leather-gerbera-brooch-photo-tutorial-pdf/

This new tutorial is more than any previous ones full packed of pictures showing every step of the process, but should you have any questions or would like me to comment of the flower you have created using this tutorial I am here to help. You can always e-mail me at enquiries@presentperfectcreations.com. I would also like to hear if there are any particular flower tutorials you would be interested in. There are so many beautiful blooms in this world and they are all so different that it is virtually impossible to create all of them. But such all time favourites like roses and poppies are already on my list of tutorials to do.

Ah, and the last thing (but not the least)! To purchase your copy of tutorial with a 30% discount simply use gerbera30 discount code on checkout. But do remember that this is a time sensitive offer and it is valid only until midnight Sunday 14 December 2014 GMT.

I am sure that there is still plenty of time to make a couple of gerberas and present them as original and hand crafted Christmas gifts. Good luck to you! ☺

Here are the tools and materials that are required for this tutorial.

 

materials

 

This is a choice of flower iron tips you can use in this tutorial. You will require JUST ONE of these, any that you have in your set. I am using the far left wide foot with 3 grooves.

iron tips

And finally, some pleasant news for you as subscribers of my blog. I am going to offer you a special introductory price on this tutorial till the end of this week (midnight on Sunday) so you will have a chance to make your own leather gerbera and pay 30% less for the tutorial.

Tomorrow I will send you a link for the tutorial at my online shop as well as a discount promo code for it.

I hope that you are as excited as I am waiting for the release. I have a lot of other ideas on tutorials on silk and leather flowers but your comments and preferences will be much appreciated, so if you want to ask or suggest something please do so by leaving a comment for me below.

leather gerbera flower shoe clips

Stiffening leather and getting ready!

by | posted in: handmade gifts, handmade hair accessories, handmade in the uk, handmade jewelry, handmade leather flower, leather accessory, leather brooch, leather corsage, leather flower uk, leather gift, leather jewelry | 0

beige gerbera knit

Hours are left before the release of the tutorial and I can not keep it a secret any longer! Yes, the tutorial is on creating a leather gerbera flower just like one in the picture to the left. It is easy enough even for a beginner to try and at the same time those of you who can not wait to use their flower irons can have a go at them when making this flower. Although the tutorial shows how to finish the gerbera with a brooch pin, it can be turned into a range of other accessories just like any other flower. In fact, I take pride in my ability to come up with quite unusual and quirky floral accessories. To share one idea with you I can say that a pair of leather  gerberas can make stunning shoe clips which you can jazz up your favourite pair of shoes with. It goes without saying that leather gerbera brooch makes an original and much appreciated gift for those who understand about hand crafted accessories. Provided you have got some suitable leather and a bit of time you can still make one or two flowers before Christmas!
To use time efficiently you can stiffen you leather in advance. I am explaining how to do in in my blog post here.  It is better to use 2 contrasting colours, say, a darker leather for the centre and some pale (or rich!) coloured leather or suede for the petals.

Here is the list of materials and tools you will need for the tutorial. If you have any questions regarding this list please feel free to leave a comment below.

materials

 

This is a choice of flower iron tips you can use in this tutorial. You will require JUST ONE of these, any that you have in your set. I am using the far left wide foot with 3 grooves.

iron tips

And finally, some pleasant news for you as subscribers of my blog. I am going to offer you a special introductory price on this tutorial till the end of this week (midnight on Sunday) so instead of full price  you will have a chance to make your own leather gerbera with a 30% discount.

Tomorrow I will send you a link for the tutorial at my online shop as well as a discount promo code for it.

I hope that you are as excited as I am waiting for the release. I have a lot of other ideas on tutorials on silk and leather flowers but your comments and preferences will be much appreciated, so if you want to ask or suggest something please do so by leaving a comment for me below.

Tools for shaping leather flowers

by | posted in: handmade gifts, handmade hair accessories, handmade in the uk, handmade jewelry, handmade leather flower, leather accessory, leather brooch, leather corsage, leather flower uk, leather gift, leather jewelry | 0
millinery tools
SET OF 2 EXTRA NARROW MILLINERY TOOLS

What tools for shaping leather flowers should you choose?

ph-open-leather-rose-close-2-logo1

Now that we have chosen thin and soft leather for creating leather flowers it is time to talk about the right tools which are going to help us turn a flat piece of skin into a 3D floral masterpiece.

Tool number one is (believe me or not) our hands. A lot of shaping can be done with just hands. In fact, some flowers are made without any special tools. Different ways of folding, twisting, stretching and rolling leather give a wide range of special effects that allow us to create beautiful leather flowers.

Tool number two is a floral iron with interchangeable tips used for shaping fabric flowers. This tool can be used to almost the same extent with leather but bear in mind that leather can not withstand high temperatures. It can burn and shrink if the flower iron is too hot for it, so I recommend to always check the temperature of your iron on an off-cut before touching a petal or a leaf. I wrote about my set of tools in this post here, so if you have not seen it you might want to read it now.

tweezers

The third tool I would like to mention is a pair of tweezers like these ones in the picture. Tweezers are heated in the body of the flower iron and used for curling petals for roses, poppies and other flowers.
Leather petals might be quite stiff to the touch but the shape you are giving them will make them look light, airy, breathable and ever so live! I highly recommend to get yourselves a pair of tweezers like those. Humble as they look the role they play is very important and the results will impress you.

 

A PAIR OF SUITABLE TWEEZERS FOR SHAPING FLOWER PETALS CAN BE PURCHASED HERE.

The work on the new leather tutorial is in full swing at the moment. Tomorrow I will reveal what flower can be created with the help of the tutorial, but if you are good at guessing here as a couple of photos for your inquisitive minds:

tools for shaping leather flowers                         tools for shaping leather flowers

If you are interested in learning how to make fabric or leather flowers feel free to subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more flower making videos.

leather for making flowers

How I choose leather for making flowers

by | posted in: leather flower, leather gift, leather jewelry, suede flower, tutorial leather flower | 5

leather hides
As I’ve always said cold months is that period of the year when leather flowers outshine fabric ones. Amongst other reasons I would mention at least the following two:

❀ leather is a more durable material and flowers made of leather are more weather-resistant than silk ones

❀ leather and suede flowers nicely complement winter wardrobe pieces made of thick warm fabrics and wool, accentuate hats, bags and boots.

At the moment I am working on a new tutorial which will be released later this week. As the tutorial is on a leather flower, I thought I’d share some useful tips on how to choose leather for making flowers the way I do it for mine.

In order to create leather blooms (the way I show in my tutorials) we use only genuine leather or suede. No synthetic substitutes can withstand the heat of a flower iron when flowers are being shaped. Moreover, faux leather does not possess the level of flexibility and suppleness needed for making our gorgeous blooms.

first leather rose video course
MY FIRST LEATHER ROSE VIDEO COURSE

It is best to work with good quality materials. This way you will enjoy the process of creation and the final piece will show class. However, good quality does not have to cost the earth.

Leather comes in grades. There are several grades of leather, sometimes marked as Grade 1 or Grade A etc.  the smaller the number the higher the quality (Grade A is higher quality than Grade C). Because petals and leaves are relatively small compared to, say, garment parts, we  do not necessarily have to use leather skins of higher grades. Lower grades as as well as smaller pieces of leather will work just fine.

For leather or suede flowers only thin and soft skins are recommended. The best thickness is 0.5-0.8 mm (1-2 oz in weight), but you can use skins up to 1 mm thick (for certain flowers). Ideally look for lambskins and goat skins  that are suitable foe clothing or glove making (gloving leather).how to choose leather

Sometimes I use pig suede. Although it is a bit on a thicker side and can be uneven, the wide range of rich colours it comes in makes it difficult to resist.

Leather and suede have different finishes. This variety of finishes is used to enhance the natural beauty of leather. The most common ones are aniline, pigmented, patent, metallic, oily, waxy, suede and nubuck. Leathers with different finishes will behave differently when stiffened and shaped to be turned into a flower piece.

Unlike silk leather is much less predictable. That is why it is virtually impossible to recreate a leather flower again. It will be different and for me that is the advantage of working with leather. Creating leather flowers is always a journey into the unknown. No need to worry, the outcome is always uniquely beautiful.

I hope this information will help you choose the right leather for your flowers and enjoy the process of creation even more.

PHOTO TUTORIALS on LEATHER FLOWERS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

 

tutorial banner

 

We also offer individual workshops on leather flowers, so if you are interested please click through for more information.

 

Indian Summer has arrived. New line of leather flowers

by | posted in: handmade leather flower, how to make leather flowers, leather brooch, leather flower, leather gift, leather jewelry, third anniversary gift, wedding anniversary gift | 1
It is official, autumn is here. And although the days are still rather warm and even sunny the mornings are chilly and filled with dewy cobwebs.
In colder months I find that silks and other delicate fabrics tend to lose their appeal and give way to more seasonally appropriate fellow material, leather. Lately, I have been working on my new line which I dubbed Indian Summer. Those of you who live in the Southern Hemisphere may not have experienced this natural phenomenon. Indian summer is a bit of summer in autumn, a period of lovely warm and dry weather that occurs between late September and mid November in the Northern Hemisphere .
So what I was trying to achieve here is a line of brightly coloured accessories featuring autumnal blooms in rich and seasonal hues.
I started with chrysanthemums and have created this rusty orange open chrysanthemum corsage made of thin leather.

Click here for more detail on chrysanthemum corsage

The next piece was a red and brown leather gerbera.

Red leather gerbera brooch

Of course I could not possibly forget about roses, so I created two: an open one made of velvety suede in cerise colour

Cerise suede rose brooch. SOLD OUT

 and an English multipetal rose in deep aubergine hue. The latter one was experimental and I am pleased with the result. When I get hold of more very thin gloving leather I will make more of it in other colours.

Click here to read more about the purple rose brooch

One of the most unusual pieces from my Indian Summer line was this one called Summer Reminiscence. Not exactly a wearable hat, but a leather hat brooch, that’s what it is.
To give you a sense of scale I’ll just mention that the diameter of the pink rose is about 1 cm.
The hat and the trimmings are made using genuine leather and suede.

Leather hat brooch

The autumn has just started and I am planning to add more pieces to this bright line of accessories. I must admit, not all the experiments were equally successful, some like cyclamens and anemones need more work done to them which will keep me entertained during shortening autumnal days.
As always I would love to hear your feedback on my work, do it by either commenting below or e-mailing me at svetlana.faulkner@gmail.com

Spring in leather bloom

by | posted in: camelia, camellia, camellia jewelry, gift for Mum, leather brooch, leather camellia, leather corsage, leather jewelry, leather wreath, wild violets | 0
tAs the days become warmer Eva and I spend more and more time wandering pedestrian paths and little streets of our city enjoying spring and the blooms it has brought.
One of the classic spring flowers is a noble camellia. Often hidden in the back gardens it is in full bloom at the moment. More often than not camellia flower has clean lines and a regular shape which is perfect for recreating this flower in leather. I have gone slightly mad and made a whole load of smaller and larger camellias in differently coloured genuine leather and suede.

Leather camellia

Camellias can be finished with a brooch pin or a hair clip.

During our expeditions along footpaths we come across much more humble flowers too. Like tiny wild violets scattered among the grass here and there. They are very fragile and will not survive for much longer once they are picked. To make them I chose soft suede of an appropriate colour. Now you can enjoy this sweet brooch of wild violets for as long as you wish!

Wild violets brooch

What are  you creating this spring?

Leather flowers to cater for all tastes this autumn

by | posted in: beige leather, floral brooch, flore cuero, genuine leather brooch, leather brooch, leather flower, leather jewelry, leather rose, suede brooch, suede flower | 0
This week I have been working with leather. With autumn on our doorstep it seems to me to be the right material for flower making as silk flowers are more fragile and in a way more refined for decorating  outerwear.

I finished 2 brooches, both similar in shape but the colour schemes are very different.

The first floral brooch made of genuine beige leather will spice up your trench coat in classic beige shades. This leather flower also perfectly complements natural fabrics such as linen, cotton, raw silk, as well as straw and genuine leather and suede in light colours.
The diameter of the flower is about 9 cm.
Available for purchase from my Etsy shop

 For those of you who find the calmness of beige too boring I am offering this bright alternative: a floral brooch in intense colours to beat the autumn blues.
The flower is made of genuine suede of 2 hues: fuchsia for the petals and emerald green for the leaves. At the moment it is also available for purchase here.
Are you prepared for the coming autumn?

Leather rose

by | posted in: couture flowers, flower iron, gift for her, handmade leather flower, how to make leather flowers, leather accessory, leather flower, leather jewelry, leather rose, millinery flower | 0
I am continuing my experiments with genuine leather, this rich and pliable material, great for making floral accessories.
As a part of my new capsule collection I have created 2 leather roses, different in size and shape.
The new collection called NATURALS will comprise of a range of accessories made using natural materials in natural colours and hues.
So the new roses (both corsages) are created using beige leather  and tan suede. They make an essential wardrobe addition for any girl who prefers natural fabrics such as linen, cotton, raw silk, as well as straw and genuine leather and suede in light colours.

The small closed rose is about 5 cm in diameter. It is finished with a brooch pin.

Small leather rose

The large open rose is complemented with tan-coloured leaves made of genuine suede.

Open leather rose corsage

It is finished with a brooch pin as well as the small one.

These unique leather corsages will make a lovely gift for your Mum, sister or a girlfriend. They are available from my Etsy shop.

If you are interested in learning how to make leather flowers or in purchasing a .pdf tutorial on leather flowers, please feel free to contact me via this blog, my Etsy store or e-mail me at svetlana.faulkner@gmail.com.

Leather and suede flowers

by | posted in: genuine leather brooch, handmade flower uk, handmade leather flower, how to make flowers, leather accessory, leather flower uk, leather jewelry, suede corsage, suede flower | 6
As I have mentioned before the techniques similar to the ones I use for silk flowers can be used for genuine leather and suede in order to make floral accessories. Although there are some specifics when working with leather I use the same set of tools to shape leather petals and leaves. 
I must say that leather being such a rich and luxurious material requires less work done to it to make an accessory when compared to using silk. In my experiments I have tried both leather and suede and as any natural material they proved to be great to work with.
I would like to share several of my latest leather accessories with you.
This fantasy cornflower brooch is made of intense blue leather and decorated with faceted glass beads.

The fantasy camellia in rich berry colour is made of both suede (the petals) and leather (the leaves). It is finished with a brooch base. The corsage is available from my Etsy shop. Not only great for a jacket or coat lapel this handmade fantasy camellia brooch is perfect to decorate your belt, handbag or hat. It makes a great gift too, especially for the forthcoming Mother’s Day.
The aster brooch is similarly created with genuine suede for the petals and leather for the leaves. This corsage in grey blue colour with navy blue leather leaves is a perfect accessory to go with denim clothes this coming spring/summer season. I can also see it complementing floaty cotton dresses 😉

Alternatively it can decorate your jacket, belt or a handbag. And again you can consider it a nice gift to your Mum or a friend. This fantasy aster brooch is available here.

I would be pleased to hear your comments on these leather accessories or ideas of how to incorporate them into our outfits this coming season.

Thanks for your time!

P.S. In this post here I am sharing some tips on stiffening leather for making leather flowers. Hopefully you will find it useful