Video tutorials on flowers from £39

IMPORTANT: how to access your photo and video tutorials

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Please watch this short video which explains how to access VIDEO and PHOTO tutorials and courses on my website.
Demonstration recordings can be found in the VIDEO course section of the website. Downloadable files can be found in the relevant section of your account.
Please log into your account here https://presentperfectcreations.com/login/
After that:
I hope this helps. If you still have questions about this, please ask them in the comments below.

patreon membership

Become a Patron on PATREON

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silk peony bud video tutorialLike any other artist in my work I constantly look for more opprotunities and new ideas. I also seek to improve my teaching and widen the range of ways I share my knowledge with you.

One of the most recent opportinities I have started is PATREON, where I am working to establish a CREATIVE CLUB of FLORA FANS.
Do you love flowers and wish to improve your flower making skills? Then this might be the right oprion for you. Read on to learn more.

For a monthly fee (currently $20 USD for the first 30 patrons) as a member of the club you are able to enjoy the following perks and benefits:

❀ Monthly Live Online Demonstration*** from the month of joining onwards (the next on on Fabric GRAPES is in September 2023)
❀ Members Discounts on my FLOWER TUTORIALS and COURSES
❀ Exclusive mini tutos (for the full overview visit this blog post)
❀ Professional book reviews and recommendations
❀ Sneak peek behind the scenes
❀ Regular live online ART FLOWER SOS SURGERY sessions (Q&A)
❀ Exclusive preview of new work and more…
I am sure I will think of other things I would like to add to this list and share with you (like live Q&A, special tutorial requests etc)

*** Please note that the membership does not work retrospectively, which means you will not be able to access past demos that have already taken place before you joined. To avoid disappointment  and benefit from the best price I recommend booking your spot at demos early.

icelandic poppiesThe latest exclusive mini tutorial covers making of the delicate centre for my wispy Icelandic poppies + Icelandic poppy templates. The video on how to make this particular centre is already on Patreon and can be watched right now.

For the full list of exclusive mini video tutorials available to Patrons visit this blog post .

I am open for suggestions on other similar how-to small video tutorials you might find useful in your work, so if there is anything on your list of questions, do share it. To keep this content exclusive to the members of my Creative Club on Patreon I am not planning to share these mini tutorials anywhere else.

 

In case you are a fan of my finished flower pieces you are welcome to join FAIR BOTANIST accessory enthusiast tier where you will receive exclusive discounts on my flowers, free gift wrapping etc.

 

 

If you have any questions about the membership feel free to ask them in the comments below.
denim wild rose brooch

New Video Course on Fabric Flowers in partnership with Domestika

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If you follow me on social media, you have probably already noticed some of my posts on the textile flower course I have been preparing in collaboration with Domestika, the largest global creative community.

The filming and shooting for this course was done last July in London, where a team of professionals helped me create this beginner friendly yet exciting video tutorial on textile flowers made with denim.
In the course I show and teach how to create two very different roses using such well known and universally loved material as denim.

The course is aimed at beginner flower makers, because you will not need any specialist tools here, just your hands, patience, my guidance and an odd pair of tweezers. So even if you have not made any textile flowers before, you are welcome to join this course.

However, as it always happens with flower tutorials, even flower artists with experience will be able to find some useful tips and tricks to use in these as well as other flower designs they make.
Amongst other techniques I have included my method of finishing open roses (and other similar flowers) absolutely flat which I extensively employ in many of my designs, including leather flowers.
Another great benefit, thanks to Domestika, is that the course comes with subtitles in
❀ English
❀ Spanish
❀ Portuguese
❀ German
❀ French
❀ Italian
❀ Polish
❀ Dutch
So if the language was an obstacle on your way to learning textile flowers before, it is not an issue any more 🙂 You can choose your language and enjoy the creative process.

In the course I am sharing a number of ideas on how you could make other accessories with the flowers we’ve covered. By changing the size, the finish, the fabric, the stamens etc you will be able to create infinite number of roses suitable for every occasion and taste.

Now I would like to invite you to watch the introductory trailer to my Domestika course after which you will be able to purchase it from Domestica website at the special launch price if you decide to join

I am really excited about this course and so happy it is finally out and available for students to learn, experiment and enjoy the therapy of handmaking. I hope you will be able to join me on this course.
To watch the trailer and purchase the course use the button below.
denim wild rose brooch
Wild velvet rose choker

How to tie a neat bow

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A pretty bow can enhance your design and make it look super smart. However simple it looks, a neat symmetrical bow is not so easy to tie. But there’s a method to the madness 😊
I have recorded this little video to help you make your bows look sharp and neat every time you need to do one, be it on a choker or on a Christmas present 😉
If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments below 🌸
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

silver metallic fabrics pack

Celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with our limited edition fabric pack

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As you probably well know In 2022, Her Majesty The Queen will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee after 70 years of service.

Many events and activities have been planned and will be happening throughout the UK and beyond to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee including a number of design contests. We can not stay away from the festivities and are offering to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with a timited edition fabric pack. Do read on to learn more about it.

bridal silver peony headpiece
I do hope that you are taking part in the BMA Platimun Jubilee challenge and are currently working away at your millinery design to submit it in the next couple of days. Alas, my busy schedule has not permitted me to take time in this challenge, but if I was to create a hat for it I would definitely base my design around the “platinum colour” as I am a huge fan of metallic fabrics! They are such a versatile and wonderful material to use in all their variety, I am certain they would have allowed me to put a stunning and “precious” piece of headwear together.
As there is a variety of metallic fabrics, both specialist prestiffened as well as the ones you can source yourself. I would like to use this opportunity and take a closer look at them. Staying true to our theme of “platinum” let’s focus on the silvery metallic fabrics.
We can loosely classify the metallic fabrics for flower making into several groups based on their weight/ thickness which, in turn, will define their applications.
❀ Lightweight / Sheer metallic fabrics (organza, netting, lightweight silks)
❀ Medium Weight metallic fabrics (medium weight silks, dupioni etc)
❀ Heavy weight / opaque metallic fabrics (metallic satin, jacquard etc)
Whilst I stock professional metallic fabrics from all the 3 abovementioned groups, there are other suitable fabrics that you can find in your haberdashery or craft store. They can include dupioni silks (heavy weight), fine silk metallic netting (lightweight), light silks with metallic thread (lightweight), lace with metallic detail etc. Please remember that all fabrics you source yourself need to be prestiffened before you can use them in flower making.
silver dandelion clock
WHEN
The first thought you might have about when to use fabrics like that in your flowers is for some seriously special occasions like weddings, races, garden parties and other special receptions etc. They work exceptionally well here, this is true. You can make whole flowers (see the photo of my famous dandelion in silver) or butterflies from metallic fabrics or just use them sparingly to add a couple of petals in a rose or back the foliage for example. The possibilities are endless.
However if you are anything like me, you would agree that one does not need to wait for a special occasion to showcase these beautiful fabrics. Indeed there is space for a subtle (or a serious one!) sparkle in the most everyday of makes. A silver underside might not only look pretty and unusual, it also helps you finish your piece professionally and neatly (think simple everyday leather leaf brooches finished with metallic satin as well as many other options).
HOW
silver metallic fabric butterflySo, how do we go about using these beauties then?
I’d like to start by mentioning that the fabrics that I offer and use can be further tinted to match your projects better (no worries about the sparkle, it’s going to stay after dyeing).
Because of their properties and different qualities each of these fabrics have their own uses.
For example the medium and lightweight metallic fabrics are great for backing fabric petals and leaves made from heavier fabrics (think satin, velvet etc). These lighter fabrics can be used for filler petals in large flowers or add an additional lightweight sparkly layer on some parts of flowers in combination with a non sparkly fabric.
For backing leather I often prefer to use metallic satin (the heavy weight fabric) because it is completely opaque, can hide thicker wires and complements such dense material like leather very well.
Metallic satin also works well for butterfly and dragonfly wings, leaf pieces (like a holly leaf brooch etc) and some other projects which require a heavy fabric with some body to it.
I always work on new ideas for these fabrics so if you love using them too, keep your eye out for more information in my newsletters.

silver metallic fabrics pack

Right now to get your creative juices flowing and to conquer your heart with these stunning as well as versatile fabrics with a great creative potential I would like to offer my Limited Edition Platinum Jubilee metallic fabric pack.

This fabric pack contains 5 fat quarters of specialist stiffened metallic fabrics in silvery tones and includes the following selection:
❀ silver metal yarn fabric
❀ silver metallic jacquard fabric
❀ lightweight silver metallic fabric
❀ medium weight silver metallic fabric
❀ heavy weight silver satin fabric

Two of these fabrics have never been offered for sale, so if you like using metallics in your work, take advantage of this rare opportunity and help yourself to one of the packs while stocks last.
Let’s celebrate the Queen’s Platinum  by doing the best thing we know: by creating some amaging handmade flowers in the platinum metallic colours!
flower making demonstrations

Welcome to Live Online Flower Making Demonstrations

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In 2021 I introduced a new educational format to what PresentPerfect Creations Studio has already had to offer, mainly Live Online Demonstrations.
These 90 or so minute long live Zoom meetings give me an opportunity to cover some topics and subjects that ae difficult to fit into a tutorial or a video course. For example, compare a tooled and no tool version of the same flower, or show how to make a design using both types of materials (leather and textile). A great number of the demonstrations so far have featured flowers that can be made without the use of specialist tools, yet still look stunning and impactful.

Another benefit of such live meetings is the communication between me and my students, the opportunity to ask and answer questions and make the distance between us somewhat disappear. This benefit is particularly important in the times of the pandemic, when opportunities to get together are still rather limited.

Have I mentioned that the recordings of all live online demonstrations are available to watch for the registered participants after the event is over?

Recordings of past events can be purchased. For future demostrations consider joining my Patreon (see below).

NEW Patreon membership

If you enjoy my live demos and come to most of them consider becoming my patron on Patreon, where for a monthly fee you will be able to enjoy a number of benefits including access to this month demonstration as well as some special discounts for patrons, preview of new work etc. Choose FLORA FAN tier here to join

For a monthly fee (currently $20 USD for the first 30 patrons) as a member of the club you are able to enjoy the following perks and benefits:
❀ Monthly Live Online Demonstration from the moment of joining onwards
❀ Members Discounts on my FLOWER TUTORIALS and COURSES
❀ Exclusive mini tutos
❀ Professional book reviews and recommendations
❀ Sneak peek behind the scenes
❀ Exclusive preview of new work and more…
Past demonstration recordings are not included but can be purchased separately: 

 

If you like the idea of taking part in such demonstrations, feel free to check out the schedule here. Meanwhile find below the list of all the past demonstrations, access to the recordings of which can now be purchased on the website here.

 

I would love to see you at my forthcoming live online demonstrations.

 

DAISIES AND SISTERS FLOWER DEMO COVER

fabric Midsummer dream Rose demonstration cover

SILK RHODODENDRON deminstration cover

silk petunia flower earrings demo

fabric fantasy feather flower demo

FABRIC MIMOSA

miniature leather hat demonstration

FABRIC SUNFLOWER demonstration

 

SILK CHERRY BLOSSOM DEMONSTRATION

 

NO TOOL LEATHER LILY DEMO

leather chrysanthemums online event

online event on handmade butterflies and dragonflies

FABRIC ENGLISH LAVENDER EVENT COVER

retro lily of the valley event only

leather sunflower brooch

❀ NEW ❀ Leather Sunflower DIY kits

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New Leather Sunflower DIY kits just in time for summer.

Summer is in full swing and handmade sunflowers are all the rage right now. Silk or leather, these bright summer flowers look great anywhere from a beach to a wedding reception. Talking of which, one of my latest custom orders was a collection of sunflower brooches for a weddingleather sunflower party in the New York area.
Leather sunflower is one of my earlier tutorials. Relevant today as it has ever been before the flower itself has experienced some transformations over the years. That’s why I thought it would be a good idea to revisit the Leather Sunflower Tutorial , revise it  and update it to enable you to create even better sunflowers.
As you remember the original Leather Sunflower Tutorial was about making a headpiece. The new 25+ minute BONUS VIDEO I am offering today is focused more on a brooch version of this best selling flower.
I am demonstrating how to add stamens in a neat and efficient way and what to do to make them look even more attractive and realistic as well as other tips and tricks to help you achieve the best result possible.
⭐NEW⭐
leather sunflower kit stamensI have received a number of requests for Leather Sunflower DIY kits.  And for the first time ever I am happy to offer them in several finishes to go with this tutorial. They are available separately, so it is up to you whether to get them together with the Leather Sunflower Tutorial or not.
With one of these kits you will be able to create a Leather Sunflower brooch about 12 cm in diameter with (or without) stame

Leather Sunflower Tutorial

ns in the centre (as seen on a straw basket above).
Leather sunflowers are great not only for brooches or headpieces. Play with the scale of your templates and create smaller sunflowers for shoe clips or miniature stick pins etc.
The options are endless.
The striking centre, bright petals and a very recognisable look of the leather sunflower make it an ideal gift and a beautiful summer accessory.
This is a sort of flower where with minimum effort you achieve a great result and instant impact.

 

To receive access to the new BONUS VIDEO simply leave your review on this tutorial on my website here.
In case if you have not had a chance to purchase the Leather Sunflower Tutorial , you can do it now and receive access to the BONUS VIDEO. I can not recommend it enough as a beginner friendly flower.
If you are lucky enough to already own this tutorial but somehow you have not come round to actually making sunflowers now is the time! Treat yourself to one of the leather sunflower DIY kits in case you have been waiting for it ☺
Leather sunflower shoe clips
denim flowers

Denim Flowers

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NEW denim wild rose brooch
Beginner friendly No Tool Denim Fower Video Course in partnership with Domestika is now available.
All details can be found here

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Denim wedding buttonhole

Denim Flowers: sustainable to make and fun to wear! 

At PresentPerfect Creations studio experiments never stop. I try and test different fabrics, colours, shaping and assembly methods to create unusual yet wearable designs.

One of the less traditional fabrics for flower making that has always attracted me (and my customers!) is cotton denim.

shop denim collection

Robust enough for everyday wear, so familiar and loved by many it lends itself well to a variety of flower shapes, simplistic and more intricate alike. Add skilful shaping with tools, backing with metallic fabrics and you will receive a beautiful flower accessory perfectly suitable for casual wear and beyond. denim hat with roses

Perhaps, knowing my love for this material you are not surprised to learn that I have a whole 7 day step-by-step video course devoted to a denim rosebud (pictured above) which is recommended as your beginner fabric rose course.
The denim rosebud can make a perfect groom’s buttonhole. Complemented with other flowers it effortlessly becomes a more sophisticated corsage or a hat trim. Small hydrangea flowers work particularly well here together with the rose. They can also be used on their own and turned into a casual yet sweet everyday brooch. Use the step-by-step Fabric Hydrangea Tutorial when making your own denim hydrangea flowers.
denim hydrangea brooch

However more elaborate roses can be easily achieved with denim. The rose pictured on the right is based on my popular Silk Cropped Petal Rose Tutorial.

The contemporary design of straight cropped petals together with the recognisable look of classic blue denim make this rose unusually modern and visually attractive.
The tutorial on Silk Cropped Petal Rose is aimed at artists with previous experience in flower making. You will deepen your knowledge further and learn to

denim camellia brooches

 use a soft pad for shaping petals, learn to make complex rose leaves and an unusual beaded centre for your roses.
The denim theme in weddings has been going on for a while now. Over the years I have created groom’s boutonnieres, bridal hair pieces and corsages using a range of different flower templates.
Because of the nature of denim and its thickness flowers with a smaller number of petals work best. Camellias are one of those flowers that can be easily recreated with denim.
denim flower brooch
You can simply follow myVelvet Camellia Tutorial to make your own denim version of this classic Chanel inspired flower.
Some of my tutorials on leather flowers can be adapted to be used with denim. Both dahlias and gerberas are a good example.
denim flowers poppy
DENIM POPPY FLOWER

Poppies have always been a very popular flower. Made of leather, velvet, silk, cotton, organza or other medium, they always look attractive and often carry a special meaning as well (think Remembrance poppies).

Guess what, these flowers can also be made out of denim. In my live online demonstration on the Wild Velvet Poppies I have explained the process of creating a simple (not so simple 🙂 ) wild poppy with only 4 petals using backed petals that are sculpted in an attractive way. Plus you learn how to make a very recognisable seed box for the centre of your poppy. To learn more about this video demo and purchase you access to it visit the Wild Velvet Poppies Online Demonstration page.

 

denim lily flower
Denim Lily Flower
To make sure the shape stays sharp and the flowers and butterflies are wearable, I do back denim flower parts with another fabric (as it is shown in the
For this job you are free to use either some plain silks like pongee, organza, lightweight habutai. Or you can throw in a touch of sparkle with  metallic fabrics if you fancy it.
Both lightweight and medium weight metallic fabrics work well with denim. Furthermore you can dye them in the right shade of blue to match your denim completely should you wish.
Recently I have added another denim flower to my collection, this time a flower that can be made without specialist tools. Meet my denim lily, a perfect project for a beginner in flower making.
You can learn how to make this flower by purchasing the access to a recording of the live demonstration I held last winter  For more information click HERE.
denim chrysanthemum
One more flower perfect for those students who have not got any flower shaping tools is the No Tool Chrysanthemum. This type of Chrysanthemum has originally been featured during one of my live demostrations where I has shown how to make it out of genuine leather. Denim works for this design just as well. Feel free to try it out and create your own edgy denim chrysanthemum without the use of any specialst tools. You can find the recording of the No Tool Leather Chrysanthemum here
You can also try making a NO TOOL Denim Pansy design if you follow this charity Velvet Pansy Video Tutorial here.
denim rose wrist corsage
Black Denim Wrist Corsage

A rose that I have revisited lately is my Velvet Sweet Briar Rose (here pictured in black denim version).

A striking design, the velvet Sweet Briar Rose with its plush hand sculpted petals is stunning and indeed very sweet.

denim luna moth
DENIM LUNA MOTH

Do not underestimate this misleadingly simple rose. With so few petals, there is nowhere to hide imperfections. You will learn how to create impeccable velvet petals that look so live and moving when in fact they are rock solid hard and very sturdy. The tutorial is aimed at brave beginner and improver flower makers with a set of flower tools.

Denim is a popular and affordable fabric. I am quite sure you probably have some of it in your stash right now. Why not use it to create something beautiful to give as a little gift, to wear yourself or to offer to your customers?

 

I have even made my signature butterflies in denim!

If you wish to shop my denim designs visit the Denim Flowers section here.
denim butterfly
fabric for flower making in black

Black fabrics for flower making

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black rose hair combIn fabric flower making we tend to dye fabrics by hand. This technique helps us achieve a more realistic or more unique look, match the colour of the flower to that one of the outfit, do the gradation etc etc…
However there is a number of colours that are tricky to dye and you are better off purchasing fabrics in those colours to work with.
One of such colours is BLACK.
Black dye can range from black-green-grey to black-blue-purple and it is difficult to achieve the true soot black colour when dyeing by hand.
Luckily for us some key professionally stiffened fabrics come in …black and can be used straightaway in your favourite designs and for custom orders.
They include such staples as smooth rayon satin, thin rayon backing fabric as well as luxurious cotton velvet and rayon velveteen. Another great fabric is rayon organza in black.

For the rose in the photo above I have used rayon organza, thin rayon fabric and rayon velveteen. Another great addition can be black lace.

Plus these black fabrics make a perfect combination with silver and golden metallics (another firm favourite of mine!). Use them for evening and special occasion flowers and trims.

Over the years the above mentioned fabrics have appeared in a great number of tutorials: Silk Peony Buttonhole Tutorial, Miniature Velvet Roses Tutorial, Silk Calla Lily Tutorial, Silk Orchid Necklace Tutorial , Advanced Silk Rose Video Course, Velvet Sweet Briar Rose Tutorial to name a few.
In case if you wish to try these wonderful fabrics in your work, I have a number of packs on offer at the moment. fabric for flower making in black
Each pack includes a fat quarters of each of the following fabrics:
❀ smooth rayon satin (black)
❀ cotton velvet with short pile (black)
❀ rayon velveteen (black)
❀ rayon organza (black)
❀ thin rayon backing fabric (black)
These fabrics can also be purchased individually (not as a pack), please see the links below.
Use the for either leaves or flower petals, butterflies and berries, anything you would make from hand dyed or white fabrics.
I hope you will find these black gems useful in your work and can’t wait to see your noir masterpieces!
dye velvet leaves

How to dye velvet leaves

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Learn some tips and tricks on how to dye velvet leaves for your projects.
dye velvet leaves
Procion Dyes

I have talked so many times before about velvet and its uses in flower making, it is clear I like working with this gorgeously soft and very tactile fabric.

In flower making we are only really interested in the velvets that are made using natural fibers like silk, viscose or cotton. And there’s a good reason for that. These natural dye fabrics dye well with Procion and other silk dyes and can be shaped with millinery tools.

In my numerous tutorials I have used velvet for some parts of the designs, whether it be foliage, petals, orchid lips, passion flower coronas etc.

flower girl headband
Velvet Strawberry Tutorial
Velvet is simply perfect for making leaves, but whole flowers can be created out of it too (remember the Velvet Camellia Tutorial, the Velvet Lily Tutorial, the Velvet Strawberries Tutorial , the Velvet Sweet Briar Rose and the Miniature Rose Tutorial to name a few?).
Today I have prepared a video which shows how to dye velvet leaves using several shades of green as well as other colours for a realistic look that goes well with your flowers.

Learn to layer your colours onto the fabric to bring your foliage to life with a play of light and shadow.

In this video I am using 3 different shades of green from paler lime one through to dark olive green.

Sweet Briar Rose dye velvet leaves
Velvet Sweet Briar Rose Tutorial

I also add a little blue and purple to my foliage. This is done to tie the leaves with the petals of your flower and is often a very good idea to bring the whole flower piece together.

Because of its heavy weight, thickness and pile velvet absorbs a lot of water when being dyed. When left to dry on a paper it will also lose a lot of water together with the dye. To achieve a brighter colour with velvet I recommend drying flower parts on non porous surfaces like glass or plastic.
Velvet is always dyed from the right side. Try to be gentle with your brush strokes not to mess up the pile too much. It is VERY important to consider the pile direction when tracing and cutting parts out of velvet and other similar fabrics.
As you can imagine velvet dries quite slowly too, especially on a plastic/ glass surface.
Below are the links to the fabric section with several kinds of velvet, special fabric brushes as well as some relevant tutorials available from my website.
I hope you enjoy the little video on how to dye velvet leaves below and from now on will be able to dye your own velvet leaves ideal for your projects every time! ☺
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