Hello, my dahlings!

It is time for another craft tutorial post.  I haven't been as crafty as I would like to be lately.  I blame it on all the friggin' birthdays in May.  There is just too much going on!  People, STOP getting frisky in August because I am tired of sharing my birthday month with more and more people!! :-P

When we planned our outing to the Stumptown Comics Fest this year, I knew I wanted to nerd it up more than last year.  I've also been meaning to try my hand at making a zipper flower.  These two ideas combined in my brain, which I made into a reality.

I present you with the Star Wars Zipper Flower Hair Barrette:


I originally had my heart set on an Ewok, but Wicket is hard to come by.  Ackbar is another favorite character of mine and was easily accessible on eBay.

Supplies:
- Long zipper in any color
- Felt (I usually recommend using felt in a similar color to your hair color)
- Alligator barrette clips (This was a big flower, so I used two of my small clips)
- Fabric paint/glue/glitter or other sequins, rhinestones, beads, or doodads for decoration purposes
- Needle and thread
- Hot glue gun
- and your mini Lego Star Wars character

Directions:
1.  Cut the zipper into sections appropriate for the size of petals you want.  I used sections about an inch and a half to 2 inches long.  Use your needle and thread to make a basting stitch across the fabric part of the zipper.  Get pretty close to the edge for this.



2.  Pull the thread to gather the edge of the zipper section.  Overlap the two ends and sew them together.




3.  Once you make all your petals, sew them to the felt in flower formation.  I overlapped my petals a bit.



4.  Cut the felt so you have somewhat of a square or circle left on the backside.  You could cut the shape before you sew your petals on, but I found it easier to hold onto a larger piece of felt while sewing.  You just want to make sure it is small enough that it can't be seen when you are wearing the barrette.



5.  Next, cut two strips of felt (about 1/4" by 1 1/2").  Position your barrettes where you would like them to be and glue them in place with the hot glue.  Hot glue the felt strips across the inside of the barrettes to provide extra support.  (In retrospect, I may have even opted for a stiffer felt or made my petals just a wee bit smaller)



6.  Now decorate your flower to your heart's content.  I used black sparkly paint to give it more of a Star Wars/Death Star kind of vibe. (Plus, it is hard for me to make something without sparkles)





7.  Using hot glue, attach your mini Lego character of choice and proudly prance around in all your geeky awesomeness!  ( I got tons of compliments when I wore mine, even at the grocery store!)




Do you have a favorite Star Wars character?  Or what do you geek out about?