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DIY Folded flower table topper, mug rug, centerpiece or placemat

The folded fabric flower, which looks impressive, is a fairly easy project with some repetition, making it a lovely activity if you are teaching a child to sew. They get to practice each move. You can make folded fabric flowers as placemats or as a table centerpiece or even as a table topper is you make it larger. Personally, if using as a centerpiece I’d make it work by slipping in wrapped chocolates between each petal, making the petals stand up more. I can see this working well as a Christmas centerpiece, or for a birthday dinner finale. You can make these placemats in bright colors for a breakfast table, or in cream and gold, or black and silver, for a more sophisticated table.

how to make a flower table topper

I absolutely love this centerpiece or tablemat – you can decide how you are going to use it. Follow the visuals and step-by-step instructions to learn how to make the folded fabric flower. Made in bright prints the tablemats are great for breakfast and casual lunches. Make them in more sophisticated color schemes and they will become a conversation piece at a formal dinner table. Christmas prints would make a gorgeous folded fabric flower – especially in the poinsettia colors of reds and greens, or go for white and gold. I love a little surprise, so if using this as a center-piece I’d elevate it onto a cake stand and slip beautifully wrapped chocolates or sugar cookie between the petals.

flower table topper detail

Below you will find my step by step written tutorial with VIDEO instructions for all the visual learners.

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How to make a flower centerpiece

DIY Table topper Supplies and tools

flower table topper pattern and supplies

DOWNLOAD: flower table topper pattern (FREE pdf)

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How to Sew a flower centerpiece

Watch the diy table topper video first and then follow the written step by step instructions below.
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Folded flower table topper VIDEO TUTORIAL

INSTRUCTIONS:

STEP 1: Download the flower centerpiece pattern

Get the free downloadable table topper pattern above and print at 100% (no scaling). The seam allowance is 1/4″ (6mm) and is already included.

Finished size: 30 x 30 cm (12 x 12″)

You can certainly enlarge the circles to make a bigger flower. The finished size will be double the size of a circle (seam allowance excluded)

TIP: If you don’t have a printer at your disposal, you can make your own template simply by marking a circle with a 6-inch (15 cm) diameter on a piece of paper and adding a seam allowance.

STEP 2: Cut out the fabric

Cut 7 circles of plain fabric  and 7 circles of out of the printed fabric according to the pattern.

STEP 3: Pin the circles in pairs

Take one piece of plain fabric and one piece of printed fabric. Place right side to right side and pin to hold in place.

Repeat for all pieces.

Step 4: Trim the SA

Trim the seam allowance of the pattern (cut along the dashed line)

Step 5: Draw stitch line

Using a fabric pen mark all the circles on the wrong side, drawing around the 6-inch (15 cm) pattern circle so you know where to stitch the seam allowance. It is important to draw the circle in order to follow the lines and get a neat circle rather than guesstimating the seam allowance.

Step 6: Sew

Stitch right around the edge, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) gap. Back tack at start and finish. Repeat until you have 7 sets of plain and printed fabric sewn together.

Step 7: Clip the SA

Clip the seam allowance every 3/8″ (1cm) leaving the original seam allowance intact around the gap you left in each one.

Step 8: Turn around

Turn the circles by pulling the fabric through the gap. Use a knitting needle to gently push out the seams so they lie flat.

Step 9: Stitch the gap

Turn the raw edges of the seam allowance inside the circles, ensure the edge is smooth and following the shape of the circle, then hand stitch closed using a slip stitch so the stitching isn’t visible.

TIP: If you are lazy like me, you can machine stitch the gap, making sure to use matching thread for each side of the circles.

Step 10: Press

Press all 7 circles flat.

Step 11: Cut the template

To create the pattern for the fold take the paper pattern you used to cut the circles and fold it in half then cut so you have two semi-circles.

Step 12: Prepare the pattern

Put the one semi-circle aside and working with one semi-circle place it with the straight side closest to you on the worktop. Fold down the curved part across the second fold line on the pattern (the line you just drew if making your own pattern). It will extend beyond the straight part of the semi-circle, but that is ok.

TIP: If making your own pattern, measure from the left hand end point 2 3/4 inches (6.5cm) up across the curve of the circle to the edge of the paper and make a mark. Now place your ruler on the right-hand side end point and join with a straight line from there to the mark you made. 

Step 13: Draw the fold

Flip over your pattern and draw a straight line along the section where the curved bit overlaps the straight section, and fold in back to the right side.

Make sure the folded curve aligns with the straight edge

Step 14: Mark midpoints

Fold each of the 7 fabric circles in half and mark the midpoint at the fold on each end.

Step 15: Mark stitching line

Take a fabric circle and place the folded three-fold pattern piece on the fold, so it lines up with the straight and the curved edge.

Now draw a line on the fabric to mark that section your pattern piece will guide you. Repeat with all the circles.

Step 16: Join the circles

Take one circle and place it on top of another circle with the plain sides facing each other. Pin together at the center points. Stitch down the diagonal line you drew, on the printed side of the fabric, back tacking at start and end.

Step 17: Continue stitching

Open out the two circles you joined and on the right-hand side circle place another circle, lining up the center marks and stitching down along the diagonal line you drew so the end of the line meets the first stitched line at the end. Continue in this way until you have used up all 7 circles and joined them to each other.

Step 18: Join last circle

To close the circle, join the first circle you stitched to the last one with the same diagonal stitch line.

Step 19: Press open the petals

Lay the joined circles flat and open out the plain sides of the petals of the flowers and press each one flat, moving aside the other petal as you press the seams open.

Step 20: Mark stitch lines

From the center pick up a petal edge and pin it to the petal edge closest to it on the curve.

Then fold it down and draw a line with a fabric marker from the center to the end of the curve on the underside of the fold. Repeat for all the petal pieces.

Step 21: Stitch petals

Stitch down the lines you have drawn to join the petal pieces on the plain side, back tacking at the start and finish.

Step 22: Final press

Flip open the center-piece you have created and press open each new petal you have just stitched.

Your center-piece or placemat is now ready to use. The size given here is for a normal dinner plate but you can simply make the circles bigger on your initial pattern to make larger center pieces. You would then have to adjust the 2.5-inch (6 cm) measurement in Step 12 to a bit more depending on how much you enlarged the original pattern piece. Keep in mind that the measurement would be the diameter divided by 2.5. If you enjoyed making this then please subscribe to have more projects delivered straight to your inbox – never miss out on a project again!

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Click Here to Leave a Comment Below 17 comments
Glenda Hyde - July 9, 2022

This is so beautiful . Just printed the pattern and watched the video now i just need to find the fabric i want to use . Thank you sew much .

Reply
    Helen - July 11, 2022

    Oh my, choosing fabrics is one of my favorite parts of sewing a new project. Sometimes it takes way too long as I find fabrics I forgot I own 🙂

    Reply
Yvonne - July 9, 2022

Oh Helen, These flowered placemats and center pieces are so beautiful will be making a set for our Christmas table in blue and silver as well as a set for my best friends’ table in green and red! Thank you so very much for the well detailed instructions and pattern!!!! (I really enjoy being able to watch the video as to how it is constructed while following along with your written instruction.)

Reply
    Helen - July 11, 2022

    Thanks Yvonne. It’s lovely to hear you liked them so much. You Christmas dinner table will look amazing

    Reply
Laura Arnold - July 9, 2022

I wish the patterns could be set up in a format that is easy to print. This will take far too many pages. It looks lovely and I would like to try it; I will try and save it to my computer so I can hopefully do it.

Reply
    Helen - July 11, 2022

    I think you can copy and paste the instructions in Word and print from there.
    I’m looking for ways to make these print-friendly

    Reply
Joanne - July 12, 2022

Helen,
I’m going to try these beautiful toppers. How much fabric does it take to make this?

Reply
    Helen - July 14, 2022

    Hi Joanne. Not much, really. You will need two 13″ x 20″ ( 33 x 50cm) pieces of fabric

    Reply
Joanne - July 19, 2022

Hi Helen,

Just want you to know I am going to give the Flower center piece a try. I’m going to make a Christmas one for my daughter.Then if it turns out, I will be making them for my BFF’s. The videos are so helpful to me. And let me tell you, I have made so many of the pattern for the jewerly pouch and has been a hit. Best of all they are fun to make. Another great pattern. So glad I found your site.

Reply
Anne - August 9, 2022

You said you need two 13″ by 20″ pieces of fabric. That is for EACH topper/placemat, correct?

Reply
    Helen - August 14, 2022

    Yes, it is for each placemat. I calculated it all over again, It’s actually 2 pieces @13 x 25 inches each
    To make one placemat you need 7 circles out of plain fabric and 7 circles out of the patterned fabric, 6-inch (15 cm) each

    Reply
Natasha Mairs - September 8, 2022

This is really pretty and such a great tutorial #ALittleBitOfEverything

Reply
Susan - September 8, 2022

These are fabulous! Thank you for the tutorial!

Reply
Julie - September 11, 2022

Oh, I love this! It’ll be a feature at Handmade Monday this week 🙂

Reply
Allyson @ Southern Sunflowers - September 13, 2022

Your table topper is so pretty! It’s look very intricate, but your tutorial makes it look a lot easier to make. Thank you for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty.

Reply
Pam - January 5, 2023

I love the looks of this project but only could use 6 circles. If I put on the 7th one it would lay down flat. I watched the video several times and I don’t know what I did wrong. Please explain. Thanks

Reply
    Helen - January 5, 2023

    Hi Pat, Without having seen it I can’t say what you did wrong.
    Did you print out the pattern correctly and measure the test line to ensure the size is correct? Off the top of my mind this could be the issue

    Reply

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