sincerest form of flattery guest tutorial- vintage rose wrap knock off tutorial by kiki creates

Funny story- we *met* today's guest when her knock off duvet kicked our knock off duvet's tail in the Knock It Off contest at 733. Haha! Don't you love that? And, while we're on the topic, isn't her duvet fabulous?

Duvet tail-kicking aside, she is pretty darn great and we're so glad for the chance to know her. Before we let her have the floor, can we tell you a few of our favorite things about today's guest, Kiki from kiki creates? Of course, she makes fantastic stuff (like this doll house! and these flower pillows!). And there are seriously fabulous free printables at her blog (the "I Can Do Hard Things" printable arrived with impeccable timing- can't wait to hang it up)!

Even more, though, we love Kiki's authenticity and the joy she finds in being a mama. We leave her blog re-invigorated for the huge task and privilege of parenting... and love her for it! And today, she's here with us! Yay!

Hi everyone!  My name is Kiki and you can find me in my own little corner of blogland at Kiki Creates!

I blog about anything and everything I can create with my hands as well as inspiration from all over the place. I often have free prints available to download and have an etsy shop filled with fun and fresh prints to fill the walls of your home! However the place I glean the most inspiration from are my 3 little kidlets who tire me out from sun up to sun down..and that is NO exaggeration! They keep me on my toes..and I love them for it.

I am so happy to be here today for this amazing knock-off event. I am having a ball looking in every day to see what else is being created..it is certainly inspiring!  Have I ever told you that I love a good knock-off?! Let me tell you why. #1-I AM CHEAP!  and  #2-My parents nailed it into my head A LONG TIME AGO that I could do anything I wanted to if I tried.   Add #1 and #2 together and it can be disastrous at times, but when it works...it is rewarding enough for the next 10 failures...do you know what I mean?  I love being inspired by amazing designers of all kinds...yes, I love a good Anthropologie piece, but isn't it awesome that we can look everywhere..at any kind of store and get inspired by pieces in it?!  Today I went off the Big Box store beaten path and went to a smaller company I am sure you have all heard of:

I LOVE Vintage Rose Wraps!  I love the look of them..I love how flat they lay on your head...I love the subtle flower without it being too overdone. They are beautiful.  There is one person in my house that will not wear a headband though..and yes, that would be my daughter (thank heavens it is not my sons!).

Anything that binds around her head is immediately taken off for the day.  I do love the look of the wraps so much though, I thought...why not make them into an accessory that she WILL wear. And I found it:

It's a perfect little addition to a plain little outfit to give it a little pizzaz...and the best part..she leaves it on.

I made 3 of these belts in just under one hour...so it is definitely a simple and versatile accessory to whip up!  Let's get started.  To begin you will need:

a measurement of your child's waist (depending where you want the belt to wrap)- I then added about 3 1/2 inches to that for the overlap.

fabric

thread

coordinating fabrics for the flower and leaves

sew-on velcro

sewing machine

The directions:

1- Decide how thick you want your belt to be...I made one that is about 2" thick up to one that is 3" thick.  Cut two strips 2"(or how ever wide you want your belt plus the seam allowance) by the length you figured out above (your child's waist measurement plus 3 1/2-4 inches for overlap)  Place fabric right sides together and sew 3 sides. 

2-Cut angles at corners to get rid of bulk

3-Turn fabric right side out. Iron.  Pull unsewn edges inside (about 1/4") and pin.

4- Sew all the way around the belt with the same amount of seam allowance on each side

5- At this point I pinned my belt together where it would overlap so I could figure out my flower placement.  Draw a circle on the fabric where you want your flower to be..this will be your guide as you sew your flower on.

6-Iron a 1" by 24" (to be on the safe side) piece of fabric in half (wrong sides together). Sew down the raw edge. You can finish it as well...I didn't, but knew I would be hiding all of those edges by sewing over them.  Start your flower by laying the strip down with the folded side to the outside of the circle.  Start sewing the strip around the circle..it is okay to have it fold over to get the shape of the circle (plus it adds to the fullness of the flower!). Keep overlapping a little as you go around and around closer to the center of the flower. To end the flower, simply cut off any excess fabric and fold in the edges (just like you did on the belt so there are no raw edges out).  Fold it and sew through the middle of it. 

7- To make the leaves, simply cut out two leaf shapes, and then individually sew just to the inside of the leaf's edge and then make veins by using the machine as well.(see picture 8) Sew the leaves on next to your flower.

9- Cut two pieces of velcro to fit the overlap and sew them in the middle of the ends of your belt

10-YOU ARE DONE! Enjoy your sweet new accessory..for your child (or even yourself!)

A few details:

I love using that faux leather for the leaves..it gives it just a bit of sophistication!

And there you have it...a sweet, easy and stylish fix to any plain outfit needing just a bit of whimsy and fun!

Thanks so much for having me, Kirstin and Jordan. You blog is one of my favs to come to, so it was an honor to be included in your fun event!

Go say hi (and be inspired!) at Kiki Creates, y'all!

Don't forget to check out Knock Off Decor, the sponsor of this little series. There is knock off goodness galore!