How To Do Crafts When You Can't Even Sew

This is the first in my ‘How To Do Crafts When You Can’t Even Sew’ series of tutorials.

For many of us, sewing can feel like just another mundane task—something we’re obliged to do when clothes tear or furniture rips.

However, imagine if sewing could be enjoyable, even fun? Picture spending an afternoon creating something that can adorn a wall, enhance a dress, embellish a hairband, or elevate a gift wrapping.

Today, this ‘How To Do Crafts When You Can’t Even Sew’ tutorial will guide you through creating a versatile item that serves all these purposes and more. The potential for creativity is limitless!

At Patchwork Cottage Crafts, I sold numerous handmade Wall Flowers, each crafted with unique fabrics, styles, and embellishments. Despite their personalised finishes, they all follow a basic pattern and structure, ensuring consistency and quality.

Only One Stitch-Style Required

I began creating these flowers without relying on a sewing machine, and you can do the same.

However, using a sewing machine significantly accelerates the process—by the end of an afternoon, you could have a whole garden of flowers!

Let me demonstrate how you can create this versatile, multi-use, personalised bloom even without any prior sewing skills.

The Wall Flower

how to do crafts when you can't even sew

Perhaps I should mention that there are two fundamental skills that you’ll need to possess (or learn) in order to complete this ‘how to do crafts when you can’t even sew’ project:

Can you do this?

Then you can make these:

Part 1 – What you will need:

Fabric, scissors, card (old Christmas or birthday card, shoe box etc) pen, pins (optional) needle and thread and glue.

Plus, one of the following: thread, string, twine, thin ribbon or knitting wool.

Hot-glue heaven

I use a hot-glue gun for almost every craft that I produce. Essentially, you can use any strong glue for this project but I highly recommend a hot glue gun as part of your handicrafts kit.

Let’s get started …

1 . Choose some fabric.

Old clothes, curtains, bedding etc.

2. Once you have chosen a piece of fabric, print a template and cut out the petal shape on the solid outer line (the inner broken line is just a stitching guideline, if you’re not familiar).

3. Pin the petal pattern to your fabric and cut out.

Joining the pieces – No pins required

If you don’t have any pins, hold your pattern firm against your fabric and trace around it with a permanent-ink pen. The petal is symmetrical, therefore it doesn’t matter which side of the fabric you attach the template to. However, if you are using a pen, always mark on the reverse side of the fabric.

4. Carefully cut your petals out. You will need 12 for a full flower

5. Take two petal shapes and reverse sides out, pair them together.

There are a few options if you’re ready to start joining the petal sides together. They’re a great size for holding in your hand and straight stitching if you feel confident

Alternatively, you can pin or tack (large stitches that you later remove) your sides together.

Whichever method you prefer, sew approximately 2 cm from the edge.

It’s nature – wonky still works!

You don’t need to be too precise with your straight stitching. Try to keep your stiches even for a smoother finish. Don’t worry if it’s a little wonky. This is an object of nature and nothing in nature is even or symmetrical!

Keep stitches as small as you feel comfortable with.

You can backstitch for a solid line if preferred.

To finish off, tie a knot in your thread (or sew back over your last stitch and hoop though the thread) before cutting off.

Do not sew the bottom flat edge. Just the curved side.

Continue with all petal pairs until you have 6 petals.

Part 2 – ‘How To Do Crafts When You Can’t Even Sew’

Petal formation

6. Turn each petal inside out then pat them into shape (don’t flatten as it’s good to have a natural, plump shape when they’re finished.)

7. Sew 5 or 6 larger stitches across the bottom flat edge of the petal

Once at the end, gently push the fabric back along the stitch line to gather the petal into a ruche, then secure with a knot.

Repeat this step until all 6 petals are complete.

The centrepiece

8. Cut out the centre of your flower.

The large centre circle is the fabric cut-out and the smaller one is a card cut-out. You will need one piece of fabric and one piece of card.

9. Take a small piece of cotton wool or cotton ball and place it lightly onto your centre card, gently spreading it out to the edges. (you can use two cotton balls for a more 3D effect, if you wish).

Place the fabric centre piece, face up over the cotton wool and carefully turn over.

Take a pre- heated glue gun (or any strong glue) and place dots of glue onto the card then fold the fabric over, following the curve of the card.

Part 3 – ‘How To Do Crafts When You Can’t Even Sew’

It’s ok flower!

10. After that, when all the edges are neatly glued down, keeping the centrepiece face down, glue each petal to the centrepiece.

As you go along, check right-side-up that the petals look evenly spaced and that the flat line petals stitches are hidden.

11. Cut out the fabric and card backplate pieces. Wrap the fabric over the card and glue.

Add A Hanger

11. To make a hanger, take your piece of string, twine, thin ribbon or knitting wool and glue to the reverse side of the backplate.

Dot glue around edge of backplate (reverse side) and fix centrally to the back of the wall flower. Covering the stitched edges of the petals.

Now turn it around and admire your work!

It’s as simple as that!

Why not add a few embellishments, while the glue’s still hot?

I really went for it!

So, you can sew!

If you enjoyed this ‘How To Do Crafts When You Can’t Even Sew’ project and you’d like to see more tutorials, please subscribe to my newsletter. You’ll be the first to know when a new, art and craft tutorial appears here at SarahHDavis.com

Try this one …”Sharpiramics”