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How to Make Fabric Yo-Yos Into Flowers

Yo-yos were a way of reducing, reusing and recycling long before it was cool to be green. Yo-yos are small, hand sewn circles of fabric. You've probably seen yo-yo quilts, yo-yo hair accessories and yo-yo embellished clothing. If you have a stash of yo-yos and are looking for a new project, attach stems to them to create a yo-yo flower bouquet. Place a bouquet in a vase on your table, or tie a ribbon around a bouquet and present it as a mother's day or birthday gift.

Things You'll Need

12 yo-yo flowers
6 buttons
30 seed beads
Hot glue
7 pieces 18-inch cloth-covered stem wire
12 1-inch green felt circles
Wire cutters
1/2 yard ribbon, 2 in. wide

Instructions

- 1
  Lay the 12 yo-yos on a table with the gathered side facing up.
- 2
  Place a dab of hot glue on the center of a yo-yo and create a flower center by pressing a button into the hot glue. Place a dab of hot glue and a button on the center of five more yo-yos.
- 3
  Place a dab of hot glue on the center of one of the 6 undecorated yo-yos. Press 5 seed beads in a cluster into the hot glue. Place a dab of hot glue and 5 seed beads each onto the remaining five yo-yos.
- 4
  Bend six of the seven cloth-covered stem wires in half by creating a "U" shape in the center of each of the six wires. Leave the seventh stem straight and place it aside.
- 5
  Pick up one of the six bent stems. Measure 1-inch down from the top of the right side of the stem. Bend a 90-degree angle into the stem at the 1-inch mark to create a 1-inch-long, flat segment that points to the right. Bend a 90-degree angle into the left side of the stem to create a 1-inch-long, flat segment that points to the left. Repeat for the remaining five bent stems. Set the bent stems aside.
- 6
  Flip the yo-yos over so that the flat side of each yo-yo is facing up.
- 7
  Place a 1-inch-long line of hot glue along the center of one of the yo-yos. Pick up one of the bent stems and hold it so that the "U" is upside down. Keep your fingers on the long portion of the stem about 2 inches above one of the 1-inch-long flat segments. Press one of the 1-inch-long flat segments of the stem into the line of hot glue.
- 8
  Pick up one of the 1-inch green felt circles and press it on top of the glued stem and yo-yo flower. Squeeze additional dots of hot glue under the perimeter of the felt circle and press the felt circle down onto the yo-yo flower.
- 9
  Squeeze a 1-inch-long line of hot glue along the center of another yo-yo. Press the other 1-inch-long flat segment of the stem into the line of hot glue and cover it with a 1-inch felt circle. You should now have one stem with a yo-yo flower attached to each of its two ends.
- 10
  Attach the remaining yo-yo flowers to each end of the remaining five bent stems.
- 11
  Hold all the yo-yo flowers together in one hand to make a bouquet. Pick up the straight stem and wrap it tightly around the bouquet three times. Twist the loose ends of the stem together to hold it in place, and use the wire cutters to trim the excess stem wire.
- 12
  Wrap the ribbon around the bouquet and tie the ends in a bow.

Sewing