HOW TO MAKE HOOKED OR PRODDED LAPEL PINS

 

Here's some hooked and prodded pins.
Below are the instructions on how to make them.


      Here's a picture of a few ways to cut wool fabric for the "petals" of a proddy pin.  As you can see, the strips vary from 3" to 4 1/2" in length and about 1/2" to 3/4" in width.
     If doing a hooked pin, use your normal wool strips; mine are usually #8 (1/4") cuts.  But if you want a very fine, feathery hooked pin use a narrower cut. 


      Here are my left-overs that I use as the center of the flowers.  By left-overs I mean this:  sometimes when you cut wool you have a thin or uneven piece you don't want to use left over at the end.  I don't throw these away -- I save them for the centers of my lapel pins.





     I have two little plastic templates that I use as a pattern.  Flower is about 2" in diameter and center about 3/4" in diameter.  Don't crowd them too closely on your linen, monk's cloth or burlap.  Leave about 2" between pins.





     Begin by hooking the center with your narrow strips.  I pull them to varying heights depending on how I want a particular flower to look.





     Here is the completed center of one flower.  Since this is looking "down" on the flower you can't tell the height of the center but it's about 3/4" around the outer edge and about an inch in the very center.  (I make them sort of dome shaped, like some flowers are.) 

    Now, before I go on, telling about how to make the proddy flowers, I want to say that if you are making a HOOKED flower, just add two more rows all around, pulling much higher, and you'll be done with this flower.  Choose a nice, contrasting color of course.  Now, on with the proddy instructions ...



     Take one of your proddy strips.  Using your rug hook, pull one end of the strip through the fabric very close to your flower center.



     Skipping a few holes in the backing, pull the tail through.  Now you have your first strip in.





     Push the first strip to the side.  Push your hook down through the hole the tail is in and pull the next strip up through the same hole.





     Continue to pull the strips in in this manner until you complete the first row around the center of the flower.  The last tail of the last strip in the row should come up through the same hole as the first strip in.  (Does that make sense?)  Now start the second row and complete in the same way.





     This is the proddy pin with ONE ROW.  Hook that second row.  The pin will be much bigger and fuller that way.


     So ... now let's go on the assumption that you have hooked and/or prodded all of the pins you want to make.  You're ready to go on to the next step.  BTW ... I do each step to every flower so that when I finish the last step all of the flowers are done, not one flower at a time.  Just the way I work.





     Now it's on to step one of the finishing process ... (the pins I'm working with may vary from picture to picture but the process remains the same).  I'm working on waxed paper for reasons which will be obvious as we progress.

     Cut the flowers apart.  Gather the flower carefully with your fingers so it "stands up" straight.





     Put a rubber band around each flower.  This gives you a better look ...



    OK ... here it is, ready to proceed.  Rubber band all of your flowers like this and we'll go on to the next step.



     Using fabric glue, apply all around the flower, as close to the hooking/prodding as possible.





  [ BTW ... this is the glue I use; Aleene's No-Sew Fabric Glue I found at Jo-Ann Fabrics. ]





     Using a plastic scraper or an old credit card, force the glue into the pores of your backing fabric all around the flower.  Be sure it is worked in right up to the base of your flower.





     OK ... here is a batch of flowers at this point.  I'll let them sit and dry completely, probably overnight.  Then we'll proceed.  Take a break!  (Now you know ... the waxed paper is so they won't stick to the top of my dryer!  LOL!)





     So ... you've had a nice night's sleep and it's the next day and you've had your two cups of coffee or tea.  It's time to start finishing! 

     Using some small sharp shears, cut away backing fabric as close to the hooking/prodding as you can.  BE CAREFUL!





     Here's how it should now look from the wrong side (this is a prodded flower back).  Actually, this could be shaved down just a tad more but ......



     Hate to bore you with this picture but it is to reinforce the fact that I do each step to all flowers before I proceed.  So, here they are, all trimmed of their backing and still rubber banded, waiting for the NEXT STEP.





     Now you will cut a piece of wool for your pin backing.  I usually match, contrast nicely or use some neutral color.  (Duh ... I do whatever I can with what I have.)  This one happens to match but it doesn't usually work that way.  So ... I cut a piece that is about 1/4" bigger around than the back of the pin.  I just lay the pin on the scrap of wool and using a Sharpie I crudely mark and then cut on this marking.  I don't measure, I eyeball it.  I cut it out with pinking shears.





     Holding the pin/clasp up to the backing fabric, I cut two little slits in the fabric.  The ends of the clasp will be pushed through these slits.





     Here's the clasp pushed through the backing fabric and if you look closely you'll see that it is fastened.





     Pick up the flower.  Using your fabric glue again, apply glue to the back of the flower.  Be generous.





     The last step of glue application is the most important -- be sure to apply a generous bead of glue all around the very edge of the backing at the base of the flower as shown.





     Put the fabric backing on the back of the flower and work it on carefully, adjusting to center.  Press the overlapping backing up onto the flower, working the glue in carefully.  Be sure to also work glue in well where the clasp lies.





     Here's sort of a close-up of my working the backing fabric down over the flower.  See, the rubber band is still necessary!





     Here it is all done.  But I still want it to rest and the glue have a chance to set up so .....





     Necessity is the Mother of invention ... I discovered that a cap from an international coffee creamer bottle is the ideal size to rest these pins in to let the glue set.  I've save several of them and this is how a hooked pin looks setting in the cap.  Just push down in until it feels like it is nestled in comfortably.  Don't cram it in.  Let it sit in here for about an hour.  Remove from cap, remove rubber band, and fluff your pin.  Be sure the clasp is working correctly and not glued shut!





     Here's the red prodded pin.  It's done.  

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HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS.  IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE EMAIL ME.
jaf1944@gmail.com

Thanks!