How to Make New Barrettes from Old Artificial Flowers - Upcycle Crafting Demo

What kid doesn't love new stuff? Adults love it too for that matter. When it's free, woo and a great big who that's all the better.

Follow along with this simple how to demonstration to see how I turned a bunch of old, sad looking, artificial flowers into some sweet, new, butterfly, bug barrettes.

I love to make barrettes, bows, hair bands and the like. Little girls love them too. Better than that, they love to do arts and crafts, so this project is one that's sure to please.

I'm in the crafty zone at the moment and noticed I have a good amount of old, artificial flowers from crafting projects past, decor schemes from days long forgotten and the like.

I can't stand to throw anything out and space is high dollar real estate since we moved so, I have to do something with them. Why not turn them into something cute?

This crafting project is very easy on the pocketbook and skill level required. It would be a great rainy day or fun time craft for kids.

Image credits; Poetvix

Time required: 10 minutes

Difficulty: easy

Cost: Free to under two dollars depending on your crafting supplies on hand

Materials:

• Artificial flowers
• Barrette backs/ Clips
• Glue sticks
• Spray Acrylic
• Glitter
• Beads

Tools:

• Glue gun
• scissors
• Wire cutters (you may need these for thicker stems).

Instructions:

1. Grab all of your gear and cover whatever surface you are working on. It keeps the surface protected and makes clean up a snap when done.

2. Select the flower you want and remove it from the stem.

It pulls off easily.

3. Cut off any petals needed to leave two wing looking shaped petals on each side.

4. Cut off a stamen (the inner tip part that sticks out from the flowers) and a stem to make the body and antenna.

5. Use a pony bead for the head.

Insert the stem into the bottom and the stamen into the top securing all with a drop of glue.

6. Glue the butterfly bug body onto the cut flower petals to make the wings.

I left some of the tiny leaves on the stem/body here to simulate legs. What do you think? Does it look like legs to you?

7. Sprinkle some magic dust (glitter) and spray on a quick shot of acrylic.

Be sure to do this step outside. It's optional.

If you don't have acrylic, use some hairspray. It too will seal the glitter so it doesn't fall off everywhere.

8. Glue the butterfly bug baby onto a barrette back.

9. Check out your new barrette!

10. Here's another.

The steps are the same but I glued on a silver stud for the head. Onto that I glued on two white beads for the eyes.

Also, I used two extra petals to make the bottom wings.

11. Both of them hanging out together :).