GROOM IT: PANTYHOSE PETALS
AB
C
D
E
Fig. A: Make a loop of wire for the petal’s frame.
Fig. B: Twist the wire together at the base to form the
stem. Fig. C: Cut out petals from the nylon pantyhose.
Fig. D: Cover the petal with hose material.
Materials
» Pair of pantyhose or sheer tights
Any color will work. My favorites are
pink, light blue, gold, pale yellow,
and fuchsia.
» Floral tape
» Jewelry wire I like a crimped silver
wire for an authentic look, but here
I used plain copper.
» Wire cutters
» Stamens You can find these in the
wedding aisle at your local craft
supply store. I bought white ones
and dabbed them with nail polish
to antique them.
» Faux leaves Also in the wedding aisle.
1. Cut and crimp.
Cut approximately 9" of wire — you can always
shorten it later. You can also crimp the wire with
your fingers for visual interest. To do this, hold the
Fig. E: Tape the base with green floral tape. Fig. F: Voilà!
One petal complete. Now make a couple more.
wire in both hands and use your thumbnails to
indent the wire. Alternate sides, indenting just
where the petal will be, which is the middle portion
of the wire. You don’t need to do this for the stem.
2. Frame your petal with wire.
Bend the middle of the wire into a petal shape
(Figure A). We are making 1 petal now, which we’ll
repeat several times to create a flower in the end.
A 2"-wide petal is a good place to start, although
I’ve made smaller. When you get a loop size you
like, twist the wire together at the base, forming
the stem (Figure B).
3. Cut the pantyhose.
Discard the girdle and feet, but save the legs. Snip
the legs into 4"× 4" squares (Figure C). You can also
make larger squares for larger petals.
4. Add nylon to your petal frame.
While holding the petal and nylon in your hand,
gently tug the hose over the wire petal, joining the
corners together and bunching all the raw edges at
the base (Figure D). Gently bend the loop to shape
your petal. The idea is to make the fabric as taut as
