How to Make Vegetable or Fruit Net Flowers

Step 1:  Straighten out the net and trim off any labels.  If the net is in a loop then cut into it so that you have a long strip.  Trim off any tatty edges (this makes a bit of a mess!)  Thread a length of matching embroidery thread onto a needle and put to one side.

Step 2:   Fold the net strip in half along its length.

Step 3:  Fold the raw short edge down onto the long raw edge to form a triangle and then roll up the net strip  along its length gathering the strip up at intervals as you roll.  The folded edge of the strip should start to fan out as you roll and gather.  

Step 4: Roll and gather the entire length of the net strip and to finish fold the final raw edge of the strip down to form a triangle and continue rolling to hide the raw edge.

Step 5: Keep the roll in place by pinching between your thumb and fingers.

Step 6: Take the piece of embroidery thread and needle you prepared at Step 1.  I used a contrasting colour for this tutorial.  You would use a thread that matched the colour of the netting you were using.  Starting about 1" from the free end of the thread wrap the thread tightly around the gathered netting several times to hold it in place.

Step 7: Then using the needle sew through the threads to secure them.

Step 8: Tie off the ends of the embroidery thread securely before trimming off any excess thread.  The needle makes it easier to achieve this.

Step 9: Trim off the tattered ends of the flower (not the folded side).

Step 10: Fan out your net flower.

Step 11: To make smaller flowers just gather and roll half the strip of netting into a flower and secure higher up with your thread.  To make a fuller flower you can wrap and gather another strip of netting around the first before securing with the embroidery thread.  I am going to try placing one colour of folded net on top of another colour to achieve a two tone flower.

Why not make a few flowers in one go and store them until you need them.  If you want to see a tutorial that uses these net flowers on a card then please follow this link.