Makealong 2021: Q&A

It’s not long now until my 2021 Makealong begins! If you haven’t yet signed up, I’ve put together a quick Q&A with all you need to know.

What is the Makealong?
My Makealong is a year(ish!) long craft project to make a beautiful bouquet of felt flowers. It is broken down into single projects each month, with tutorials sent straight to your email inbox along with my email newsletter.

How do I join in?
Simply sign up to my email newsletter (complete the form at the bottom of this page). You will receive the project details in January 2021 and then the first tutorial in February. The final make of the series will be in November. The Makealong is part of my usual email newsletter so you’ll also be able to keep up to date with all my news, updates, special offers and new product releases throughout the year.

What do I need to take part?
A full list of tools and materials will be sent to email subscribers in January, to give you plenty of time to get ready for the first project in February. Required materials will include: felt, florist wire, tape and felt balls. You will need scissors and a glue gun – plus a few other essential tools – to take part. You will need access to a printer to print the templates for each make.

Where can I buy the materials?
The materials required are widely available online, and I will also be selling felt packs, felt balls, wire and tape on my website so you can be sure you get exactly what you need. There is no obligation to purchase from me and if you already have your own materials – or a preferred shop to buy these from – this is absolutely fine!

Can I choose my own colours for the flowers?
Of course! I will be revealing my chosen colour palette in my January email, but if you want to make the bouquet in your own colours, that's fine too. I’ll also be sharing my top tips for choosing your own colour palette if you wish to do so.

Will you be sharing what the finished bouquet will look like?
I’ve decided to keep this one a mystery – I love surprises and I think it adds to the fun of the project not knowing what you will be making until each new project arrives.

Do I have to make all of the flowers?
No. Make one or two, or make them all… it’s entirely up to you. There will be a mixture of flowers and foliage throughout the series. Each will be gorgeous creations in their own right, so you could even make a whole bouquet of just one project. They will also be great additions to any other felt flower projects you make, so you can come back to them in future.

I haven’t made felt flowers before, can I still join in?
Absolutely! Each project will come with full step by step instructions to help you. We’ll start with some simpler makes at the beginning of the series and move on to more detailed creations towards the end.

Do I have to complete the previous month’s project before I can begin the next?
The flowers can be made in any order (although we’ll begin the series with simpler makes to get going) so you’re free to make them whenever you can. If you miss or want to skip a month, it won’t affect the following month’s project at all. My email newsletter takes a summer break in August so you will also have a little extra time to catch up on the projects then.

How many of each flower will I need to make?
That’s entirely up to you. I’ll give recommendations for how many of each flower might work well in the finished bouquet, but you can make as few or as many as you want.

Will all the projects be new designs?
There will be a mixture of exclusive designs as well as reimagined designs from my new and existing tutorials.

How do I access the tutorials?
The tutorials will be in PDF format and sent as a link in my email newsletters each month. I am also hoping to have video tutorials available to help you with some of the techniques. Details/links to videos will be sent with each tutorial.

Will there be a way to see what other people following the Makealong have made?
I would LOVE to see your creations from the Makealong, so I’ll be encouraging everyone to share theirs over on Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #HandmadeFloristMAL. There’s absolutely no obligation to take part in this way but, if you do, please take time to like others’ makes and share positive comments too.

Sounds great! Where can I sign up?
Simply fill out the form below to sign up to my email newsletter, which will include the Makealong project series in 2021. I hope to see you there!