Lace Fan

Add extra elegance to any party outfit, or play date with this simply beautiful freestanding lace fan! This project tutorial walks you through dressing up your lace and making it a practical fashion statement.

Begin by stitching each of the three pieces of freestanding lace onto water-soluble stabilizer using 100% cotton thread, then dry completely (here's more on stitching freestanding lace).

Once your lace is dried, you can start stitching together your fan pieces. Grab a hand-sewing needle and matching thread and connect the sides of your pieces together.

I used three pieces of lace, but you could use four or five if you'd like a larger fan.

If you'd like to add some bling to your lace, now's the time! I used a heat-setting pen and special heat set rhinestones to give my fan some added pizzazz.

Grab your balsa wood pieces and cut four 4.5 inch strips. You should be able to cut the thin wood strips with a pair of craft scissors, but if you chose something thicker, you may want to use a small hand saw to cut the wood. Most popsicle sticks are already sized at 4.5 inches.

I chose to paint my wood black to match the look of my chic fan.

After your wood pieces have dried, you can use fabric glue or a hot glue gun to lay a strip of adhesive along each of the edges.

If you lay each wood piece with the top slightly below the tip of the fan, your four wooden pieces will likely overlap. You can either glue the ends of these pieces together, or trim them to fit your button.

I chose to trim my wood pieces to fit around my button, then adhered them to the backside of the button. I also attached a small tassel to my button piece with hot glue.

And there you have it! A simple but elegant freestanding lace fan -- perfect for weddings, classy parties, or dress-up! Stitch in black or white for a classic feel, or have fun with different colors and special touches like glitter, rhinestones, and more.