With Memorial Day coming up in just a few days, we thought it was fitting to make some poppies. We have already made crepe paper poppies and tissue paper poppies. So our designer Krista decided to make us some felt red poppies for the first time.

This poppy is an easy flower to make and is great for all skill levels, including beginners. Whether you’re making these flowers for a patriotic holiday like Memorial Day, to bring comfort to a friend, or simply because you like poppies, you’ll find everything you need below.

Every Poppy has a Story

While we love flowers for how beautiful and uplifting they are, many of them have a greater symbolic meaning or story behind them! Poppies have been used since 1921 to remember those in the military who have died in war or armed conflicts. This was mainly due to the efforts of an American woman named Moina Michael, also known as the Poppy Lady. Inspired by John McCrae’s poem about World War I, she sold silk poppies to raise money in support of disabled veterans and succeeded in her mission to make poppies a symbol of remembrance. Though poppies were first adopted as a symbol for American soldiers, they are now commonly used in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand on Remembrance Day.

While real poppies don’t last very long once you’ve cut them, your felt red poppies can last forever. You can add stems and leaves like we did to create a bouquet. Or you can leave the stems off and add your poppy flowers to another handcrafted project, like a wreath.

When you’re ready to make your felt red poppies, just follow the tutorial below. We’ve included the flower SVG if you want to use your Cricut Maker. Or you can cut your poppies by hand with our PDF template. If you have any questions, just ask! We are always happy to help.

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Tools

Materials

How to Make Felt Red Poppies

  1. Gather craft tools and materials. Then download the flower pattern at the end of this post.
  2. Cut out felt according to the pattern, using a Cricut Maker or scissors.
  3. Thread a long embroidery needle with three strands of black embroidery floss. Pass the needle and thread through the center of a pom, leaving a short tail.
  4. Go around the side of the pom and back through the same hole.

Full tutorial available for members. Join here!

DIY step by step photo tutorial for felt red poppies by Lia Griffith
felt red poppies in white vase
felt red poppy
felt red poppies with black and white ribbon on grey and white polka-dot background
felt red poppy with black and white ribbon
Hand holding felt red poppies
felt red poppies on grey and white polka-dot background

Explore More

Find more Memorial Day projects that are easy to make. Or browse all of our felt flowers on the site. If you enjoy working with felt, be sure to explore all of our felt crafts.

For more DIY ideas and inspiration, join us on FacebookPinterest, and Instagram. Or browse our YouTube channel for video tutorials on making flowers, home decor, and more.