How-to: Make a Coffee Filter Broach

Almost every morning starts by brewing one of my favorite things, coffee. To me coffee has always been more than just a drink. In the afternoon it’s a snack, when crafting it’s a fabric dye, in the garden it’s a bug repellant. I could go on, and on.

Coffee is almost the perfect waste-less product. I drink the coffee, repurpose the coffee can and use the grounds, but the snag always came down to the filter, until recently when I had a caffeine induced inspiration.

I was crafting my normal hand sewn fabric flowers when I took a small coffee break. While cleaning the pot, I noticed how the filter has a bit more give and was a little more forgiving than regular paper, almost like a stiff gauze. So for the next few days I saved my coffee filters and the next time I sat down to play around with a new possible flower technique I used the coffee filters instead of fabric. I was very pleased with the outcome and especially liked the color and texture of the dried coffee filter. I made this flower into a brooch but they would also make nice present toppers instead of bows.

Tools & Materials

• Nine fluted coffee filters, used, with grounds discarded
• Ruler
• Decorative scrapbooking scissors, with scalloped edge
• Sewing needle and cream-colored thread
• One large button
• Hot glue gun
• Square of felt (enough to make a circle, 3” in diameter)
• Jewelry pin of your choice
• Russian netting or tulle (optional)

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