How To Sew A Vintage Powder Puff

edwardian rice face powder pink powder puff

Edwardian ladies and 1920s flappers applied face powder with a powder puff. ‘Take up but a small quantity of powder on the puff, and pass lightly over the face.’ (Household Companion: Book Of Etiquette, 1909)

Related: Victorian & Edwardian Face Powder

The powder puff was part of fashionable dressing table sets. The dressing-table ‘must be supplied with all needful accessories–brushes and combs, perfumes, creams and lotions, powder-boxes, powder-puffs, manicure set, etc.’ (Household Companion: Book Of Etiquette, 1909)

Related: Edwardian Interior Design

A powder puff is a quick and easy sewing project even for a sewing beginner. You don’t even need a sewing machine! This vintage powder puff is inspired by antique powder puffs from the Edwardian era and the 1920s.

How To Sew A Vintage Powder Puff

Materials:

  • prewashed cotton flannel
  • cotton wool
  • silk or satin fabric
  • optional: lace
  • optional: ribbon
  • needle and sewing thread
  • scissors

pink powder puff

Cut a circle out of the cotton flannel fabric, and a long rectangle of the pink satin fabric. The rectangle has to be as long as the circumference and wider than the radius of the circle.pink mint powder puff

With right sides together, sew the rectangle and circle together with small running stitches and an occasional backstitch. Sew all the way round the circle. Then sew the sides of the rectangle together.

diy flannel powder puff tutorial

Turn the powder puff inside out. The powder puff has now a cylindric shape.

stuff powder puff with cotton wool

Stuff the powder puff with cotton wool.

sew powder puff by hand

Now gather the pink satin fabric with running stitches.

diy pink satin powder puff

Draw the gathering thread tight.

1920s pink satin powder puff

And hide the raw fabric edges inside the powder puff. Sew the opening closed with some stitches. This 1920s pink silk powder puff inspired me to use pink satin for my powder puff.

ribbon rose powder puff

Optional: Add A Ribbon Flower

Some 1920s powder puffs have a ribbon rose as handle: 1920s lace powder puff and 1920s baby blue silk and lace powder puff. So I used pink satin ribbon to sew a ribbon rose handle.

1920s lace powder puff

Optional: Add Lace

This 1920s silk and lace powder puff inspired me to sew lace around my powder puff. Sew the lace with overhand stitches around the powder puff exactly where the satin and flannel meet. I used vintage cream-colored cotton Valenciennes lace. Cotton Valenciennes lace was often used in the Edwardian era and the 1920s.

vintage powder puff antique cotton valenciennes lace
Almost finished
vintage cotton flannel powdwer puff
Flannel underside of the powder puff & DIY rice face powder

‘Apply the powder with a piece of chamois leather, or, failing, a bit of wadding or fine flannel’ (Every Womanโ€™s Encyclopaedia, 1910-2).

Related: Homemade Edwardian Rice Face Powder

1920s pink silk powder puff

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How To Sew A Vintage Powder Puff

39 thoughts on “How To Sew A Vintage Powder Puff

  1. How cute is that? Oh, how I loved putting powder on when I was younger!! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

  2. I remember my grandmother having powder puffs like this for applying talcum powder after a bath or shower. It’s very pretty! Thank you for linking up at The Bloggerโ€™s Pit Stop. Iโ€™m sharing your link on social media.
    Carol (โ€œMimiโ€) from Home with Mimi

  3. So pretty and creative. I found a vintage dresser jar this weekend while thrifting a puff like this would be the perfect accessory. Thank you for sharing at Snickerdoodle and I am featuring your powder puff today.

  4. This powder puff is simply gorgeous, and the recipes for the powder are wonderful. One thing though, do you have printable instructions for this powder puff?

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