Tutorial Tuesday: Paper Flower Explosion . . .

I just adore the bright & festive way you can fancy up a party with paper flowers.  If you are willing to put in the extra time to make your party fabulous & unforgettable, and also want to create a floral masterpiece that you can use over & over again...then paper flowers may be just the project for you!

Difficulty Level:  Moderate

Supplies You Will Need:

~ Sheet of crepe paper (the sheets of crepe paper, not the streamers.  You can substitute this for tissue paper but it is a little more difficult to work with & less durable.  You can purchase all sorts of fantastic colors of crepe paper sheets here:  Crepe Paper Retailer

~ Small piece of cardstock

~ Scissors

~ Glue (I used Aleene's Tacky Glue)

~ Toothpick

Cut 12 circles from a sheet of crepe paper, any size you like depending on how big you want the final flower to be. I accordion-folded a strip of paper and cut multiple circles at once. No need to be too precise; freehand circles will do.

Orient each petal so the grain in the paper runs vertically. Apply a bit of glue at the bottom of the petal and pinch it to create small gathers. When the glue has dried, press both thumbs into the center of each petal and stretch the paper to curl the edges inward, forming a bowl shape. 

Cut out a small circle of cardstock (about the same size as the petals before you shaped them.) Glue five petals around the outside edge. Then stagger four petals inside that ring, followed by three petals in the middle.

To make a center for the flower, cut a small strip of crepe paper and fold it in half. Cut notches along one long edge of the doubled paper to make fringe. Roll the fringed paper around a toothpick and secure with glue. Finally, glue this piece into the center of the flower. 

Lovely, right?  Now let's just say you want to use those crepe paper streamers.  All you need in this case is a roll of crepe paper & glue.  

Here's what you do:

1.) Layer the crepe paper with two colors to add some depth. The length of crepe paper you need just depends on how big you want your flowers to be. After you have both colors of crepe paper cut and layered just accordion fold them.

Then take your crepe paper and start to wrap it around and start forming your flower. Put a dab of hot glue at the bottom every couple of inches, just to hold the flower in place.

You can start to pull the top back a little to open the flower up as you go. After you have completely wrapped the flower into shape, you can form it to be as open or closed as you want.

And then . . .

So simple and so pretty aren't they? And the color combinations are endless...as are the possibilities of how you can use them!  And just to name a few...

Merely tack them to the wall...

Or use them to embellish a simple cake...

Why not add them to your paper table runners or give your napkin rings a floral punch?

Staying on a budget but want a unique & gorgeous table centerpiece?  Just take a quick walk in the woods to gather some dried twigs and top them with a few of your fabulous little flowers...

Or create a stunning archway to say your vows under, frame a dessert table, or just greet your guests at the entrance of your party . . .

Ah what a few sheets of paper, a couple rolls of streamers, and a bit of glue can do . . .

Partial Tutorials Courtesy of:

How About Orange (the orange crepe paper sheet flowers) 

&

Icing Designs (pink crepe paper streamer flowers)

Tutorial Tuesday: Paper Flower Easter Eggs...

These paper flower adorned Easter Eggs, brought to you by Jessica at Such Pretty Things, are not only lovely to look at...but so simple to make!  I am absolutely in love with the pretty pastels above...but you could most certainly choose any color scheme to fit in with your home decor or Easter Brunch party plans . . .

Difficulty Level: Easy

Supplies you will need:

 ~ hard-boiled, hand blown, paper mâché, or wooden eggs
~ Easter egg dye or acrylic paints in your choice of colors
~ pre-cut paper flowers/stickers (found at major craft retailers)
~ flower punches and your choice of papers (scrapbook, vintage wallpaper, etc...)
~ paper glue or glue gun

1.) Begin by painting your eggs in the color(s) that you want and allow them to dry completely.  They don't need to be perfect because the paint will hardly be seen beneath the paper flowers.

2.) If you are not using pre-made paper flowers (such as Prima) , you will need to punch out a bunch of paper flowers yourself.  The amount you will need will vary depending on the size of your eggs and the size of the flower you are using, but you will need quite a few per egg.

3.) Next, simply glue the paper flowers all around the egg.  I found it helpful to start at one end and work my way down - this ensured that I didn't end up with any awkward "bald" spots.  Allow the eggs to dry.

That's it.  Pretty paper flower covered eggs!

This one is covered with flowers punched out from a variety of vintage wallpaper - a great way to use up your precious scraps!

I love how this one turned out - it's covered in paper Hydrangea petals.

Have fun & stay tuned for more Easter Egg tutorials coming your way in the days ahead!!