Paper Flower Bouquet

 

Since posting about my wedding, I've gotten quite a few inquiries from brides to be & just crafters in general asking about the paper flowers in my bouquet. And I am FINALLY getting around to making an official post about it - sorry! Now, there are lots of tutorials floating about there on the web, and let me tell you - prior to saying "I Do" I seriously tried them all! I found the ones that worked best and now I'm sharing my findings with you, because, c'mon who doesn't love a fresh bouquet of flowers from their favorite love story... that wont die on you! ( All you black thumb ladies like me are totally nodding their heads right now).  This is based on using pages from vintage books. Some tutorials are great - but if you have your heart set on using old pages, you'll find that your paper is too brittle and will tear and fall apart. So grab your favorite old book (or maybe a not so favorite that your heart doesn't break when you cut it up) and let's make some flowers!

{S U P P L I E S}

- scissors

- those green floral sticks

- glue gun & glue

- old book

- little tacks (i used cute color ones, but you can use any kind)

{S T E P 1}
Cut circles about 2 1/2 - 3 inches in diameter curving your cuts to create little waves all the way around. I wouldn't make a template because you want each one a little different than the others. Then cut one 1 1/2 inch straight circle. I was able to get about 3 on a page. You'll want about 6 for 1 flower.

{S T E P 2}
Stack your 6 circles and put your smaller perfect circle on the bottom. Then place your tack through the center starting at the top so the back end of your tack is at the smallest circle. Now start scrunching up the paper starting at the top and make the top page the most "wrinkled" aka tighter scrunching, then a little looser on the next, and looser on the next. Do not scrunch your last circle piece. Now it should look like a flower!

 

Now, these by themselves would make great packaging elements or table decor for a dinner party because they lay flat. However, if you'd like to make them for a bouquet, fold that last circle piece on the bottom in half so that the spine is along the base of the flower (use the tack as your guide). Take your floral wire stick and lay that along one of the edges to create the stem. Use your glue gun to glue the wire to your circle and press the sides together. You can trim the excess paper so that it is just attached to the stick and you don't have the extra paper around it. 

>> And there you have it!! Stay tuned next week, where I'll post a tutorial on the paper roses in my bouquet!