Hello again, girls. I don’t know if you have noticed but Valentine’s Day is soon upon us. Honestly, if you haven’t noticed, you must be a recluse with 30 cats in your apartment. I mean, Duane Reade alone could supply the entire city with cheap chocolate and fake roses. By the way, who is the sad sap that actually buys those? Gross.
To be honest, I’ve never been crazy about Valentine’s Day. It seems like a big marketing scheme convincing lazy boyfriends and husbands to make up for the year by buying you some awful tennis bracelet and teddy bear. I want no part in such a holiday! I also hate extreme PDA and you know Valentine’s Day is chock-full of that! As I was single for many a Valentine’s Day, I started spending it with my best girlfriends. Even though a lot of us have partnered off, the tradition stuck and we still spend it together. What’s better than dinner, drinks and dancing with your favorite girls? Really, what? Nothing. So here’s my point, Valentine’s Day isn’t just about romantic partners – it’s about people you love. That means your friends and your family and your pets!
This project is all about your favorite gal, whether that’s your best friend or your grandma, you know someone that deserves these super cuties. You may remember making these in elementary school (which proves that yes, you can make these!) and I have been crazy about them since. I have found lots of reasons to make paper flower these past couple years (birthdays, weddings, parties, garlands, etc) and Valentine’s is one of many! I made this bouquet for a very special mama-to-be who is just about to burst, that baby is ready to come out, ya’ll!
TOOLS OF THE TRADE:
- scissors, tissue paper, thin wire, thick floral wire or pipe cleaners, floral tape (or masking tape if you are desperate). Don’t let Mommy Dearest know I said this but an alternative to the thick floral wire and pipe cleaners is to cut up a wire hangers. Make sure you use wire cutters as you will destroy your scissors!
Let’s get started!
1. Sizes of the flowers can vary but to start, cut strips of tissue into 4″ x 10″ strips .
2. Layer 4-5 strips and fold them evenly into an accordian each fold being about 1/2″ thick.
3. Cut a 4″ piece of the thin wire and wrap it around the folded tissue.
4. Cut the sides of the folded tissue for different petal effects. A scallop makes a softer petal whereas a diagonal or cut like an arrow looks more like a carnation. Experiment!
5. Fan out the tissue and gently pull the bottom layer down towards the wire. Next, gently pull the top layer up. Continue with the rest of the layers.
6. Once you pull all the layers apart, you can spread them out evenly.
7. Next, cut a 12″ strip of the floral/masking tape. Holding the wire of the flower against the thick floral wire, start to carefully wrap the floral tape around the thick wire.
8. Voila! If you want to be super fancy you can cut some leaves out of green tissue!
