About Those Paper Flowers. . .

 

 

 

 

I had a few requests to show how I made the paper flowers I featured in a recent post. I used the same method for a different post I did in the spring.

 

 

 

 

 

I've seen tutorials for the larger tissue flowers all over the place, so I guess I thought everybody has seen them too. The process for my smaller ones is the same.

 

 

 

 

 

Using tissue, and a larger pattern is very easy. Even a child can do it. We used about fourteen sheets for each large tissue flower.

 

 

 

 

 

The smaller version is a bit trickier because of the size, and the paper I used. 

 

  

My almost tissue-thin paper came from a vintage encyclopedia. It's most often used in Bibles. I got mine at a flea market for a dollar and a half. The thin paper is important. It is less pliable than tissue, and has a bit more crinkle. I like having the print, but I have also seen tissue paper stamped with script before it is made into a flower.

 

 

 

 

 

I simply rip out the pages and trim the edge. I found five sheets per flower to be most manageable. If you use tissue you can use more pages for a fuller look.

 

 Make a one inch accordian fold. Any narrower and you don't get good distinct petals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't worry about being exact each time. I ended up with an overlap here, and it doesn't matter.

 

Find the center, and secure it. Thin wire is nice, but I used crochet thread.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trim the corners for rounded petals.

Peel each page singly away from the others. (I got ahead of myself and started peeling before shaping the edges, and had to go back for the photo.) This part isn't easy. It's slow going and takes more care as opposed to using tissue paper. Even so you will likely have small tears. They don't show. Just keep going. Your skill will improve with practice. The point is to pull the paper as far as you can away from the others at the base. The paper gets curled and wrinkled naturally in the process.

 

 

This is what you have after the first page.

 

Half way done.

 

 Voila!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each flower looks a little different as in nature. And you can scrunch a little at the end to shape the flower to your liking. I think they have good impact in bunches, but I only have patience to make a few at a time! The hardest part is finding the onionskin paper. But crafters are always collecting this sort of stuff. And of course you can always use tissue paper. There are fabulous patterns of all kinds out there. Have fun!

 

Hope it's a nice week for you. . . .

 

Jacqueline

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Between Naps on the Porch~Metamorphosis Monday