Valentine's Day and Mother's Day are right around the corner. Low on funds and need a cheap, thoughtful, hand-made gift idea? Look no further! With just some paper and glue, you can make beautiful faux flowers.
A few days ago I took a free paper-crafting class at Michael's and learned how to make these beautiful, delicate paper roses. I figured I would share my new knowledge with Whyville.
Supplies Needed:
Card-stock in your favorite colors ($2 for a pack of 50 at Michaels, or 19-79 cents for individual sheets)
Pencil or pen
Scissors
Hot glue
So first, grab a sheet of card-stock and lightly draw a spiral like this one. Make it at least three inches in diameter, anything smaller will be hard to work with. Then cut along the lines.
I, personally, just cut out a circle and freehand the spiral. Whatever works best for you, don't worry about making a perfect spiral or circle, it won't matter in the end.
Tip: If you choose to draw the spiral, start from the middle and go outwards. If you are left handed, go counter-clockwise. If you are right handed, go clockwise. This will make cutting easier.
Now it should look like this.
Next, to make the "petals" look more realistic, cut out some cone or semi-circle shapes around the outer edges of the spiral. You can either draw them on or just cut them out randomly, which is what I do. Again, perfection does not matter for this craft! In fact, the more imperfect it is, the more natural it will look.
This is optional, but you can just go back and round off any pointy edges. Again, this will help make it realistic.
Now is the fun part. Take the edge of the spiral and start rolling it in on itself. Make sure, to roll, not fold. Keep it rolled tight so that it doesn't come apart. You can either roll it in the air or use a flat surface as a guide. I find it easier to use a flat surface with the bigger flowers.
When the entire spiral is rolled it should look something like this.
Next this is where the magic happens. Simply release your grip, and let it slowly unfurl. Then, add a drop of hot glue to the round "base" of the rose, and gently press the flower down to keep it in place.
Feel free to trim the "petals" to your liking.
And there you have it! You've just made a beautiful paper rose. Here's some of my finished products.
I also made this adorable bouquet of flowers card. This makes a great gift. People love getting handmade cards.
Feel free to make leaves for your flowers, make a bouquet, a collage, a flower crown, just get creative! These are easy and quick to make and whoever receives them will be sure to love them!
Getting crafty,
~Jello
