Sunflower Tutorial

As promised, here is a simple tutorial for making an awesome paper sunflower. You can vary the size, but I find that if you get much smaller than this it becomes hard to fold.

To get started you will need paper cut into 2 inch thick strips. Four of them should be 4.5 inches tall, and four should be 5.5 inches tall.

You will need double sided tape (or glue dots work well too) and ink. Its also helpful to have a bone folder or a scoring tool.

Step One:

Cut your paper into 2 inch thick strips. Four of them 4.5 inches tall, four of them 5.5 inches tall.

Step Two:

Score, or fold each strip down the middle.

Step Three:

Using the middle fold as a guide, fold the corners in to the center.

Step Four:

Fold the side edges into the center, again using the middle fold as a guide.

Your folds should look like this:

Complete these steps with each strip:

Step Five: Take out your double sided tape and tape the folds down in the middle.

Step Six: Ink the edges of each strip.

Step Seven:

Separate the 4.5 inch strips and the 5.5 inch strips. Taking the 5.5 inch strips and using your double sided tape, create an X.

Step 8:

Take one of the remaining strips and tape down across your X shape.

Step Nine:

Repeat, but this time across your shape.

Step Ten:

Repeat with the 4 smaller strips.

Step Eleven:

Place a piece of double sided tape in center of larger flower. Lay smaller flower on top of it, slightly staggered.

Step Twelve:

Cup the flower in your hand. Press into the center with your thumb to create dimension.

Step Thirteen:

Cut a circle to put in the center.

Cut a 5.5 inch tall strip of green paper and complete the folds like the "petals".
Step Fourteen:

Again using the double sided tape, angle the green strip on bottom of flower to create leaves.

Viola! You have a beautiful paper sunflower! I put names on the center circle and used mine as place settings. It also makes a beautiful addition to your scrapbook pages or cards. Try it! You'll love it!

Vintage Vine Tutorial

I'm back from my trip to Dallas, TX and now have time to post the tutorial on my "Vintage Vine". It takes a little time and effort, but the end result is a beautiful hand made creation perfectly coordinated for your page!

Materials:

You will need two colors of paper. I chose patterned paper, but you can use just plain cardstock too. You will want two colors of ink to coordinate with your paper choice. Scissors, floral wire, clear tape, and glue dots.

Step One:

You will need to make the base vine. I chose to make mine 7 inches in length. Cut 7 inches of floral wire. Take your 12x12 paper, and cut a three inch wide strip. Tightly roll your wire in the paper, pattern side out. I did this in three sections, taping off each section with clear tape.

Step 2:

Step two is to create the vine branches. This time, cut 2 strips of 3 inch floral wire. Use your remaining paper to roll each one, taping it off. Once the wire is covered in paper, you can wrap it around the base vine.

Step Three:

You should still have a remaining piece of patterned paper from wrapping the vines. On the backside draw out any leaves you want to add to the vine. I made 8 leaves.

Step 4:

Cut out each leaf and ink the edges.


Step 5:

Using your glue dots, attach to each of the vines, however you would like.

Step 6:

Now we will move on to making the blooms. You will need another color of paper, scissors and a pencil.

Step 7:

On the backside of the paper you will need to draw your petals. For the top of the vine, I used three blooms. For each branch I used two. In the photo above notice the arrow. Its pointing out three slightly larger teardrop shapes. That is for the base of each bloom. To make your vine like mine you will need a total of 7 larger petals. Each large petal then has 4 smaller ones, so you will need a total of 28 small petals.

Step 8:

Cut out all of your petals and ink the edges.

Step 9:

Set aside the small petals. Taking each large petal, roll into a cylinder and tape at the bottom.


Step 10:

Using your glue dots you will add the smaller petals to each rolled center. Put your glue dot on the patterned side, right at the tip of the petal. Start by putting the rolled center in the middle of your first petal. Then add a petal to the left and to the right side of the center. Add your final petal slightly above the center one. You have now completed your bloom!

Step 11:

Using your glue dots at the base of each bloom, add to the vines.


Step 12:

You have now made your very own Vintage Vine. Attach to your scrapbook page with glue dots on the back of the vines and blooms!

With just a little bit of elbow grease you have a beautiful, and coordinated vine for your page! Have fun!

Paper Rose Tutorial

This week I learned a great new technique! I learned how to make a beautiful paper rose! Its perfect to add a personalized touch to any scrapbook layout, card, whatever your heart desires! Its easy to do, and you can make it in a variety of sizes and colors. Try it out!

Materials Needed:

I used patterned paper, but any cardstock will do. Scissors, stapler, pencil, ink and glue dots are also needed.

Step One:

On the back of the paper draw a 5 petal flower. You will need to draw 4 large, and 4 small blooms. Then cut them all out.

Step Two:

Ink the edges of your blooms.

Step Three:

Fold each bloom in half and staple at the fold. Notice the bloom with an arrow in the second picture. That is your last small bloom. Quarter that bloom and staple.

Step Four:

Crinkle up each bloom.

Step Five:

Unfold each bloom. Try using the pencil or your fingers to round each petal upwards.

Step 6:

Starting with your large blooms, place a glue dot on the center and layer them. Then add the small blooms, saving your quartered one for last. The quartered bloom will be the flower's center. And, Viola!! You have created a beautiful paper rose!!

This idea was originally from another scrap blogger....check her out in the blogs I follow under "What a Beautiful Mess"