CHA Media

Welcome Spring Bloom with a Fun Paper Flower Project

Elmwood Park, NJ, USA; April 04, 2007 —Spring is here! That wonderful season that sparks motivation and ignites creativity. As such, it’s the perfect time to start a craft project. Instead of just spring cleaning the home, add some unique charm to the décor by making something with your own two hands. Making a craft to showcase in the home is fun, easy and just the right activity to celebrate spring.

“When the weather gets warmer, I love to switch up my home décor,” states Terri Ouellette, National Spokesperson for the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA). “I add special craft touches like ribbons, dried flowers, and fabrics to items that I already have and voila, it’s spruced up for the new season.”

The following Layered Tissue Paper Flower project is a simple way to bring a touch of sunshine to the home, and help welcome the return of spring.

Materials:
• White or Colored Tissue Paper
• Green Chenille Stems
• Green Construction or Crepe Paper
• 2 Round Lids (one smaller)
• White or Clear Glue
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Needle

Instructions

1. Make the flower layers. For the design, you'll need to make eight total circle layers for your flower: four big circles and four smaller circles. The easiest way to do this is to fold a piece of tissue paper over until you have at least three layers. Then trace your lids on the tissue paper and cut out the circles. This way, you only have to trace and cut once.

After you cut out the circles, stack them neatly into a pile and center the smaller circles on top.

2. Attach the stem. Use a needle to poke two holes side-by-side in the center of your circles. Push the chenille stem all the way through as shown and make sure the bottom ends of the stem are even and the circles are all the way up against the top. Then twist the two stems together to form one solid stem.

3. Crinkle the flower petals. Starting with the top layer of the circle stack, crumple the layer inward to create a carnation-like texture. Do this for each layer downward until you are satisfied with the "poofiness" and texture. The more the tissue paper is crumpled, the more defined the texture will be.

When you are finished crumpling each layer, your flower should resemble the second image here.

Petal Variations:
• Add a layer or two of a different color to make your flower more interesting.
• Use one color for the bigger circles, and one for the smaller circles.
• Cut the circles out with interesting edger scissors like Fiskars®.
• Instead of circle layers, draw flower petal shapes.

4. Add leaves. Make your flower look more realistic by adding leaves made from construction paper or crepe paper. To make the leaves, fold a piece of green construction paper in half and draw the leaf with the stem towards the fold. When you cut out the leaf, you'll have a two-piece symmetrical leaf shape attached at the stem.

Next, dab some glue on the underside of the flower near the chenille stem and lay the two-piece leaf on the underside of the flower as shown. Apply a small bit of glue to the underside of the leaf too, so it doesn't flop down when you turn the flower upright. Allow your flower to dry completely.

Repeat the above steps to make more flowers or a bouquet, and then put them into a nice classy vase when you're finished!

The above Layered Tissue Paper Flower Project is courtesy of www.kids.creativity-portal.com.

For more craft ideas and projects, log on to www.craftplace.org.

The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) is a not-for-profit organization consisting of more than 5,500 member companies engaged in the manufacture, distribution and retail sales of products in the $30 billion craft and hobby industry. The Association offers a broad range of member services, including market research, education and consumer branding initiatives, as well as operates two annual trade show events, the CHA Winter and CHA Summer Shows that attract industry professionals from all over the world.

Craft And Hobby Association, 319 East 54th Street, Elmwood Park, New Jersey 07407 USA
phone: 201.794.1133 fax: 201.797.0657 email: media@craftandhobby.org