Gift Ideas for poor creative souls (6)

You know how it goes, a friend calls you and invites you to dinner at the last minute. OMG! What gift can you take?! You scrabble around the cupboards trying to find a box of chocolates or a bottle of wine but find that most of the chocolates have been eaten and the wine has gone.

I thought this was a wonderful idea. You could make a few of these and keep them to one side for just such an occasion. You don't need many materials for this and it looks relatively simple to do. Even I could attempt this so I'm sure anyone else could too.

Supplies:

Patterned paper-one 12 x 12" sheet. Single or double sided

Green patterned paper or handmade paper for leaves (optional)

Create your own petal template from the images

2 pieces of florist wire (I use 16 gauge, 18" long)

Green floral tape

Tacky Glue

Ink for distressing petal edges

Pencil

Scissors

Bamboo skewer or chopstick

These directions will give you one flower. Once you complete one rose, you can play around with the amount of petals to get the look that you are after. Note: If you can find the grain of the paper, cut the petals on the lengthwise grain so that you are working with the paper not against it (optional).

1. Cut 3 each of size 1 and size 2 (the smallest petals)

2. Cut 5 each of sizes 3 and size 4

3. Cut 6 of the largest, size 5 (you may need more of these)

4. Ink distress the edges of all the petals, front and back.

5. Crumple sizes 3, 4 and 5 to make the petals more supple and resistant to tearing.

Tip: For single sided paper. If you want a white rose, then place the pattern facing away from the wire. If you want the pattern to show, then place it facing towards the wire.

6. Start from smallest petal to largest petal. The wire will protrude about 1/2 an inch into your petal from the bottom. Roll one of the smallest petals tightly against the wire, then wrap with floral tape starting above the junction of the paper and the wire and extending down the stem a few inches.

Note: Florist tape is stretchy, just play with it and pull gently but firmly as you move down the stem. It's fun.

7. From now on you will add a little glue to the inside lower part of the petals for some extra holding power. Be careful to keep the glue on the lower one third of the petal so that the upper petals can be pulled down during shaping. (Glue is optional. I use it because the scrapbook paper is thick and may not stay put with floral tape only. Continue the sequence of adding a petal, then using floral tape.

Note, you will have to play around with the height of the petals, and where on the petal you start your tape. In general, keep you petals even with the top of the first petals, or a little above them when you are placing them. Tape more rather than less of the petal from below. If you want a peony look, then tape close to the bottom of the petals instead.

8. Work in sequence. Add all the size one petals first, then the size two petals and so on. When adding a petal, place the new one over a gap between two previous petals (staggered). You see the gap in the photo, your petal will go right on top of that gap to cover it. This is how petals of a real rose look. Once I finish placing my size one petals, I can place two petals at a time, then wrap with floral tape.

9. After you place about 3 of the size 5 petals, start to pull your rose petals open. To do this, place your thumb under the petal, your two fingers above and gently pull down. Take your time so you don't tear the petals. Place the remaining rose petals to make your rose look beautiful.

10. Using a bamboo skewer or chopstick, curl the edges of the petals down. Be asymmetrical with this process, just like nature is. Add florist tape down the whole stem, finishing off by covering the bottom of the wire and then moving back up the stem a little.

11. Optional. You can add a leaf by cutting two leaf shaped pieces of your leaf paper, putting glue on the insides of each leaf, then place a piece of short wire between them. Cover the wire with floral tape, bend and attach to your rose stem with floral tape. Play around with this one. I just added one leaf to my rose, but if you look at real roses, you'll get more ideas.

12. (Optional) Embellish your rose with glimmer mist. Wrap it in tissue paper and tie it with a ribbon. Enjoy!



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