Paper Roses, from books!

By Kitty Lapin Agile on December 19, 2012 • ( 0 )

It was a very snowy day, and I had limited crafting supplies. I decided to use a water damaged book to make flowers. I’m sure someone has done this before.

The pattern I used I first learned in first grade. I remember a parent came in and taught us all how to cut out hearts from tissue paper, roll the ends carefully around a pencil, and SMOOSH. Our heart flowers didn’t look great, but I kept making them my entire life. This was the first time I tried it with a book though!

You will need-

old or damaged book

white glue or Mod Podge

some sort of wire for stem (I used paper wrapped wire)

floral tape

(that’s is)

Step one– cut out some hearts (there is no pattern, three to four sizes is good, about four of each size)

Step two– roll the rounded edges of the hearts around a knitting needle (or other round object) then SMOOSH (just like you do straw wrappers!). That is, scrunch up the part you’ve rolled around the pencil.

Step three – start with small hearts and begin to build around the wire stem. You will have to SMOOSH. Paper will not rip and break if it is WET, so be liberal in the use of glue or Mod Podge.

Step four – Keep building, adding larger farther down then smaller. And SMOOSH it all with your fingers at the bottom part. Overlap and pinch it all together! Remember this is paper, it’s cheap, if you mess up a petal or are unhappy with it, rip it off. Keep adding and smooshing until it is as you like it.

Step five– Wrap the wire with floral tape. Floral tape is cheap. You give it a wee tug, and it gets all waxy and clings. You can find it in brown or in green. Try to control the tape, so it stays smooth and overlaps. At some point, try throwing in some leaves. If the leaves are somewhat wet with glue, they will not tear as you wrap them in!

There you go! You can add some color. I plan to spray some of mine with tea dye to see how it works. You can paint them up with Mod Podge to make them sturdier, or add a finishing gloss spray. Or just do it however! I made some on the knitting needle, slid the flowers off, and will add them to gifts I’m wrapping. It can be done for NOTHING if you have some old books, glue and a pencil.