Trendy Tuesday – Paper Flowers

Trendy Tuesday – Paper Flowers
By Colleen Harshaw

When I was first asked to write about the topic of paper flowers in crafting, I thought holy moly…..where do I begin?!  There are so many options out there!  I figure that you all would like to read an article, and not a novel, so I really had to control myself!  I must admit…I was very inspired while writing this article, especially with regards to doodling!  Stay tuned, there is more on that to follow.

The first sample that I want to share with you is a fun Americana themed project made from a coffee bag.  You can decorate this bag and fill it with treats for the holidays.  You could also use this same idea for goodie bags for a birthday party or end of the year party for your children’s classmates.  The options are many!

The paper flowers on this project were created using a die and die cutting machine.  I would say this is the most popular source of paper flowers, other than buying them pre-made.  There are SO MANY die options out there that can be used with any number of die cutting machines, that I can’t possibly share them all with you.  Below you will find a sampling of the many options out there on the market.

OK, back to the Americana bag below.  The paper flowers on this project were created using the Loopsy Daisy Die from Papertrey Inc.  It is a set of two dies in two sizes.  This die allows you to create a large looping flower, giving your project a lot of dimension.   You can layer these loopy flowers as has been done on this project, to create even more visual interest.  The one drawback of this type of paper flower, is that it doesn’t travel very well through the mail.  I would say these flowers are more ideal for gifts that are being hand delivered.

 

Project created by Melissa Phillips of lilybeanpaperie.typepad.com

The next project I have to share with you is a card.  The flowers on this card were also created using a die and die cutting machine.  These flowers are more of a rose type flower and they are created by rolling the die cut around and around until you have this beautiful flower.  Now, these are beautiful, but VERY bulky and not at all good for sending through the mail.  I have mailed this type of project before, but I used a padded envelope and as a result I paid a hefty postage fee for sending just a card!  I really don’t know how well the card held up either, as I didn’t see the end result when it arrived.  Once again, these are ideal for gifts or cards that are being hand delivered.

Card by Jody Morrow for mftstamps.com

The following sample is a scrapbook layout which features hand cut paper flowers as well as a hand stitched flower in the background.  The stitching is done using a template (more info below in the sources section of this article) with a needle and thread.  The paper flowers were fussy cut from patterned paper.  More on that to follow.

Created by Luzma – photo courtesy of scrapbook.com

OK, now after seeing these beautiful samples, you need to know where you can find these tools and products, right?!  Well, I am about to fill you in on the really, reallys!

Firstly, let’s talk about die cuts.  There are endless options for die cut flowers.  Sizzix, Spellbinders, Papertrey Inc, MFT Stamps and many others, offer dies for creating your own paper flowers.  On another note, you can also cut felt with many of these dies, and felt creates lovely flowers.  Felt can be purchased in a regular craft store, such as Michaels.  See below for a couple of the die options that were used in the sample projects above.

This first sample was used in the coffee bag project above to create the loopy flowers.

 Loopsy Daisy Die Collection from Papertrey Ink – set of 2

 

This second die was used on the card sample above to create the rolled roses.  Although bulky, this is one of my personal favorites.

Royal Rose Die-namics from My Favorite Things

Also available in mini and large sizes

Now, if you do need to send a card through the mail, there are options out there.  There are dies that can be used to create flat flowers, and punches are another good option.  If you want to create a flat, mail friendly flower, but you still want to give it some dimension, try this method to curl the petals.  Use a rounded end embossing tool to rub the edges of the petals while the flower sits on a spongy or slightly soft surface.  One of those little mats that comes with a paper piercing set is ideal for this purpose.  As you rub the petals, you will notice that they will begin to curl up.  I really like this effect, and it is easy to produce.

EK Success seems to have a huge selection of punch options.  Martha Stewart also has punches available too.  You can find a few examples below.

 EK Success – Paper Shapers – Retro Flower – Extra Large

 EK Success – Paper Shapers – Flower – Extra Large

EK Success – Paper Shapers – Double Punch – Double Flower 

Another option for punches that has become increasingly popular in the last year or two are border punches.     This particular one is made by EK Success, but Fiskars also has some edge punches on the market as well.

 EK Success – Paper Shapers – Large Edger Punch – Garden Flower Chain

Now, you may have noticed that above I mentioned the term ‘fussy cutting’ while talking about the sample scrapbook layout.  This is a technique that I only just started using myself, after attending CKC Cincinnati in the fall, and taking a class where we had to ‘fussy cut’.  It really just means to hand cut, but without it being too exact.  Often you will leave a bit of a border around whatever you are fussy cutting, in our case, flowers.  You can use paper with a large floral pattern, as shown below, and simply cut out the flowers to use on your projects.  It is a simple way of adding paper flowers to your projects without have to invest the money in dies and punches.

Another subject worth mentioning is the use of embossing folders.  Sizzix has a very large number of embossing folders available with floral patterns.  Embossing is a beautiful way of adding texture to your projects while keeping with the floral theme that we are talking about today.  Once again, I am sure there are other brands of embossing folders on the market.  Sissix just happens to be the brand that I found had a large selection while doing my research.  These folders can be found on scrapbook.com.

The next product that I am going to share with you is one that I had never heard of before I began my research for this article.   This is a flower template that you can use for the purpose of creating a large, hand stitched flower on a scrapbook layout.  You use a needle and floss and follow along the pattern provided.  Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!

Bazzill Basics – In Stitch’z – cardstock stitching template – 8×8

This next product is the one that has me the most excited.  I love the look of doodling on a project, I just don’t have the courage to jump in and do it!  I fear that I won’t like the end result and that I will ruin my project.  For those of you out there who are like me in this regard, I found a whole line of doodling templates, which can be used to guide you through your doodling!  How great is that?  I had no idea I was missing out on this!  The Crafter’s Workshop has a large selection of these templates on scrapbook.com.  They come in 12×12 and 6×6 options…..I may have even seen and 8×8.  I can’t wait to give them a try!

The Crafter’s Workshop – 12×12 Doodling Template – Swirls and Flowers

Next is an option that I am sure you are all already aware of, and that is cardstock flowers.  You can buy them in sheets and simply punch them out along a perforated edge.  It is also worth mentioning chipboard flowers too.  These can be colored or covered with a patterned paper of your choice.

Basic Grey – PBandJ Collection – Die Cut Canvas and Cardstock Pieces – Flowers

Next I have a washi tape sample for you.  This particular one has a flower pattern on it, so I wanted to mention it to you.  Stay tuned for an upcoming Trendy Tuesday article on washi tape.

Queen and Company – Trendy Tape – Flowers Purple

Here are some pre-made paper flowers that can be purchased as part of a kit.  There are many companies that have pre-made paper flowers available, some of which include,  Fancy Pants, K & Company and Bazzill Basics.

Deja Views – Saturdays Collection – Paper Flower Kit

Bazzill Basics – Vintage Marketplace Collection – Paper Flowers – Piglet

The wonderful thing about paper flowers, particularily white ones, is that you can create your own custom flowers by coloring them.  I use my copic markers to do this all the time.  You can also use copic markers to colour fabric flowers too.  I am sure there are other brands of markers out there that also work for this purpose, but I don’t have any experience with them, so I can’t speak from first hand experience.

Petaloo – Color Me Crazy Collection

Available in many different varies of flowers and many different sizes.

Bazzill Basics – Paper Flowers – 3 inch Gerbera – White

My last sample are more of a dimensional type of bloom, much like the rolled roses mentioned above.  These are pre-made though, so there is no need to get into purchasing dies, particularily if you don’t already own a die cutting machine.

Kaisercraft – Paper Blooms – Fairy Floss

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention all of the electronic die cut options out there.  There are endless cartridges available for a number of diffenent types of electronic die cutting machines, that are capable of creating paper flowers.  You can also purchase cut files from a number of different manufacturers to use with some of these machines too.  I won’t get into too much detail with regards to this subject, as it isn’t my area of expertise, and I think I am getting close to achieving book status with the length of this article!

Have fun creating!