DIY: Paper Blossoms Hydrangea Pomander

Fancy Pants Wedding's blog has an unbelievably fantastic tutorial that could not be easier - we don't think that this is just for weddings either!  This could be great for home decor, gifts for friends, a house warming gift, holiday decor....you name it!

This cute little pomander is a super easy, super fun DIY wedding project brought to us by the fabulous Stephanie with Paper Garden.  Paper Garden is my favorite rubber stamp, paper and gift store in Sacramento.
These hydrangea balls could be used at a bridal shower or maybe a casual backyard wedding.  For the wedding they could decorate the aisle ends, be carried by your flower girl or stack a few in a cute basket or tin and use as a centerpiece.

Supplies:

• Yellow Marvy flower paper punch
• Blue Marvy flower paper punch
• pearl headed straight pins
• styrofoam ball (size depends on how big you want your finished pomander)
• card stock in desired color
• Multi-setting glue gun
• Glue sticks

Optional:

• green florist tape
• wooden dowel
• 3 yards of ribbon

Punch a variety of large and small flowers from your chosen card stock.  You can also use more than one color.
Place the pearl headed pin through the paper flower and push into the styrofoam ball.
Continue adding flowers to the ball, varying the sizes of the flowers and  overlapping the blossoms so you are covering all of the styrofoam.
If added security is desired, add a small dab of hot glue, set your glue gun for stun, I mean low heat, under the flower. If you are using the hydrangea ball as a flower girl pomander I highly suggest the extra strength of gluing the flowers into place.

To make hydrangea ball into a hanging pomander:
Take 1.5 feet of ribbon and make one large loop, knotting the ends.  Pin the loop into the pomander and using your glue gun on low heat setting, throughly glue the ribbon loop into place.  Allow the glue to dry before moving your pomander.
Make a multi looped bow and glue it over where your ribbon handle meets the pomander.

How to make hydrangea ball into a flower:
Wrap the wooden dowel in green florist tape

Insert wooden dowel into the styrofoam ball and glue into place.

DIY: Scallop Wall Art

I love my 1" circle punch and am always seeking new and fun ways to use it - so "You are my Fave"'s blog is ideal for my crafting desires!  Check out their blog and see what other DIYs you fall in love with and want to try!

To make your own, you’ll need:

- thin pieces of wood

(the kind I use is called an MDF handy panel, and if you bat your eyes the men at Home Depot will cut it to whatever size you ask)

-colorful cardstock

-a circle puncher

-glue

Punch lots of circles from your colorful cardstock.

Then, mark your piece of wood along the edge at half the size of your circles. For example, my circles were two inches, so I made one inch marks along each side. Then connect the dots and make lines across the wood to guide you.

Using your lines to guide each row, get to gluing!
Let each rows of circles hang on top of the row below – that creates your scallops.

[My DIY] Heart Ring

[My DIY] Heart Ring

 Wonderful heart ring tutorial from I Spy DIY: 

 

 

Tuesday Tutorial: Paper Lantern Ornaments

Want a cute, simple decoration that you can make in minutes? These paper lanterns from The Creative Place are perfect!  Make a bunch and string them together as a garland, or put a bunch in a bowl, or in a hurricane glass in a bathroom or guestroom.

What you'll need:
- Paper - enough to cut 15 strips - ½"x4" (7.5"x4")
- 2 small brads
- Ruler, 1/16" hole punch or pushpin to poke holes, exacto blade or
rotary cutter and a cutting mat

1. Measure out and cut your paper into 15 strips - each strip ½"x4"
2. Punch holes 1/8" from edge on short edge on both ends of paper strips. I used a 1/16" hole punch, but a push pin can be used to poke holes - it might take a little longer to get the brad through.
3. Put a brad in each end of your punched paper strip stack.

(Back)

4. Starting with the strip on the bottom, twist it out to begin to unfold the paper lantern. It might look kind of wonky, but it will get better :)
5. Twist out each strip individually in order from bottom to top of paper strip stack.
6. Arrange to your liking and Voila! A paper lantern ornament!
These would make a great garland - I strung a few together and they looked fabulous!

diy project: peaches’ coffee filter flowers

Stunning Peaches' Coffee Filter Flowers - So easy!!!

Materials:

for 10 grapefruit size paper peony flowers

- 60 standard size coffee filters
- 2 tubes of water based paint, similar in tone (yellow/orange or pink/red or blue/purple, etc..)
- 3 cups of water in 3 separate containers
- 10 plastic drinking straws
- Masking tape (make it green tape if you want a covered stem, but any tape will work fine)
cost:
$6 total for 100 filters, 2 tubes of craft paint, 1 roll of masking tape, and 10 drinking straws (okay, those were free!). Add $6 to buy special green masking tape (totally optional).

time: 1 hour to dye and assemble + 3 hours drying time.

Instructions:
1. Prepare three dye baths; deep, medium, pale. Divide your filters into three separate groups; inside/deepest color/10 filters, middle/medium color/20 filters, outside/palest color/30 filters, and submerge in dye baths. Remove after one minute for pale color, or remove after 1 hour for more intense results.

2. Wring filters to remove excess water and dye. Separate filters and hang to dry. Once they are thoroughly dry, organize your filters by depth of color: deep/inside, medium/middle, pale/outside
3. Fold and snip. Cut one small hole in the middle of each filter and trim jagged edges around the rim. The deepest color filters should have the most ragged edges, while the palest filters should have mildly curvaceous edges. note: Keep filters in stacks at all times!

4. If you want leaves on your flower, trim from previously dyed green filters now (optional). note: The leftover trimming bits on this are GORGEOUS, consider saving them for fun projects in future!

5. Lay out components to make one flower: 1 deepest color filter (inside), 2 medium color filters (middle), 3 pale filters (outside), one drinking straw, masking tape.

6. Do yourself a favor and tear off four 2“ pieces of masking tape before you start to assemble.
7. Take the deepest color filter and twist in the center. Tape the twist to the tip of the drinking straw. Take the drinking straw and insert in the center hole you snipped into the two middle layer filters.

8. Pull the middle layer up around the inner layer, twist, and tape. Pull the outside layer up around the inside/middle layer, twist, and tape.

9. To add a stem, tear off 12” of green tape and attach leaves at random intervals. Wrap and twist tape down around the drink straw, snip at desired length. Gently pull back petals and behold your beautiful paper peony!

note: Expect the first flower to take ten minutes and come out looking poorly. The second will improve mildly, but not much. Stick with it! Number three will be beautiful and take less than a minute. Get an assembly line going and you will have a paper garden in an afternoon!

DIY Pinwheel Cupcake Toppers

We can see 100 uses for these!  Who doesn't love pinwheels?  You could adjust this same idea for place card holders, hand made cards, larger toy versions, home decor...have fun!

Bertie's Bakery has a whole section on DIY and Freebies...so check 'em out!

Step 1:

Cut out 2”x2” squares of what ever color double sided paper you want! (Double sided paper just means paper that is going to have either color or designs on either side, instead of just white…unless that’s what you want of course!)

Step 2:

Cut diagonal lines starting from each corner going into the center about 1”. You do not need to flip over the paper, I just wanted to show you my two sided paper!

Step 3:

Now fold the first corner (A) into the center of the square. Don’t crease this fold, just kind of bend it so it holds its shape. Do this to each “A” corner on the squares.

This is what your squares should look like once you have molded/folded each of the A corners inwards.

Step 4:

Now take each pinwheel and cut a small slit in the bottom of one of your folds. This only has to be big enough to slide a toothpick through. I like doing it this way because it hides the toothpick and glue, and it just looks a little bit cleaner. If you do not have a blade to do this with, no worries we can just glue the toothpick to the back. 

Step 5:

Open up all of your folds and slide the toothpick through your newly made slit. Hot glue toothpick to the center of the square.

Step 6:

Using little dabs of hot glue start re-folding in each “A” corner and folding them there until the glue has cooled and the fold is now permanent.

Keep going all the way around.

Step 7:

Once all the corners are folded in and glued, add one more dab of hot glue and adorn the pinwheel with any thing you like. I used fake pearls that I had saved from an old necklace I used to love! But you could use buttons, pompoms, or even paper circles from the left over paper.

See wasn’t that easy?

Customized Tote Bag - Perfect Special Occassion Gift!

Supplies: 

• Blank canvas tote bag
• Fabric paint in desired color(s)
• Spray adhesive
• Doilies
• Paint brush(es) / Paint sponges

Spray adhesive on the bag where you want the doily to go.  Be sure to use plenty of adhesive, you don't want it to move, or run!  Sponge / paint on your color paint and allow to dry thoroughly before removing the doily.  Touch up any spots if needed!

 

Using a print out in a font you enjoy (cut the letter out to shape), put the letter within the space under the doily arch.  Make an outline of the letter lightly with your paint using a thin brush.  Remove the letter and fill it in!

Add spray glitter or jewels if desired.  Makes a great wedding, birthday, anniversary, graduation, etc. gift!  Enjoy!