I love plants and flowers, but so do my two cats. So much so that they chew them, which is good for neither the plant or the cats! So fake flowers are a much better option for me, and these DIY hand painted paper flowers are surprisingly simple to make and last much much longer than their real-life counterparts.
I’m not sure what flower this is trying to be, part anemone, part rose maybe? You could be more realistic, but I chose to go with something more fantastical!
You will need :
-Paper; basic computer paper will do, but a thicker drawing or cartridge is even better
-Wire; plastic coated garden wire is great
-Cutters; to cut the wire
-Paints; watercolours, acrylics, even soluble pencils will do!
-Glue gun
-Floral Tape; a stretchy florists tape to cover the wire
-Paintbrush and water container
1. To make the petals, I used my hands to create 7 petal shapes (a bit like balloons!) by ripping the paper. You could use scissors, but I like the ripped effect. Don’t worry that they aren’t all the same shape or size, this actually helps create a more natural looking flower. For the centre of the flower make a rectangle approx 10cm long and as tall as your smallest petal. Make a series of little rips all along to create a fringe.
2.Wet the petal with plain water then apply one colour to the top, rounded edge and another, complementary colour toward the bottom and blend the two together. Repeat for the other petals
3. Do the same for the fringed centre, adding a darker or even black colour to the edges of the fringe.
4. Once touch dry, spatter a darker colour of paint on the petals and centre using your paintbrush or a toothbrush.
5.Once completely dry, its time to assemble your flower! Cut a 30cm length of wire and fold over one end by a couple of cm and glue this to the bottom (non-fringed) centre strip. Fold the first ‘fringe’ over and glue.
6.Roll the centre strip around the wire, gluing a couple of times to secure.
7. Add some glue to the base of your smallest petal, and stick to the rolled up fringe. Glue another petal on, over-lapping the previous one slightly. Work your way around adding petals, working up to the largest.
8. Once all the petals are attached, start attaching the floral tape from the base of the flower down the stem. This stretchy tape comes in green and white and is available from craft and cake decorating shops. Strangely, it only seems to stick to itself, which makes it a bit tricky to get it started, so use a bit of glue if needed. (If you can’t get hold of floral tape, strips of crepe paper and some PVA glue also work. The tape is just less messy!)
9. Curl the petals backwards to open out the flower and there you have it, a gorgeous flower that doesn't need watering!
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