Birthday Bash Day two & Paper Flowers

Welcome back for Day two of Designer Gardens Birthday Bash!  I have an incredibly talented and fun blogger here today to share a super fun tutorial and offer another giveaway!  Kristina from Always Springtime Flowers has been kind enough to take some away from busy schedule as a teacher to show us all how to make these incredible paper flowers.  I can't wait to get started on mine.  Oh dear poor Mr Garden isn't going to know what hit him! LOL.



Hi there, Designer Garden readers! I'm Kristina, from Always Springtime Flowers, and I want to share one of my favorite paper flower tutorials with you. But first, a tiny bit about me...I love Jesus, my husband, the rest of my family, springtime, flowers, reading, pretty paper, and crafting. I'm a part-time teacher, and I love all my students...but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I'm glad to be part-time...gives me time at home with my hobbies. Now, back to the tutorial. There are many little steps, but they aren't difficult, and everything comes together for a lovely result.
1: If you, like me, don't own any kind of cutting machine, get your hands on a six-petaled flower stencil. I picked these up from Michael's and Jo-Ann's for less than $1.00. As you can see they are well-used.

2: Choose a gorgeous paper. For these, I prefer double-sided paper. Michael's has a gorgeous selection of double-sided paper. 3: Trace three flowers on the plainer side of your paper.

4: Cut them all out.
5: Start with one flower, and cut between to petals to the center of the flower.

6: Now, grab some glue, dab some on one side of your cut, and overlap the other side so that you now have a five-petaled flower with dimension.
7: Take your next flower and cut out an entire petal to the center. Set aside the petal that you cut out. You'll need it in a few minutes.

8: Glue and overlap the petals like you did before so that you have four petals, like this...

9: Cut out two petals out of the third flower, setting aside the two cut-out petals.

10: Glue, and overlap as before, so that you now have three petals.

You should now have these five pieces...

11: Find something narrow, and rounded to curl the petals. I often use a small crotchet hook, the end of a small paintbrush...you get the idea. Curl all the petals except for the single petal.

12: When you get to your two-petal piece, curl them before gluing. Then, put a tiny bit of glue on the side, so that the sides just come together.

13: Curl your single-petal piece vertically, and glue the sides together.

This is what your pieces should look like now.

14: Put glue down into the point of each section, and stack each section in order.

You may need to cut off the points so that they stack better.

And finally, you have a perfectly lovely little flower.

15: Glue a pin to the back of it, and quick, pin it to something cute.

This one looks quite fetching on my orange jacket.

The great thing about this project is that it's easy, cheap, and cute! And if you have an outfit that needs accessorizing, it's very easy to find a paper to match...just beware, you might not be able to stop making them!
 
*I originally discovered this tutorial on Little Birdie Secrets.

Thanks Kristina!  That was amazing!  I can't wait to see these flowers popping up all over blogland =)

Kristina is also going to be giving away one of her other flowers in a different style as a beautiful magnet for your fridge!  What a cute idea right?  This is the most stylish way I can think to hang all those to do lists =)

Here is what you'll be getting...

1 Beautiful paper flower magnet.

Isn't it gorgeous?  I can just see this posted on the fridge with a little love note to the hubby =)

Here is how you can enter... The first entry is mandatory all additional entries are optional but better your odds : )

1. Follow Designer Garden (Mandatory)
2. Follow Kristina's blog at Always Springtime Flowers
3. Facebook/tweet about this giveaway
4. Blog about this giveaway (leave the url so Kristina and I can pop over and leave a thank you =)

Winner for this giveaway will be drawn Sunday May 1st.  Please make sure your profile on GFC has you email displayed so we can contact you if you win!

Good luck!

~Sommer