This is an introduction to crepe paper flower making for older children.  We should offer a disclaimer, however, once you make one, there will be bouquets, many, many  bouquets…

Materials

• Crepe paper rolls (we recommend this heavy weight form for maximum pliability, but you could also use crepe paper folds)
• Double sided crepe
• Child safe cotton swabs
• Scissors
• Fringing scissors
• Tacky glue
• Artificial stamen
• Floral tape
• Branches
• Craft feathers
• Vine Leaf wreath
• If you are giving this as a Mother’s Day gift, we attached a set of tags for you: HappyMothersDay

Source List

Here is a list of some of the stores that we have used in making crepe paper projects.  We selected them both for the products and the customer service that we received.

Double Sided Crepe

This is the fold type and is lighter weight, but what makes it special is that it is often two colours put together so it draws attention in a project.

• 32° North http://www.vintage-ornaments.com/  or http://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/32NorthSupplies (ships world wide)

• The Paper Place http://www.thepaperplace.ca/ (Canadian)

Crepe Paper Rolls

This is the heavy weight variety and has amazing pliability.

• Carte Fini http://www.cartefini.com/

Floral Tape

• Irina Boutique http://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/irinaboutique or a florist shop

Stamen

• 32 ° North http://www.vintage-ornaments.com/  or http://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/32NorthSupplies (ships world wide, has a large, unique selection)

• Irina Boutique http://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/irinaboutique or a florist shop

• Duchess Trading http://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/duchesstrading (vintage and one-of-kind)

Directions

TAKE A PEEK AT OUR STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO!

Flower Centre (Stigma)

• For children (or adults) just learning, it is good to start with a child safe cotton swab, as it is easy to hold and manipulate.  (You can later progress to spun cotton shapes and floral wire or many other pre-made centres on floral wire).  Cut off one end of the swab.  Cut off the little tip on the remaining end.

• Cut out a small square of crepe paper (that you have already stretched out).  Depending on the size of your swab, it will be approximately 2.5-5 centimetres/ 1-2 inches by 2.5- 5 centimetres/1-2 inches in size.

• Using tacky glue, fill in a circle of glue in the centre of the crepe paper square.  Place the swab in the glue and twist the paper around the stick portion of the swab. Secure with floral tape.  One way to do this is to hold the swab in one hand and twist it, while pulling the tape almost up and over (it must be stretched to activate the glue).  Once you have wrapped around the bottom edge of the paper, securing it to swab stick, then wrap down the stick at a diagonal angle to hold it in place.

Stamen & Fringe

• To cut a fringe, stretch out your crepe paper and then fold it in half.  Cut down from the fold (either with fringing scissors or with regular scissors cutting about 3/4 down the height of the crepe, making parallel cuts).  If you plan on making many flowers you can do a long strip and then cut it into portions about 2. 2.5-5 centimetres/ 1-2 inches by 2.5- 5 centimetres/1-2 inches for each flower.

• If the stamen is double-ended, fold it in half.  Put some glue on the bottom of the fringe, making a thin line.  Put your stamen in between the flower centre and the fringe, wrapping the fringe around.  Secure it in place with floral tape, wrapping down the stick of the swab.

Petals

• We show a very basic petal.  You can experiment with various shapes and/or ones that are joined.  This is just one example to get you started.

• Cut strips of crepe paper and stretch it horizontally.  You can then stack the strips and cut a few petals at a time to make them uniform or each on their own for a more organic look.  You can then stretch the upper portion of the petal (between your thumbs and forefingers, pulling outward to give some shape to the petal (making almost a slightly boat like shape.)

• Put a thin line of glue at the bottom two petals and place them opposite each other on the swab stick (slightly overlapping them).  Cut a longer piece of floral tape and secure those two petals (leaving the excess tape for the next few sets of petals).  Repeat with another two petals, placing them in the open spaces and secure with the tape.  Continue until you reach your desired fullness.  When you have completed, wrap your floral tape down the stem.

Embellishments

• Some basic embellishments might include adding a stripe or dots with a metallic pastel or marker to the petals before attaching or adding similar details with glue and microbeads or fine glitter post forming the flowers.

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We then attached the flowers to branches with floral tape.

We took the branches and wove them into the grape vine wreath (you could glue them into place with a glue gun should you like)

We added a further bit of texture by adding some craft feathers.

Attach the provided Mother’s Day gift tag, should you like to give it as a gift.

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 Once you have mastered this basic technique, explore these amazing titles and websites to inspire you to the next level:

• Paper to Petal: 75 Whimsical Paper Flowers to Craft by Hand, by Rebecca Thuss & Patrick Farrell
  • http://www.papertopetal.com/

• The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers: A Guide to Making Unbelievably Realistic Paper Blooms, by Livia Cetti

• http://www.thehousethatlarsbuilt.com/

• http://www.marthastewart.com/search/results?keys=crepe%20paper%20flowers

Purpose

• Developing fine motor skills, using a variety of materials to create a likeness of an object, item

Safety Notes

• Use scissors with adult supervision

We also wanted to thank Owl Kids for featuring our nest video on their blog.  Our kids received Chirp Magazine as a gift and we renewed the subscription as they enjoyed it so much.  There is nothing more thrilling than receiving your own mail (I myself had a subscription to both Chickadee and Owl as a child) and they have great pieces for increasing children’s literacy and fantastic hands-on projects (which is our favourite part of the magazine).

http://www.owlkids.com/reader-art-of-the-week-april-13-19/

http://www.owlkids.com/

Additionally, we wanted to thank Vitamin Daily for sharing our idea on re-using filler eggs to explore patterning.  They were very generous and their article is quite fun to read.  If you haven’t checked out this online lifestyle magazine with posts on Arts and Culture, Travel, Decor, Kids and so much more, please do.  Canadian readers can customize their subscription to the area they live in or regions and topics that interest them.

http://vitamindaily.com/canada/a-few-good-eggs-1.976717

http://vitamindaily.com/canada

A few weeks ago our daughter brought home a yellow flower made from an egg carton from school- affixed to a chenille stick stem with construction paper leaves.  Our son wanted to make something similar to her beautiful creation and thus we set out to “Make it our Own”  with branches (a favourite material as of late), beads, stamen and lots and lots of paint!

Materials

• Paper egg carton
• Scissors
• Acrylic paint (We recommend you use the type in the bottle for beginners.  You could also use a gloss finish.)
• Paint brushes
• Ice cube tray or item that is similar
• Smock
• Craft trays
• Artificial stamen
• Beads
• Glue gun/glue
• Branch
• Wet cloth for clean-up
• Ribbon
• Gift Tag HappyMothersDay (with a spot for the child’s name and multiple copies for classroom use)

Directions

• Cut the egg carton into individual cups.  Even out the edges and then shape them into petals.  Your child may need assistance with this part depending on their abilities and the brand of the carton.

• Set up your craft tray to contain your paint and don you smock.

• Select your paint colours and put each of them into a section of the ice tray.  We recommend using a different brush for each colour.  It is a good idea to paint the inside first so you can hold the outside while you do so and then finish with the exterior.  Allow the flowers to dry overnight.  Be sure to clean up any paint as it may not easily be removed from some surfaces once dry.

• The following day, put a dab of glue in the centre of the flower.  We used a glue gun.  Fold your stamen in half and then stick them into the glue and cover with beads before the glue sets.  To aid in this process we chose the beads ahead of time and created a “flower factory”.

• After the glue has set, glue flowers onto the branch.  You could add leaves, should you like out of felt or crepe paper.

• Use for the centre of the table for a special occasion.

Purpose

• Fine motor skill development (cutting, painting).
• Creating a likeness of an object.
• Exploring various types of paint.

Safety Notes

• Be sure to use scissors with adult supervision.
• If you are using a hot glue gun, be sure that it is handled by an adult.
• Use non-toxic paints and remember that small objects such as beads may pose a choking hazard.

Additionally, creating interesting materials for written communication encourages engagement.

Materials

• White paper (watercolour paper works best, but your could also use cardstock)
• Clear drying craft glue
• Glitter glue (optional)
• Items to make circular prints (we used caps, spools etc.)  You could use other objects- this is just a starting point.
• Shallow containers (for glue & water)
• Watercolour paints
• Paintbrush
• Smock
• Finishing coat such as Modge Podge (optional)
• Circle punch (or circular cap, pencil & scissors)
• Pre-made cards (can be purchased at craft, dollar, office or stationary stores) or make your own, folding over pieces of cardstock.
• Envelopes
• Wet cloth for clean up

Directions

• Using your circular objects, dip them in the craft glue and apply to your paper.  Allow to dry overnight or as specified.

• Paint over the glue resist with watercolours.  Allow to dry overnight.

• We  painted over our project with a finishing coat of Modge Podge to add a bit of shine and texture (using a more stiff bristled brush).  Allow to dry overnight so it will not stick to your punch.

• We then punched out circles out of the work and glued them to cards.  You could also attach them to the outside of the envelope as well.  (Instead of a circular punch, you could also flip the work over, trace light circles with a pencil and cut them out.  Any shape will work- be creative!  This is simply a starting point.)

• Be sure to add your child’s name and the year on the bottom corner and share your personalized cards.

Purpose

• Exploring the idea of a resist technique, developing fine motor skills, creating interesting materials for communication purposes

Safety Notes

• Be sure to use scissors with adult supervision.
• Follow the directions for use of glue and be sure to chose brands that are non-toxic.

This post was featured on:

http://www.thecraftycrow.net/2014/05/unique-gift-ideas-kids-can-make-for-mothers-day.html

An amazing collection of activities for children!

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While looking through a craft book that my mother-in-law compiled for the seasons throughout the year, we found an activity for Easter lilies made from paper.  We then “made it our own” using different set of materials.  It is a great personal touch to the top of a gift.

Materials

Felt Flowers

• Various colours of felt for the petals of the flower
• Green felt for the leaves
• Yellow felt
• Artificial stamen (optional)
• Glue gun
• Thin dowel (can be purchased at craft or dollar stores)
• Green paint (we used acrylic craft paint)
• Scissors (we recommend fabric scissors)
• Pencil
• Paper
• Stick pins
• Ribbon
• Piece of styrofoam (for drying painted dowels)
• Print-out label/ gift tag: made with love- handprints (There is a space for the child to write her/his name and multiple copies for classroom use)

Paper Flowers

• Various colours of paper for the petals of the flower (you could use cardstock or regular weight or a combination)
• Green paper for the leaves
• Yellow paper
• Green chenille sticks
• Glue gun
• Paper
• Pencil
• Bone folder (optional)
• Stick pins
• Ribbon
• Print-out label/gift tag: made with love- handprints (There is a space for the child to write his/her name and multiple copies for classroom use)

Directions

• If you are doing the felt version, paint your dowels green and allow them to dry.  (We stuck ours in a piece of styrofoam so that they could stand and not adhere to a surface while drying.)

• Trace your child’s hand and cut it out to use as a template.

• Pin the traced hand onto the coloured felt or paper and cut out handprints to make your petals.  Repeat this on the green felt until you have the desired amount of flowers and leaves.

• For the paper flowers we cut out long leaf shapes.

• For the inside of the flower, cut out a strip of yellow paper or felt that is about 10 centimentres or 4 inches tall, fold it over and cut down repeatedly on the fold about 3/4 of the way to make a looped fringe.  (You could use fringing scissors for this step as well).  The length of the paper will depend on how many flowers you hope to make.  Then cut your fringe into approximately 5 centimentre/ 2 inch sections.

• Using a glue gun, we glued the stamen onto one side of the fringe and then rolled it up with the dowel (for the felt flowers) or the chenille stick (for the paper flowers) in the middle (glue it on top of the stamen). We glued it along the way if need be and at the end.  It is important to make it as taut as possible.

• We then glued this piece to one side of the handprint petals and rolled it up, gluing as needed and at the end to hold it together.  Again, try to make it as snug as possible.  Repeat this step with the green handprint leaves, trying to start it in between the finger petals so as to not hide the colour.

• If you are going with the paper leaves, once you have cut them out, fold the shape in half and create a crease (a bone folder can be helpful for this).  Put a little bit of glue in the fold at the bottom and attach to the chenille stick.

• For the paper flowers, we then curled the leaves and petals with a pencil.

• Attach to a present with ribbon.  We provided a little label for you, should you like.

Purpose

Making a replica of an item, development of fine motor skills, thinking of others

Safety Notes

If you are using a hot glue gun, please make sure it is being used by an adult.  Use scissors with adult supervision.

This is a perfect activity for capturing your child’s drawing skills at a moment in time…

Materials

• Canvas (can be purchased at an art supply, craft or dollar store)
• Embroidery thread (sometimes called embroidery floss)
• Needle (if a child is doing the sewing, choose one that is larger and more dull in nature)
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Ribbon
• Gift tag HappyMothersDay

Directions

• Turn the canvas upside down.

• Draw a picture (we drew our family) lightly with a pencil.

• Thread a needle with the embroidery thread.  Be sure to tie a knot at the end!

• Put your canvas up to a light source (like a bright window) so you can see the pencil markings through the canvas.

• Sew the outline of the drawing- be creative.  We did a simple version, but we would love for you to share what you did. You can also fill it in or paint the canvas prior to.

• Sign one’s name and the date on the corner, write an inscription on the inside should you like.  This is a great gift for Mother’s, Father’s, Grandparent’s Day or for a teacher at the end of a year.  We attached a Mother’s Day tag: HappyMothersDay so which you could attach with ribbon.  There is space for the child’s name and multiple copies per page for classroom use.

Purpose

• Fine motor skill development, thinking of others

Safety Notes

• Be sure to use scissors and a needle with adult supervision.

(All the give-aways are provided by: Us!)

1) A big thank you to M. (Age 6),  A. (Age 4) and their little brother S. (Age 1, taking a nap) for sending in a photograph of themselves creating their very own bird nest baskets.  We thought you might need a bird to fill your nest so we are sending you this bird puppet!

2) Our next reader, H. (Age 4) sent us his feather card birds.  We love the tuft of feathers on the top!  We are sending him this feather pencil case to store his art supplies.  Thank you H.!

3) Our next reader, Angelique (a teacher from Toronto, Ontario, Canada) sent us a description about what she did with filler eggs in her classroom.  Her students sit in groups that are colour coded.  She made each group a map that they had to use cooperatively to search for eggs that corresponded with their group’s colour throughout the classroom.  When they found the eggs, they were filled with capsules that when you put them in water they dissolved and a small sponge expanded.  What a fun twist on an egg hunt!  We are sending her class a set of play vegetables to add to a class store or house centre (we heard that they just finished having a hair salon!).   We hope that they have fun with it!

Thank you to all the readers who sent us their creations and ideas!  We appreciate your participation!

This project can be customized with anything on the front of the pocket.  We chose to make flowers out of fingerprints so it would be a nice keepsake.

Materials

• Seed packet(s)
• Square of felt
• Scraps of felt for the petals and leaves
• Buttons
• Fabric glue
• Sewing machine/ thread (optional)
• Fabric paint
• Scissors (we used fabric scissors)
• Shallow tray
• Smock
• Damp rag for clean-up
• Print-out of label/ gift tag:  made with love- fingerprints  (there is a spot for adding the child’s name & multiple copies on a page for classroom use)

Directions

• Create your petals and leaves first to allow for them to dry. Cut felt strips of the colour you would like your flowers and leaves to be.  After donning a smock, we put a small amount of fabric paint onto a shallow tray.  Have your child dip their finger in the paint and create prints on the felt.  Wash their hands in between colours if you would like them to stay solid.  Let them dry overnight or as specified by the directions.  Cut out the prints once they have dried.  We left a slight margin.

• Place your seed packet onto of your felt square, fold up the bottom to cover the packet and the top should have enough room to fold over.  Cut it to size leaving a margin on each side for where you will sew or glue it together.

• We decided to sew our pocket.  We put a matching line of thread through each of the petals and leaves to attach them onto the front (when you folded it up).

• We then sewed a margin/trim line on the top of the front of the pocket and the top and sides (just enough to go under where the front fold comes up) of the back fold of the pocket (see photograph) just so it would match up when we created the pocket.  We then folded it and sewed up each side, making the pocket.  You could hand sew this project or use fabric glue to put on the flowers and create the pocket should you like.

• After completing the pocket, we used fabric glue to attach the button centres of the flowers and allowed it to dry overnight.  If you feel that the fabric glue would saturate through the top layer and glue the pocket closed, be sure to put something in between to prevent this.

• Attach the pre-made tag or make your own.

Purpose

• Developing fine motor skills, thinking of others

Safety Notes

• Be sure to use scissors, a needle and/or sewing machine with direct adult supervision.
• Be sure to wear a smock when using fabric paints and/or glue as these can easily damage clothing.

We have a copy of The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers: A Guide to Making Unbelievably Realistic Paper Blooms, by Livia Cetti which just came out recently.

Here is a description of the author:

http://www.thegreenvase.com/contact.html

* This give- away is provided by: Us!