Paper Roses

You can use paper roses on your scrapbook layouts, on handmade greeting cards, and on off-the-page projects, or anywhere else you believe would be improved by adding a few pretty embellishments.

You will need:

• Thin designer paper (thick paper is harder to fold) for the buds and some plain paper for the stems and leaves
• A square punch or a ruler and pencil to measure out some squares of designer paper
• A heart punch (or draw them freehand)
• A wavy paper trimmer is helpful for making the stems but you can cut them free-hand instead
• A bone folder
• Adhesive
• Scissors
• Decorative pens to add some details

Here's what to do for each of your paper roses:

1. Start with the thin designer paper that you have cut or punched into smallish squares (if you want smallish flowers). Fold a square point to point, then unfold and do the same with the other points, so you wind up with a square that has a 'cross' in it. Make your folds really crisp and as accurate as possible - use a bone folder to crease
2. Unfold your square and fold the points all in to the centre
3. Unfold your square. Pinch it together to make the shape shown and crease well with the bone folder.
4. Fold two points up towards the top point (not down, unless you want a more elongated shaped flower) to make the petals - widen them out so you have a 'middle' to the flower.
5. Fold the other two points up to meet in the middle of the back of the flower. You don't want them to show so they should be as close together as possible. Place some adhesive on the back and stick the back folds to the flower to make it flatter.

   

6. Cut some thin, green strips of paper and fold over the bottom of the flower to form the base. Stick them down at the back and trim the ends so they don't show when the flower is turned over.

I then used a gold pen to embellish the flowers a bit more. You could use the same colour pen instead, to cover any white bits still showing.

To make the leaves and stems:

1. Punch out some heart shapes. Each heart will make two leaves
2. Cut the hearts in half
3. Trim the two pieces to leaf shapes
4. I used a gold pen to draw in the leaf veins.
5. Cut some thin wavy stems using the trimmer or you can cut them out freehand. Arrange your stems, flowers and leaves to suit your project

More ideas:

• Use plain paper to make the rosebuds
• Try different sized squares and hearts to make the elements (You will get different sized flowers and leaves this way)
• Arrange the buds into a bouquet
• Use several different coloured papers to make your buds
• Use glitter or embossing powders to enhance your buds and/or leaves

I hope you will enjoy making paper roses for your special projects. And remember you can also make 3-d flowers with your ever versatile heart punches :)

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