Alice in Wonderland Theme Party: Red Paper Flowers

06th May2013

Alice in Wonderland Theme Party: Red Paper Flowers

by Dinah Wulf

My best friend is having an Alice in Wonderland theme party for my twin God daughters for their first birthday. Needless to say, I wanted to help her decorate for the festivities. The twins have two older sisters and their birthday parties were amazing. Check out this Candyland themed party and this circus themed party. So, we started brainstorming ideas. I recently made these coffee filter paper flowers (see below) and I thought they would be perfect for the painting red roses scene when Alice meets the Queen of Hearts.

Dying coffee filter paper flowers is extremely inexpensive and easy to do. Here are the materials you need:

Bowl
Red food coloring
Water
Coffee filter paper flowers
Rubber gloves
Newspaper

To make the actual paper flower, check out the tutorial here. Once your flowers are made, here are the two easy steps to dye them.

Step One: Depending on the hue of red you desire, mix several drops of food coloring and about three tablespoons of water in a bowl.

Step Two: I tried two different ways. Dipping the pre-made flower and dipping the individual filters. Wearing rubber gloves carefully dip the paper flower (or individual filters) into the color mixture and set it aside to dry on the newspaper.

Here are pictures of each. I let them dry overnight.

When they were dry, I noticed that the dipped flower had a nice deeper red color on the edges while the filters that were dipped individually were not. Here is a photo. It’s very subtle, but I like the former better.

Here is a photo of the coffee filter rose and a real rose from my garden next to one another. Not too shabby! Can you see the difference?

Here they are in the bush that we will use for the party.

Feeling inspired by Alice? Check out these posts!

Do you have any Alice in Wonderland party ideas for us? We’d love to hear them!

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Category : Crafts

Tags : Alice in Wonderland, Birthday Party Ideas, Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, Jennifer Hostetler, Paper Flowers, Recycling Ideas, Repurposing Ideas, Theme Party Ideas, Upcycling Ideas

2 Comm

05th Mar2013

Easy Coffee Filter Paper Flowers

by Dinah Wulf

Ever since I purchase a reusable plastic coffee filter, I have had extra paper coffee filters in my cupboard. I took them out once before, and was inspired to make this coffee filter wreath that turned out quite nice. Since then I have search for recycled coffee filter ideas and have found quite a few. I particularly liked the coffee filter flowers so I decided to try my own version. Here is a SUPER easy coffee filter paper flowers how-to by yours truly.

Materials:

Coffee filters (4 per flower)
Small rubber bands or small hair bands
Wooden skewer or dowel
Old book pages
Scissors
Hot glue and hot glue gun

There are many tutorials on this but I found this to be the absolute easiest and quickest way to make them. I sat in my craft room for a few hours trying different ways! You can also dye them by dipping the filters in a little bit of food coloring and water and allowing them to dry on newspaper for about 30 minutes. I chose to keep mine white because I like the look of the starch white, old book pages, and green vase.

Step One:

Pinch the center of one coffee filter and bunch upwards as shown above.

Step Two:

Set the first “bunch in the center of a second coffee filter and repeat the same bunching motion.

Step Three:

Repeat Step Two until you have four coffee filters. Using a small rubber band (I used a child sized hair band) and secure the top of the paper flower “stem”. It will look like this.

Step Four:

Cut out paper flower petals out of old book pages.

Step Five:

Add a skewer or wooden dowel as a stem and hot glue on the book page petals.

Here is a picture of a smaller flower. For this one I used four coffee filters, however I cut them about a half inch shorter.

Hope you try it!

Do you have a project you’d like to share? Submit your DIY Projects or crafts for a chance to be featured on DIYInspired.com!

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Category : Crafts, Trash To Treasure

Tags : Centerpieces, Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, paper crafts, Paper Flowers, Recycled Book Pages, Recycling Ideas, Repurpose, Upcycling Ideas

23 Comm

15th Jan2013

Animal Print Party Ideas

by Dinah Wulf

I am helping one of my best friends plan a 13^th birthday party for her daughter and I wanted to share some of the things I started making. She wanted an animal print themed party, with pink accents and her wish was our command! Add these ideas, feather boas, pearls, gems, and ribbon and viola! You have a very girly and wild animal print theme party! Here are some animal print party ideas along with some helpful DIY party tips:

Glittered Wild Animals

I saw this idea on Pinterest and actually doing it was much more tasking than I thought. My friend purchased plastic toy animals and some glitter, and I had a paint brush and some Mod Podge (hello? ALWAYS stocked in my craft closet). With some paper plates protecting your counter, use a paint brush to apply the glue to your plastic animals, apply the glitter. Let them dry completely, you will have some uneven spots unless you are Martha Stewart. Once they are dry, you can handle them again to do touch ups.

Craft Punch Banner

I made these simply by using a 3” circle craft punch, and 3.5” craft punch, scrap book paper, and my computer. I think I will add hot pink ribbon to string them. I made some similar ones for a golf theme baby shower I did.

Easy Birthday Signs

These white frames are perfect for so many different occasions. They were definitely a good investment because I use them over and over again. I most recently used them for a pink and purple baptism and an owl themed first birthday party.

Easy Food Labels

Food labels are an easy, inexpensive, and fun way to add a theme into your party décor. All you need is some corresponding scrapbook paper, double sided tape, and a paper cutter!

Accordion Flower Decoration

This craft is my go-to for parties. I always make accordion flowers because they are a) pretty, and b) easy. For these, I used a circle craft punch and used my computer to print out the honoree’s name.

If you enjoyed this post, you might like a post I wrote for DIY decorations to fit any themed party.

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Category : DIY Budget Party

Tags : Baby Shower Ideas, Birthday Party Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, paper crafts, Paper Flowers, Theme Party Ideas

3 Comm

13th Dec2012

Recycled Christmas Card Ornaments

by Dinah Wulf

I don’t know about you but I receive a lot of Christmas cards in the mail. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE receiving them, especially the ones with the family photos. I love seeing my loved one’s kids grow up, seeing new additions, and even seeing what funny costumes their pets will be wearing. You can always make recycled bottle cap magnets out of them but that was SOOOO last year! Just kidding This year, I decided to make Recycled Christmas Card Ornaments. This is a fun and easy kid-friendly craft. Here’s is what you’ll need:

Christmas Cards
Paper Cutter or Scissors
Stapler
Hot Glue
Embellishments (I used a scrapbook embellishment and plastic rhinestone gems)
Ribbon

Step One: Gather your Christmas Cards! I chose by color… red and green of course! Oh yeah… plug in your glue gun.

Step Two: Cut them up. I cut them in one inch strips. I cut two lengths just depending on the size of the card. I cut 16 strips all together (8 in two different lengths).

Step Three: To make them easy to maneuver, I stapled four groups of four together. I also creased a few to make the shape more interesting.

Step Four: Put the four pieces together and pinch with your fingers. This is the easiest way to apply the glue. Apply your hot glue and hold it for a few seconds to allow it to harden slightly and then add your embellishment.

Step Five: Add a ribbon.

Step Six: Hang it! So easy AND your Christmas cards don’t get thrown away AND you just made your kid happy by doing a craft with them! P.S. Notice my recycled Scrabble tile ornaments in the background?

Bonus! Guess what? Here are two other fun ornament tutorials done by my friends and favorite Bloggers over at Pandora’s Craft Box and Chase The Star.

Here is Loren’s DIY Snow Globe from Pandora’s Craft Box!

Here is Barbara’s DIY Ornament from Chase the Star!

I hope you try them out!

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Category : Holidays, Kid Stuff, Kids Craft Ideas

Tags : Christmas, Dinah's Tutorials, Paper Flowers, Recycling Ideas, Repurposing Ideas, Upcycling Ideas

9 Comm

16th Apr2012

Tea Party Inspiration

by Dinah Wulf

I have been contemplating what to do for my daughter’s 2^nd birthday party. For some reason I keep going back to a tea party theme. I know she’s a little young, but I think it may work. It’ll be a small and simple party anyway… we won’t go big until she turns five years old (at least that’s what I’m telling my husband).

I decided to get some inspiration from the World Wide Web and… man… there are some GREAT ideas out there… TONS of tea party inspiration right at your fingertips! I love it all!

Check out what I found. The Better Homes and Gardens Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter party is tremendous! One of my favorites is using colorful vintage tins as flower vases. I found a ton of cool ideas from party favors to decorations, and centerpieces to finger food ideas. I also dug up some of my past ideas that I thought would go nicely. I added links at the bottom for tutorials and for sources for your reference. I hope it helps.

If you have more ideas, please comment! I’d love to read them. I need all the tea party inspiration I can get.

Tea Cup Candles

Mad Hatter Tea Party

Stacked Tea Cups

Pink and Purple Dessert Table

Fabric Flag Banner

Tea Party Dress Up

Accordion Flowers

Tea Cup Dessert Display

Mini Cupcakes in Tea Cups

Party Pinwheel How To

Did anything on this inspiration board actually inspire you? Please fee free to leave a comment!

**Don’t forget to enter to win a $50 gift certificate to iStencils.com! The giveaway ends soon!

** Thanks to Amy from Pound For Pennies for featuring an article I wrote today for her Green Theme! Check it out and peruse her site for some awesome coupon deals!

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Category : Special Occasions

Tags : Alice in Wonderland, Baby Shower Ideas, Birthday Party Ideas, Bridal Shower Ideas, Easter Ideas, Paper Flowers, Party Ideas, Theme Party Ideas, Wedding Ideas

4 Comm

02nd Dec2011

Easy DIY Christmas Ornaments for Kids

by Dinah Wulf

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about Crafting with Toilet Paper Rolls. I thought the gift tag by All Things Paper was adorable so I thought I’d try and make it. I thought this would be a perfect holiday Christmas craft to do with the kids… in fact I think I may mention it for my next play date. It’s really easy and not too messy for little hands.

All you need is: toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls, glue, ribbon, hole punch, embellishments (rhinestones, glitter, paint, etc.)

First, bend the tube and cut out rings at the desired width. I cut out seven rings with one toilet paper roll.

Next, arrange your design on a flat surface. I chose to make a flower.

Carefully glue each piece together. In my case, I like to use hot glue because it’s easy and dries very quickly. I carefully glued every other flower petal.

Embellish the ornament any way you wish. I used a simple rhinestone because I like the organic look of the brown paper. Consider painting or glittering as well.

Using a hole punch or craft punch, punch holes for your ribbon.

String your ornament and hang! Tah Dah! Also consider stringing several flowers and use them as a decoration for a party. P.S. Remind me to do my nails before I post a picture tutorial…

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Category : Crafts, Holidays, Kids Craft Ideas

Tags : Christmas, Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, paper crafts, Paper Flowers, Recycling Ideas

12 Comm

10th Nov2011

Budget Butterfly Birthday

by Dinah Wulf

Having a party and hosting a party doesn’t have to break the bank. There are always alternatives to spending a lot of money on party decorations.

One of my best friends had a butterfly themed party for her daughter’s first birthday. On a strict budget, we had to get creative. Here are some creative party ideas for a budget butterfly birthday theme (or any theme for that matter) for less than fifty dollars.

Rule Number One: Use your resources.

It always helps to have fellow mommies as best friends. We borrowed these butterflies from some of our best friends who also has a young daughter. These wire butterflies were decorations that were in her daughter’s bedroom.

We also borrowed these lanterns and butterflies from another friend who recently threw a pink and purple baby shower.

Rule Number Two: Raid the dollar bin and the dollar store!

It’s amazing what you can find for parties in the dollar bin at major retail and craft stores. These purple butterflies were perfect and only a dollar and doubled as party favors for the little guests!

Rule Number Three: Get Crafty on the Cheap (my motto)!

I made this DIY party banner from ribbon and scrapbook paper already in my craft closet. I printed the butterfly pictures from Google Images.

The hostess spent half the budget on colorful party napkins. We made over 60 napkin tissue paper flowers and dispersed them throughout the backyard; super cheap for such whimsical decorations.

Rule Number Four: Repurpose and recycle your party supplies.

The hostess had her treasures showcased in her China hutch, however it distracted from the party theme. We used an inexpensive plastic table cloth to cover the glass windows and created a pretty butterfly and banner display.

For the cupcake dessert display, we used cardboard cupcake towers from two previous parties and added a topper to fit the theme.

Click here for a DIY tutorial on making your own butterfly wings!

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Category : DIY Budget Party, Kid Stuff

Tags : Baby Shower Ideas, Birthday Party Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, Paper Flowers, Party Ideas, Theme Party Ideas

4 Comm

20th Oct2011

Wine Tasting Party

by Dinah Wulf

I don’t know much about wine, but one of my best friends, and bride to be LOVES it. Her mother, sister, and I decided to throw her a wine tasting bridal shower party. I have to say, it was one of the best showers I have been to. Between the bridal shower games and the wine tasting itself we had such a great time that all the guests stayed for quite a while. Here are a few easy DIY decorating ideas for a bridal shower wine tasting party theme.

Wine Tasting Score Cards

I made cards out of card stock and scrapbook paper that doubled as wine tasting score cards and an answer sheet to a “who knows the bride best” game. On the wine tasting score card I had instructions and a rating system for five different wines. There were five categories including, appearance, aroma, body, taste, and finish. I supplied pencils with the letter “W” all over them, the initial for the bride’s new last name.

Wine Charms

I made personalized wine charms with each guest’s monogram. For a complete tutorial on how to make wine charms click here. Each guest took the glass and charm home as a party favor.

Wine Tasting

The wine tasting was so much fun. I’ve never really done it before at a party. I went to a local wine specialty store to help me choose the featured wines. They were able to assist me and curtailed it to my budget. I displayed the featured wines as part of a centerpiece as well as the wine tasting steps.

Bridal Shower Trivia Game

I wanted each guest to be able to mingle and meet one another, so I had a “who knows the bride best” game. Instead of the traditional ask and answer game, I displayed each question in a wine glass picture frame and placed them all around the room and outside on the patio. It allowed each guest to walk around, talk, and look at the decorations. Some sample bridal shower trivia questions I used were:

What is the bride’s biggest pet peeve about the groom?
What is the bride’s most favorite feature of the groom?
What is the bride’s favorite sports team?
How many countries has the bride visited?
What is the bride’s favorite food?
Where did the bride and groom meet?
Where is the bride and groom going on their honeymoon?
Who asked whom out first?
Where was their first date?

If you are throwing a wine tasting party only, and not a bridal shower, consider using wine trivia questions instead.

Recycled Wine Bottle Centerpieces

Wine bottles come in so many sizes and colors and are so beautiful when they are grouped together. I asked my friends to save their wine bottles and collected them to use as party decorations. Click here to find out more on how to make wine bottle frames.

Hanging Tissue Paper Flowers

I made hanging tissue paper flowers out of cocktail napkins instead of tissue paper. I decided to do this because it was cheaper than tissue paper, and the color scheme of the napkins fit the décor. Click here for a full tutorial on how to make tissue paper flowers out of cocktail napkins.

Decorate Your Own Wine Glass

This party game was a hit! I had a wine glass decorating station. At the guest’s leisure, they were able to sit down and anonymously get creative. The bride chose the winning glass. At the decorating station I had craft markers in all colors especially made for glass, gems in all sizes, shapes and colors, googly eyes, ribbon, and other embellishments. The winner received a prize and each guest took their glass home to remember the occasion.

Other Simple DIY Decorating Ideas

I framed the letters of the bride’s new last name, “Mrs. Walker”.

I used recycled wine corks to labeled the food by cutting a flat side and a slit on top with a sharp knife.

I made easy DIY cupcake decorations with the couples monogram.

I placed framed pictures of the happy couple everywhere.

I picked up recycled wine crates from a wine specialty shop to use in the décor. Check your local wine shop. They sell them for about $5.00 a piece, or give them away for free!

I used scrapbook paper, ribbon, and twine to embellish recycled wine bottles.

P.S. Today is the bride to be’s birthday! Happy birthday, Sara! I love you!! Thanks for always being an inspiration in my life!

Have you signed up for my emails? I’d love it if you did!

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Category : DIY Budget Party, Special Occasions

Tags : Birthday Party Ideas, Bridal Shower Ideas, Centerpieces, Dinah's Tutorials, Paper Flowers, Party Favor Ideas, Party Ideas, Party Treats, Recycling Ideas, Repurposing Ideas, Theme Party Ideas

22 Comm

29th Sep2011

Napkin Tissue Paper Flowers

by Dinah Wulf

For some reason, my post on how to make tissue paper flowers is my most popular post. To put that into perspective, that particular page on my blog has been viewed well over 3000 times in the last 60 days!

I am always looking for ways to save money, even if it is a few cents. I mean, cut me some slack, I like to help my friends and family with parties and decorations and when you have two or three parties a month, the cost adds up!

I decided to experiment with making tissue paper flowers since it is so popular. Man I am such a nerd, but here are my calculations. A package of 100 sheets of tissue paper is about $10.00. You need 12 sheets to make one flower, so the final cost of one flower is about $1.25. If you buy cocktail party napkins instead, which run about $1.00 for 16 napkins (when you can find them on sale), the cost is only 50 cents per flower because it takes only 8 napkins to make one flower because they are thicker. That’s a savings of 75 cents a flower! See? I told you I was a nerd… a cheap nerd at that! Also, napkins come in a greater variety of colors, themes, and patterns. Using orange and black is perfect for Halloween.

So, here is the tutorial on making COCKTAIL NAPKIN tissue paper flowers.

Step One:

Stack 8 cocktail napkins on top of one another.

Step Two:

Make an accordion fold, approximately one inch in width and tie the end of a ribbon or string.

Step Three:

Gently separate each layer one by one. If you accidently rip the paper, clear tape can be hidden easily in the ruffles (I learned that the hard way).

Step Four:

Fluff the tissue paper flower to your desired shape. If you are hanging them and one side of the napkin is white, make sure the printed side of the napkin hangs down. Cut the ribbon or string in to your desired length.

Here are some after pictures.

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Category : Crafts, DIY Budget Party

Tags : Baby Shower Ideas, Birthday Party Ideas, Bridal Shower Ideas, Craft Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, paper crafts, Paper Flowers, Party Ideas

4 Comm

22nd Aug2011

Accordion Flowers How To

by Dinah Wulf

Accordion Flowers How To

Accordion flowers are a very inexpensive do it yourself party decoration that adds a little whimsy to your theme and decor. Perfect for a spring, summer, or garden tea party, these accordion flowers are very simple to make. They would also look great mixed with paper pinwheels.

This particular tutorial is for an accordion flower about ten inches in diameter, however play with different sizes to achieve the desired look.

Materials Needed:

Paper (desired size)
Wooden Dowels or BBQ Skewers
Double Sided Tape
Scissors
Glue

Step one: Fold two pieces of paper like an accordion (approximately a one inch in width) and fold in half. If you are making a smaller sized accordion flower, then shorten the width size.

Step two: Use scissors to cut a scalloped edge, or use craft scissors.

Step three: Adhere both pieces together with double stick tape.

Step four: Glue to a wooden dowel and add a center embellishment if desired. I found that a glue gun works well for this size and the wooden dowel and glue remains hidden. Consider using a craft punch and decorative paper or a button for your center embellishment for both the front and back. Another option is to use string or ribbon to hang each accordion flower.

Tip: To make smaller ornament sized flowers, cut one inch strips of paper, fold like an accordion, adhere the end, lay flat and fasten the center with an embellishment. Hang each paper flower by a string on branches to create a cute centerpiece perfect for a wedding or bridal shower or baby shower. Make several color variations and sizes to complete your party look.

You may also like these other Paper Flowers:

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Category : Crafts, DIY Budget Party

Tags : Baby Shower Ideas, Birthday Party Ideas, Dinah's Tutorials, Easter Ideas, paper crafts, Paper Flowers, Party Ideas, Spring, Summer

8 Comm

29th Jul2011

DIY Centerpiece: Paper Cherry Blossom Display

by Dinah Wulf

DIY Centerpiece: Paper Cherry Blossom Display

Martha delivers yet once again! This Paper Cherry Blossom Display is a great DIY Centerpiece from Marthastewart.com. Something like this paper flower centerpiece would be perfect for a wedding or baby shower. I actually had a cherry blossom theme for my baby shower, a pleasant whimsical theme and perfect for the summer or spring. These simple yet elegant paper flowers are embellished with wood branches and a vase.

Materials Needed:

Scissors
Vellum paper
Utility Knife

The complete steps from diagramed on Marthastewart.com are as follows.

To create five-petal blossoms, start by cutting pink or red glassine or vellum into 3 1/2-inch and 4 1/2-inch squares. Fold a square into a flat cone, following steps 1 to 4.

Using scissors, make four angled cuts to remove the top of the cone as in step 5.

With a utility knife, carve out a small rectangular sliver on each side of the cone. Snip off a tiny bit of the pointed tip of the cone, and unfold and shape the paper to yield a blossom. Collect branches from the yard, and poke their tips through the centers of the blossoms. Place the decorated branches in a tall vase filled with pebbles to anchor the display. For favor bags, fill colored-paper bags with token gifts of your choice, and fold down the closed tops of the bags twice. Punch a hole through one folded corner. Push colored brad through flower, then hole in bag to fasten.

Source: Marthastewart.com

You May Also Like:

Also, check out these Sweet Treats, perfect for any party:

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Category : DIY Budget Party, Special Occasions

Tags : Bridal Shower Ideas, Centerpieces, Easter Ideas, Paper Flowers, Party Ideas

1 Comm

28th Jul2011

DIY Crafts: Party Pinwheels How-To

by Dinah Wulf

DIY Crafts: Party Pinwheels How-To

These whimsical party pinwheels were found on non other than, (one of) my idol Martha Stewart’s, website. These are perfect inexpensive and easy to make party decorations.

Here is how you make them.

1. Cut four 2 1/2″ circles for each pinwheel from solid craftstock. Cut each circle in half.
2. Cut two 2″ circles from coordinating patterned paper. Cut each circle in half and adhere to the solid half-circles.
3. Arrange into pinwheel shape as shown and adhere to wooden skewer using tissue tape. Adhere candy sticker to the center of each pinwheel.

Cute and simple in three easy steps!

Also check out a post from Shindig Diva. She shared a how to on flower pinwheels by Gwynn Wasson. You get get the template needed to make this adorable pinwheel on her blog.

Use different colors and patterns to fit any themed party. Here are the materials you will need:

-Pinwheel Template
-Xacto knife or scissors
-Cookie Stick or Drilled Dowel
-Wooden Beads
-Button
-Wire
-Small hole punch
-Ribbon
-Hot Glue

In eight easy steps, this cute pinwheel will add whimsy to your party decor.

Need More DIY Party Ideas? Try:

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Category : Crafts, DIY Budget Party

Tags : Birthday Party Ideas, Centerpieces, Easter Ideas, Paper Flowers, Party Ideas

4 Comm

13th Jul2011

Paul Frank Party Centerpieces

by Dinah Wulf

Paul Frank Party Centerpieces

I am having a Rock N Roll Paul Frank birthday party for my daughter because my husband loves music and I love Paul Frank, and well my daughter’s only turning one so she didn’t have much say. I knew it’d be a tough theme, so I had to get crafty and creative. I made these party centerpieces in purple, green, pink, and yellow. I went with colored plastic grass and paper flowers in “pots” because it is a summer birthday party.

Materials:

Square containers
Scrapbook paper
Wooden sticks from any craft store, or BBQ Skewers
Floral foam
Paul Frank stickers (optional)
Plastic Grass or colored candies
Hot Glue gun
Scissors
Craft punches (optional)

These are very simple to make, as the pictures speak for themselves. Just cut out the desired shapes and glue or tape them to wooden skewers. Insert them in decorative containers to make a decorative bouquet.

You can make these arrangements in any theme you choose. Here are some tips.

Click here to find out how to make pinwheels
Use Google Images to look for your theme’s pictures to use in your arrangement
Use assorted craft punches or cut out flowers by hand
Click here to find out how to make paper flowers
Colored candies, like M&M’s can also be used to conceal the floral foam.
The dollar bins at major retailers like Target, always have cute containers in a variety of colors and patterns.
Use rocks or pebbles at the bottom of your arrangement to weigh it down if your party is outdoors.
Click here for ideas on making matching party favors.

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Category : Crafts, DIY Budget Party, Kid Stuff

Tags : Birthday Party Ideas, Centerpieces, Dinah's Tutorials, Easter Ideas, Paper Flowers, Paul Frank, Theme Party Ideas

0 Comm

13th May2011

Paper Flower Week: Japanese Rice Paper Flowers

by Dinah Wulf

Paper Flower Week: Japanese Rice Paper Flowers

Don’t buy paper flowers for your scrapbooking. Make these Japanese Rice Paper Flowers from Our Fun Life.

These are so cool! They can be used decoratively on cards or scrapbook page.

Materials Needed:

Paper
Waxed Paper
Watercolor
Styrofoam Egg Carton
Fine Tipped Marker
Embellishments (optional)

1. Cut Japanese rice paper into random flower shapes

2. Place one cut flower on waxed paper and watercolor

3. Carefully pick it up and hold it from underneath

4. Pinch the center while twisting and overlapping the petals.

5. Place flower in a styrofoam egg carton to help hold the shape while drying

6. When dried, add details with a fine tipped marker

7. Embellish center of flowers with glitter, buttons, beads, rhinestones, etc.

You may also like:

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Category : Crafts, DIY Budget Party

Tags : Craft Ideas, Paper Flowers, Spring

3 Comm

12th May2011

Paper Flower Week: Tissue Paper Flowers

by Dinah Wulf

Tissue Paper Flowers

Remember making these in grade school? If we made them then we can make them now! These are SO easy and can be used for baby showers, bridal showers, birthdays, or any occasion. You can also make flower bouquets.

Materials Needed:
-   Tissue Paper Sheets
-   Florist Wire
-   Scissors

These instructions are from eHow.com.

1. Place eight to 12 full sheets of tissue paper onto a clean work surface. Make sure they are evenly stacked, one on top of another.

2. Fold the sheets accordion or fan style from one short end to the other. The folds should be approximately 1-1/2 inches wide. Be sure to keep the folds even. Use a craft stick to smooth the folds down for a crisp edge.

3. Securely wrap a 15-inch piece of wire around the center of the folded strip.

4. Hold the center of the folded tissue in one hand while wrapping one “leg” of the wire around the opposite leg. Firmly twist the wire legs or ends until they are pinched tightly against the paper center. Twist several more times.

5. Cut the end of each sides of the folded paper with straight or decorative-edge scissors. Cut a round or pointed shape to the ends of the paper to make petal edging.

6. Carefully separate the layers of paper by pulling apart the outer edges near the center. Continue to pull the thin sheets apart to loosen and shape the pompom petals. Repeat with the other side of the pompom.

You may also like:

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Category : DIY Budget Party

Tags : Birthday Party Ideas, Bridal Shower Ideas, Easter Ideas, Paper Flowers, Party Ideas, Spring

7 Comm

10th May2011

Paper Flower Week: Hanging Paper Flowers

by Dinah Wulf

Here are some elegant Hanging Paper Flowers from Martha Stewart. They make whimsical and colorful decorations for any shower or birthday party, or even a DIY wedding idea.

Step 1

Fold the bottom of a bag in on itself. Cut above the lower fold, removing the bag’s bottom. Trim the top into a petal shape.

Step 2

Punch a hole about 1/4 inch from the bottom. Repeat process with five more bags. Apply double-sided tape to the front edges of a bag. Place another bag on top, and repeat to stack all of the bags. Draw a length of string through the hole in the stack; knot it loosely.

Step 3

Pull the top and bottom bags around to form a flower shape and join the end petals with double-sided tape.

Step 4

Suspend your completed paper bag flowers by string.

You may also like:

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Category : Crafts, DIY Budget Party

Tags : Birthday Party Ideas, Bridal Shower Ideas, Paper Flowers, Party Ideas, Spring, Wedding Ideas

1 Comm

09th May2011

Paper Flower Week: Double Fringed Paper Flowers

by Dinah Wulf

Make these beautiful Double Fringed Paper Flowers by Inna’s Creations. Group a few together in different colors and make a flower bouquet. It is the perfect DIY Craft!

Materials Needed:

- Double-sided colored paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- A ready-made or a do-it-yourself slotted tool, or just a wooden toothpick.

Directions:

1. Cut a paper strip about 1 inch wide and 4 inches long. Fold it lengthwise.

2. Create a fringe by making small cuts at 45 degrees along the closed edge.

3. Attach to its end a regular — 1/8 inch wide and 10 inches long — quilling strip. This will make the center of the flower.

4. Roll tightly using a toothpick or quilling tool, starting from the tip of the narrow strip.

5. After the fringe is rolled up, glue its tip and hold for a couple of minutes to let the glue dry a little.

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Category : Crafts, DIY Budget Party

Tags : Craft Ideas, Paper Flowers, Spring

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08th May2011

Paper Flower Week: Paper Flower Ornaments

by Dinah Wulf

Happy Mother’s Day!

Paper Flowers are inexpensive, easy to make, and make beautiful decorations for any occasion. Therefore, I dedicated an entire week to making different paper flowers. Don’t forget to make one for Mom!

Here are Paper Flower Ornaments inspired from How About Orange. String a few together to make flower bouquets.

1. Cut one piece of 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper into 1″ strips (oriented landscape so you end up with 11 strips). A paper cutter will make your life easier!

2. Stack them and staple them once in the center, then fold the stack in half to form a little book. I folded them back and forth a little to loosen it.

3. Put a little piece of double-stick tape at the tip of the first “page.” Then bend it inward toward the center and stick it down. Repeat for every “page” until you have a circular flower shape. The “petals” will stay naturally.