Paper flower power

The minute I saw Martha's Shaped Crepe Flowers, I knew I had to make them. There is something delicate and almost elegant about these - and for a starving post-college student with an online designer clothing shopping addition they make a nice, virtually free decoration that doesn't look tacky.

I bought a roll of 24-gauge wire, which is super thick and stable. I covered this from top to bottom with flower tape. Incidentally, this stuff is AWESOME. It is super sticky and just clings to itself so you can roll it around wire and it stays put. Aside from the fact that my fingers are a bit raw from rolling so much of it, the flower tape worked like a charm.

Once all the wires were prepped, it was time to create the flowers. I cut out 4" x 2.25" rectangles of tissue paper in orange and purple... after all, it is Laker season!! I centered a .5-inch wooden ball in the middle of each of the tissue paper rectangles. I then rolled each of the sides up, wrapping the tissue paper around half the ball in a rounded shape. I tapped five petals to each wire at the top, using floral tape. I then cut the long ends of the petals off, keeping the rounded shape, but getting rid of the excess.

I think these are really pretty! They are now sitting next to my TV in style.

Instructions (courtesy of Martha Stewart): 


Flowers crafted from colorful tissue or crepe paper are graceful, inexpensive to make, and always in season. Arrange them on tables, use as boutonnieres, or create a whole bouquet.
 
How to Make It
 Tissue Bubble Flower: Attach 12 (or 6 pairs) artificial stamens to 24-gauge cloth-covered floral wire by wrapping with green floral tape. Cut five 4-by-2 1/4-inch pieces of tissue paper. For each petal, wrap tissue halfway around 1 1/2-inch Styrofoam ball; twist ends, and remove ball. Attach one end of petal to the base of stamen with floral tape. Add the other petals one at a time, taping in place. Trim pointy ends. Gently pull petals away from the center.

Read more at Marthastewartweddings.com: Shaped Crepe Flowers

Cards for spring

Despite the fact that it still barely in the 50s, it is technically spring right now. I get that April showers bring May flowers, but what does a cold, dry April bring? Let's hope that May will not be flowerless, because that would just suck.

In honor of the spring bloom, today I made a fun floral card. I thought that Martha's Tissue-Paper Flower Card was just perfect to celebrate the onset of this season... and a hopeful way to prepare for the eventual May bloom.

I cut out circular pieces of tissue paper, which I never seem to run out of. I scrunched them up in the center, making a bit of a folded shape that resembled Martha's own version. Then, I used tacky glue to affix the flowers onto a plane white card I bought at Joann's. I drew in stems using a bright green pen I had lying around.

It doesn't look quite as professional as Martha's, but I think the card has a nice, homemade feel that makes the card more personal. Now I just need to figure out what/who I am going to use it for...

Instructions (courtesy of Martha "April showers can suck it" Stewart): 

Tools and Materials

Tissue paper confetti circles (You can make your own from tissue, magazine, or other lightweight paper.)
Tweezers
Craft glue
Ready-made card, or card stock folded in half
Acrylic or watercolor paints, optional

Mother's Day Card How-To

1. Use a pair of tweezers to pick up a tissue paper circle, scrunching it with the tweezers into a puckered flower shape.
2. Dip it into the glue and place the scrunched paper, glue side down, onto the card. Once glued, use tweezer points to increase the pucker of the paper if desired.
3. Use the same method to add a smaller paper circle in a contrasting color to the center of the first circle and smush with tweezers. Add as many as three layers.
4. Paint on a stem, if desired (or use a brush-tip marker).

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Mother's Day Tissue Flower Card - Martha Stewart Holidays

Wrap it up

There is nothing worse than an awesome present hidden under ugly, unattractive wrapping. And I am always the friend who presents her gift in this way. I am the one who shows up to birthday parties ten minutes late with gifts in Duane Reade grocery bags, tags with prices still on them.

But, no longer! Thanks to Martha, I have been reformed.

Martha has an entire gallery of awesome wrapping ideas, varying in difficulty. They range from elegant, to thrifty, to all-out-ridiculously-intricate. For an upcoming friend's party, I decided on something more modern and funky.

Thankfully, I had some tissue paper and flowers lying around from my previous pom-pom project. I decided to wrap my gifts (which were, of course, two previous Channeling Martha projects), in two different variations of green tissue paper.

For an added touch of funky charm, on a budget, I printed out a sampling of Martha's modern paper templates onto normal printer paper. I cut out long strips of two of the more interesting patterns and decided to wrap one strip around each package. For the package on the left, I chose Martha's Cameo Cummerbund Wrapping Paper; for the right, I went with Swirly Wrapping Paper.

I topped the presents with the pom poms I made previously, a great finishing touch to what, in my opinion, is an excellent wrapping job. Never again will I be delivering presents in grocery bags... I swear!

P.S. I apologize deeply for the horrible quality of the above picture. I really need a better way to photograph my work that doesn't either wash out the crafts completely or make them appear dark and blurry. Any recommendations are welcome...

Springtime dreaming

Let me say that this winter has been rough. Between the snow, wintry mix, sub-zero temperatures and all around gloominess, I'm pining for spring. I want to see my bare skin again! I want to make it from point a to point b without a runny nose and rain-boot-induced blisters! I want sun! So today, inspired by the promise of the distant spring (two more months? Really?), I made flowers. Martha-style.

Martha loves her tissue paper. She has a ton of crafts that use this material, which can be found cheaply at a local drug store. Today, I picked tissue paper pom-poms. They had a nice flowery feel and can be used for a variety of things: party decoration, jewelry, gift wrapping, napkin ring... you name it.

I ran to the Duane Reade down the street, ducking falling ice that was, of course,  blowing directly into my eyes, and acquired a megapack of tissue paper in every color imaginable for under five dollars. Thankfully I already had beading wire on hand, which worked well for the project.

I decided to make two different sizes, perfect for different uses. Cutting the tissue paper was definitely the hardest part; I ended up ripping more than slicing neatly. Thankfully, this is a very forgiving project and I could hardly tell from the resulting pompoms. After folding a stack of eight sheets of tissue paper fan-style and tying with wire at the center, I then cut shapes into the ends, varying between pointy and round. Then I just spread apart the paper, and voila!

I am not sure what I am going to do with these yet, but they definitely cheered me up on a snowy, freezing day.

P.S. Did any one else catch the reference to Martha Stewart in the latest 30 Rock? I definitely perked up at the sound of her name...