Posy
$15.00
This is a digital download (a PDF), not a physical object.
Anyone with an Nonsense ($6) or Rampant Nonsense ($12) Patreon membership gets this e-book included free in their membership. Yes, that absolutely is cheaper than buying the e-book on it’s own!
If you join, you also get access to a whole bunch of videos of me talking you through making these, plus lots of patterns. Here’s a preview of the patterns you get at the Sheer Nonsense ($3), Utter Nonsense ($6), and Rampant Nonsense ($12) levels (there are a couple of goodies for free members too)! And of course, you can change or cancel your membership at any time, and you’ll still have access to anything you download while you’re a member, even if you cancel later.
I can’t in good conscience pretend these are anything other than a delightful frivolity. They don’t do anything. They’re not for anything. They don’t solve any problem or cure any ailment. But, much like real flowers, they’re pretty, and they seem to make people happy. And, unlike real flowers, they will neither wilt nor set off your allergies.
And while I can’t pretend they do anything useful, I can promise that they are absurdly fun to make. Seriously, I spent about six straight weeks making hundreds and hundreds of them, and every time I finished one I was shocked by how lovely it was. I only stopped because I ran out of things to do with them and people to inflict them on! I suspect I will, with only the slightest provocation, make many more in the future.
Plus once you know how to make them, you can make them with other people. No really, I highly recommend making a couple yourself so you know how then having your friends over for a grown up craft party. The supplies are inexpensive (and once you have the stuff to make your own, you’ll have plenty to share with others), it’s not nearly as messy as you probably worry it is, and you can make a whole bouquet in an afternoon.
You should do it! There’s something deeply satisfying about sitting with friends and laughing and making something with your hands, and I suspect we could all use a little more of that in our lives. In fact, I’ve included a page of tips to make that easier and a couple of one page guides you can print out to get folks started. Because I can think of nothing I’d like better than to spend time with friends making something sweet and silly and lovely together, and this is as close as I can come to inviting you all over to play!
General information
This delightfully thorough e-book shows you exactly how to make your own beautiful paper flowers! It includes information about materials and detailed instructions on exactly how to cut, color, and assemble your flowers (including two different dyeing methods, six different petal templates each in nine different sizes, and six ways to build the middle of your flower), all shown in more than sixty step-by-step photos. Plus, because I want you to do this with friends and family, there’s a special little bonus section with tips on how to teach these to other folks and printables to share with them to make it easy!
Skills & scope
I know they look daunting, but if you can fold a piece of paper, cut out a shape, and twist a bit of wire, you can do this!
No really, if you’ve ever made a paper snowflake, you’ve got the necessary skills and dexterity. You can absolutely do this with kids (depending on their age and ability level, some adult supervision might be a good idea). And I talk about some options for doing parts of it ahead of time or behind the scenes to streamline the process and minimize the risk of mess that comes with any project that involves turning things pretty colors.
Like any new skill, it may feel a tiny bit awkward the first time through, but I’m confident you’ll have the hang of it in no time!
Tools & supplies
I suspect you have just about everything you need already on hand! I strongly encourage you to raid your kitchen and bathroom and craft supply bins before you shop.
The petals are made from coffee filters, dyed with either alcohol inks or alcohol ink markers and rubbing alcohol, and the flowers are held together with wire and floral tape. If you want to do the fancy bits in the middle, you can use wooden beads and/or floral stamens.
The short list of materials you absolutely need is coffee filters (the 8-12 cup basket style available at most any grocery store), alcohol ink or alcohol ink markers (if the ink runs when you drip rubbing alcohol on it, it’s an alcohol ink marker), rubbing alcohol, wire (something flexible enough to twist easily with your fingers), and floral tape. You can use beads and stamens if you feel like it, and maybe a drop of glue to finish things off if you like, but that’s all optional.
You’re also going to want scissors, a pen or pencil, a bowl, and (if you’re fussy) an iron. It’s a good idea to have something like a garbage bag to put down to protect your work surface (though I just work right on my kitchen counter) and keep some paper towels handy for clean up, but I trust you’ve got those on hand.
If you want links for the exact stuff I used, we can do that. These are amazon affiliate links. Amazon is evil though, so if you can find things at a local store, please do that instead (but really, go look in your house, you probably have this stuff already)! But I understand not everyone has a local store or is able to shop in person, and sometimes amazon is just easiest. But if you’re going to get it from the bad guys, and you use these links, they’ll share a little of their ill-gotten gains with me.
- Filters I used both bleached (white) and unbleached (brown) ones
- Alcohol inks I used both this set and this one
- Alcohol ink-based markers I used this set
- Floral wire & tape I used this set which has wire, tape, and wire cutters
- Centers I used these beads and several different sets of stamens
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