DIY: Bridal Bouquet

Bride, Allie, is currently working on her Masters in Victorian Literature and these bouquets had her name all over them. Aren't these book page flowers awesome?!

The 'How To', if you'd like to create your own...

Supplies:
*book pages
*paint
*sponge brush
*file folder
*scissors
*glue
*wooden skewer
*pipe cleaner
*hot glue gun
*rhinestone
*pipe cleaner
*floral tape
After you tear out your book pages {you'll need 3 pages per flower}, mix your paint color with water to make a "wash". Using a sponge brush, wash the book pages and allow to dry completely.

While your pages are drying, create a 6 petal stencil {shown here in orange} out of a file folder {or cardboard, cardstock, cereal box, etc}. Trace onto the back of your washed pages and cut out.

Next, fold each flower three times making creases between the petals.
Flower 1: Leave whole. Flower 2: Cut out one petal. Flower 3: Cut out two petals {as shown above}.
DO NOT DISCARD EXTRA PETALS!

Glue the pages with removed petals back together, one petal on top of the other, as shown above.

Using a wooden skewer, curl the each petal on all three pages.

Stack and glue the pages in size order from biggest to smallest.
TIP: it may help to snip the bottom point off the two smaller flowers.

I hope you remembered to save those snipped petals!

Loosely curl one side of the largest snipped petal. Fold and glue two sides together, leaving the curl on the outside. It should resemble a funnel shape. Cut off the bottom tip and glue into the center of your flower.
Curl both sides of the remaining snipped petal, snip the bottom off and glue to the center of the funnel, which should already be glued to the center of your flower.

Using a wooden skewer, going from top to bottom, pierce through the flower's center. Now flower is complete without a stem!
Make a spiral on the top of a pipe cleaner {shown above} and then squish the spiral together to make a "knot". Using your hot glue gun, adhere a rhinestone to the top.

Thread the pipe cleaner through the flower's center where you pierced it.

Almost done!
Using floral tape, cover the pipe cleaner completely and VOILA! A paper flower.


If you'd like to add leaves, as I have here, repeat steps 1 and 2 using green paint and a leaf stencil. Glue paint side up to the underside of your flower and allow to dry.

Don't forget to make a tossing bouquet!



This project was adapted from the tutorial found here.