Make your own Mother's Day Flowers (and they'll last forever too!!)



Here in Fit For a Queen Towers, there's nothing more that I love than gorgeous flowers, getting crafty, and treating my mum, so this cute little tissue paper bouquet is perfect for Mother's Day!!!

The best thing about this bouquet is that it comes in any colour, any shape, and any size,

so you can let your imagination run wild, it won't cost a fortune, they won't wilt after a few days, and it'll only take a couple of hours on a freezing March morning!

Here's how we made ours...

A bouquet like ours requires about 25 flowers and 10 leaves. Once you have arranged them, cover the stems in wide ribbon. You will need tissue paper, a rotary cutter or scissors, 24-gauge green cloth-covered floral wire, white craft glue in a bottle with a needle-nose tip, two Styrofoam balls (1-inch and 1 1/2-inch), artificial stamens, and green floral tape. Purchase supplies online or at crafts or floral-supply stores. If using a rotary cutter, work on a self-healing mat.

Step 1:

To make three double leaves, stack tissue in three hues of green. Cut 2-by-3-inch rectangles through all layers; fold in half. Trim tips into points; unfold. Twist each sheet at center. Fold 18-inch floral wire in half, slip over center of leaf, and twist. Fold tips toward each other, and curl.

Step 2:

Stack tissue in two hues of green. Cut 2-by-3-inch rectangles through both layers. Apply glue along the upper third of a 9-inch piece of floral wire; sandwich between tissue layers. Let dry. Cut a leaf shape. Separate layers of tissue.

Step 3:

Cut several 1 3/4-by-2 3/4-inch and 1 1/4-by-2-inch rectangles from tissue paper; fold each in half lengthwise; cut one end to be rounded, and twist other end to shape. For the center, roll white tissue paper into a tiny ball; cut out a square from white tissue paper, and wrap it around the ball, twisting tissue at its base. Attach the twisted end of the ball to a piece of floral wire by wrapping with green floral tape; add petals one at a time (start with small petals and end with large ones), taping twisted ends onto floral wire. Trim floral tape; spread out petals.

Step 4:

Each bloom requires 12 (or six pairs) stamens attached to floral wire with floral tape and five 4-by-2 1/4-inch pieces of tissue paper. For each petal, wrap tissue halfway around 1 1/2-inch Styrofoam ball, forming a half-sphere; twist ends, and remove ball. Attach one end of a petal to the base of stamen with floral tape. Add the other petals one at a time. Trim pointy ends. Gently pull petals away from center.

Step 5:

Cut a 16-by-3 1/2-inch strip of tissue paper; make 2-inch accordion folds. Trim and notch one end of tissue through all layers, as shown; unfold. Insert floral wire into a 1-inch Styrofoam ball; place ball near bottom of tissue strip. Roll tissue around ball; twist bottom. Remove the ball with tweezers. Wrap floral tape around the twisted tissue and wire. Trim the floral tape.

Step 6:

You're almost there now!!!

Cut a 16-by-3 1/2-inch strip of tissue paper; make 2-inch-wide accordion folds. Make 3-inch-deep snips in tissue to create fringe. Wrap unfringed end around floral wire. Secure with floral tape. Run scissors blade along pieces of fringe to curl; fluff.

And Hey Presto, You've got yourself a beautiful bouquet!!! Now just bound with some pretty ribbon and you're all done!

Happy Mother's Day

xxx