We love seeing interesting uses for our materials and this post from our friend Sarah Louise Matthews does not disappoint. Here she shares a step by step tutorial for transforming our wrapping paper into beautiful paper flowers for a DIY garland. Read on for the full how to! (Note: We no longer sell gift wrap, but are leaving up this post for inspiration as to what you can make with paper!) 

 

You Will Need:

  • Printed Gift Wrap Sheet (order one roll to makes 18 flowers)
  • Scissors
  • Glue Stick
  • Tacky Glue (optional)
  • Glue Gun
  • 2m Twine

Once you’ve gathered your material it’s time to get crafting!

Step 1: Cut out all of the shapes. To do this, cut around the edge of each flower and along the printed lines between the petals on the pink and yellow flowers. Cut around the outside of the green rectangles but not around the leaf shape yet, as well as cutting around the outside of the yellow and orange rectangles.

Step 2:  Separate the solid coloured and ombré flower pieces. Begin with the solid coloured pieces and curl each petal. To do this, hold each piece printed side up, open your scissors and carefully run one blade along the back of each petal, beginning at the base of the petal and running the blade towards the tip. Repeat for each solid coloured flower piece.

Step 3: Take the first ombré piece and hold printed side down. Use the scissors to curl just the tip of each petal back. Repeat for each ombré piece.

Step 4: Take the yellow and orange rectangle pieces. Fold each piece in half as shown and use a glue stick to glue the two halves back to back. Cut along each white line to make a fringed edge. Repeat for each piece.

Step 5: Take the green rectangles. Fold each piece in half as shown and use a glue stick to glue the two halves back to back. Cut along the white line and fold the leaf in half down the centre. Repeat for each piece.

Step 6: Begin attaching the flowers and leaves to the twine. For all ombré flowers, the printed side faces outwards, and for all solid coloured flowers, the printed side faces inwards. All pink flowers have no fringed centre, orange flowers have a yellow fringed centre and yellow flowers have an orange fringed centre. There is a leaf in between each flower, alternating between the two shades.

Starting around 10cm from the end of the twine, take an ombré pink flower piece and wrap it around the twine. Overlap the two end petals and use a glue stick or tacky glue to attach the two overlapping petals together. Use a hot glue gun to apply a dot of glue to the point where the flower meets the twine to secure its position.

Take the first leaf, apply a dot of hot glue to the stalk and attach it to the twine around 3cm from the base of the flower.

Take the fringed yellow piece and wrap it tightly around the twine, gluing in place with hot glue. Wrap the solid orange flower piece around the fringe, overlap and glue the two end petals and hot glue the flower to the base of the fringe to secure its position, followed by the next leaf.

7. Continue attaching the flowers and leaves to the twine following the pattern shown. (Next in the pattern is the ombré yellow flower, solid pink flower, ombré orange flower, solid yellow flower). Repeat the pattern until all flowers and leaves have been used.

Ta da! Now you have a lovely flower garland to bring new life and whimsy to your home for a special celebration or to enjoy year round.


ABOUT OUR GUEST AUTHOR

Sarah Louise Matthews is a paper engineer and paper product designer who just moved to Nottingham after 5 years living in London. Sarah designs and makes fun, innovative stationery, artwork and decorations as well as bespoke commissions for anything from weddings to visual merchandising and is obsessed with beautiful stationery and tactile surfaces. Follow her Instagram @_sarah_matthews for some serious paper-cut inspiration daily!