These are ideal for embellishing wrapped gifts or fastening to a tree.
Tools and Materials
Pink, green, and maroon crepe paper
Scissors
Floral wire
Floral tape
White glue
Poinsettia How-To
1. To make a small bract, photocopy template and cut out; enlarge template to make large bracts and leaves (ours are five inches long). Trace 4 to 6 small bracts and 10 big bracts onto pink crepe paper; trace 1 or 2 big leaves onto green crepe paper. Cut out all shapes.
2. To make center buds, cut three 2-by-1/2-inch strips of maroon crepe paper. Hold 1 strip vertically and make a fold 3/8 inch from the top; fold down the corners of this portion to form a point. Use your fingertips to roll point into a ball while tightly twisting the stem. Repeat to make the other buds. Attach each bud to a 12-inch piece of floral wire with floral tape, stretching tape slightly to make it adhere.
3. Wrap floral tape around top of wire twice. Add the bracts, beginning with the small ones, by wrapping tape around the base of each and adhering it to the wire stem. Continue adding the larger pink bracts, then the green leaf or leaves. Wrap tape around a few more times, working your way down the stem.
4. Gently fluff and shape leaves with your fingertips.
5. Cut pieces of floral wire that are two inches longer than green leaves. Affix wire to the underside of each green leaf with glue, allowing excess wire to extend below the base. Let dry 10 minutes, then attach the loose ends of wire to the flower's stem with floral tape.
Love you Martha. You are To Cool
I love all the crafts from this site. All the instructions are clear and easy to follow.
Keep em coming, Martha!
Thanks, I enjoy this site. I got alot of good ideas from it. I also get sick of the whining. Complainers it's like TV if you do not like the show switch the station so we adult's can enjoy.
If you don't appreciate Martha's website, newsletter and magazines, why bother subjecting yourself, as Jokin mentioned. People complain way too much. I 'm very grateful for all the ideas on this website; it's brilliant. If something doesn't appeal to you, what is the point in complaining all the time? Just move on. I just have to say I love Martha's crafts. projects and recipes! It is so wonderful to have this creative outlet.
Epona and Ocean1, sounds like maybe your browser is restricting popups. Change your security settings to allow popups temporarily and then try. Good luck and Happy Holidays!
Nermalsmom
I didn't have any problems with directions or the template. *sheesh* sure is a downer listening to all the grumbling that goes on here. I like Martha Stewart and her great website and awesome ideas. If something doesn't appeal to you, why are subjecting yourself? I love the poinsettas MS! Keep up the good things!
It's a pdf, so if you don't have Adobe reader that may be the issue....
I couldn't get the templates page to come up either. What's up with that? I'm not having any issues with my computer so that's not the problem. Would have enjoyed taking a closer look at this project. Better luck next time I hope.
How are you supposed to know what to do if you can't look at a picture? I want to see what I'm getting into. Thumbs down creative editors.
I am a Third Grade teacher looking for an easy poinsettia craft for my students. (Second Grade took the pinwheel poinsettias this year, so I have to find a new one!) If you have tried this, do you think this craft would be easy enough for 8 year olds, or do you think it's too difficult?
Hi: I get all my crepe paper at AC Moore. They have all the colors and are .99 - 1.49.
Marilynn
Neither have I. I have not only seen responses to our complaints but I also have not seen improvements addressing our issues either. I am seriously considering canceling this newsletter and my magazine subscription. There are others out there with easier and sometimes better ideas who take the time to answer questions and address issues.
I agree, not only that I have looked for crepe paper all over the place to make some of the other crepe paper flowers and the only crepe paper I could ever find was in teh complete kits for the flowers martha sels at the hobby store.
I apologize the link for the Pioneer woman is http://www.thepioneerwoman.com
Ms. Stewart needs to take her cue from people like http://thepioneerwomen.com, she uses pictures in her cooking projects which I really appreciate. She runs this little ole blog all by herself and does not have the professional staff Martha has at her beck and call, she needs to pay more attention to this website and perhaps let some heads roll. They are letting her and her customers down. I personally have never seen a response from Martha Stewart staff to any complaints about the pictures.
The poinsettias in the picture are indeed real flowers, not crafted out of crepe paper. I have this issue of the magazine, and each flower is numbered with the description to go with it, showing the different varieties. The crepe paper flowers are also in the magazine and don't look anything like this, because there are no vein details on each leaf.
Sassylindalou: Thanking you kindly...you are correct.
Actually, yeah, I guess bract is a more formal way of saying petal, however it has more to do with the way the petal grows or extends from the stem. As for the crafts, they are just ideas. Obviously, Martha has some experience with crafting, etc. She's made millions. As for this particular project, the directions seemed pretty straight forward to me. Oh, and Diane29, the phrase should be, " I used to...", not "use to". If you're going to [filtered word] do so properly.
No "insipid whining" - just people expressing their opinion of MS's CRAFT choices, descriptions, and instructions - or rather LACK THEREOF. I use to think the world of MS, no more - not since seeing her "in person" and viewing her various crafts for some time. She is soooooooooooo YESTERDAY!
There is a lot of insipid whining going on in these comments. This is a project more for artists than crafters.. Just beautiful with lots of creative possibilities, but only for creative folks with artistic sensibilities and a deft touch.
is bract a fancy pants word for petal?
I know what a real poinsettia looks like,( dont need this photo) but have no idea what this project looks like , and the directions do not entice me to find out
I agree will all previous comments. So disappointing! :(
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wendyabbe/2078447478/ to see some crepe paper poinsettias that someone made
Yet ANOTHER disappointing set of instructions, no image detail and why is there NO picture of the actual project. Shame Martha shame on you, honour the crafters code!
Share or don't share....grrrrr. I really was attracted to this project.
Disappointed
Yeah. No kidding. These projects are MUCH harder and take a lot longer than they say or you might think. Try going over to joann.com and look at some of their holiday projects. Easier. These projects lead you to believe yours will look just like this! Wrong.
It seems like the craft projects are always just short of full expanations. Why is that?
They ALWAYS are. Plus the photo is of REAL poinsettias and certainly NOT crepe paper. This website is for the birds. You'd probably get more info my googling for a Crepe Paper Tutorial.,
As a florist I would almost 100% agree that the photo is of real poinsettia.... showing many varieties and color choices.
It is unfortunate that there is not a photo of a crepe paper poinsettia shown that actually represents the craft that is trying to be promoted. A real SHAME as taking the time and effort to source the supplies and create the crepe paper ones may be very disappointing for some.
It is abundantly clear the template does not match the flowers in the photo. The template in the article was not a good representation of the flower bracts shown in the photo. A how-to video could show exactly how the flowers are formed. It seems like the craft projects are always just short of full expanations. Why is that? Obviously the colors were altered to appear natural and the bracts appear crumpled like real poinsettias.
You can find crepe paper streamers any place where they sell birthday decorations. Try Michael's crafts, or even the Dollar Tree has some.
Does anyone know where to find crepe paper?
Directions with instructions are great but, how about a video so we can actually see step by step.
I agree with jillthompson, wholeheartedly!
The point of making crepe paper flowers is that the effect is extremely realistic. As one commenter stated the crepe paper appears to have been bled this is a technique which improves the realism. Simply cut the crepe paper into 5 or 6 inch bands and dampen the edges. This cause the color to run. After the paper dries, this gives the effect of natural coloration when the bracts are cut from the template. I have usually hung my damp crepe paper from a clothes line to dry without staining.
It would be nice if these all of these crafts had step by step photos to go along with them. I prefer to be able to compare my progress as I go along. Especially if that photo is a real poinsettia and not representative of the final product.
It is an old wives tale that poinsettias are deadly to children and pets, especially cats. As a florist it is something I have to deal with each holiday season. A cat or child would have to consume the whole plant and yes they may be sick, but they would not die. Lets try and pass this information along. Happy Holidays!
If you search google 'crape paper poinsettia' and hit images...there you can find some photos of what these would look like.. The result is nothing to rave about...
It's the "milk" in the stem of the poinsettia that is poisonous particularly to children and small animals. Just keep them away from both.
And yes, the poinsettias look real.
The Cat Fancier's Association, Inc. does say that poinsettias are a Low Toxicity plant to cats. And I agree with Kraftygirl the pic looks like real plants not crepe paper ones.
I think the poinsettias pictured here are real and not the crepe paper one.
i worked for a veterinarian for almost 7 years and NO poinsettias are NOT poisonous to cats.
Poinsettias have LOW toxicity but CAN be poisonous to cats.
Just so you know, poinsttia's are not poisonous.
This is a lot of work and if you have not tried your hand at making/wrapping flowers and stems before you may well be frustrated quickly. The photo looks as if some of the edges of the bracts have been allowed to bleed out their colour yet there is no mention of this in the instructions. Again, another seemingly easy craft that is actually fairly complex and lacks indepth instructions.
very real looking. and no dead leaves falling around the week after christmas!
I think pointsettas are poisonous to our furry and feathered friends as well so this is a good alternative!
eco-friendly idea: try rice paper.