Tools and Materials
20-pound recycled paper (20 sheets)
Blender
Silpat
Cookie sheet
Sponge
Rolling pin
Paper Peonies template
Acrylic paint (magenta and green)
Paintbrush
Acrylic varnish
Pearlizing medium
Plastic bag
Thin paper
Scissors
Glue gun
Cable wire
Floral tape
Paper Peonies How-To
1. Rip 20 sheets of 20-pound recycled paper into strips.
2. Boil ripped paper in 5 quarts water; let cool.
3. In a blender, pulse to reduce to a paper pulp.
4. Place 3 cups pulp onto Silpat-lined cookie sheet; spread out.
5. Use sponge to soak up excess water. Let dry for a couple of hours.
6. Flatten with rolling pin. Let dry for one day.
7. Download and print template.
8. Cut 50 petals for each peony: 10 small, 20 medium, and 20 large.
9. Make mixture of 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon magenta acrylic paint, 1/3 cup acrylic varnish, and 1 teaspoon pearlizing medium.
10. Dip petals into paint mixture. Dry overnight on cookie sheets lined with a plastic bag.
11. Curl and wrinkle petal edges.
12. Make a pistil by cutting a 3/4-inch-by-8 1/2-inch strip of thin paper. Fold lengthwise. On the fold, make 1/4 inch cuts, approximately every 1/4 inch. Roll to resemble a paper decoration for a "lamb chop" end. Secure with glue gun.
13. Make a 1/2-inch diameter wad of pulp with a point (shaped like an acorn); let dry.
14. Take dried wad and glue (using glue gun) to uncut end of "lamb chop," pointy side down. Flare ends.
15. Assemble a flower. Using a glue gun, glue five small petals overlapping, surrounding the wad. Glue another layer of small petals. Repeat process for medium, then large petals, working in layers, until you have a full peony.
16. For stems, use the glue gun to glue the end of a length of thick electric cable wire to the base of the flower and wrap, then wrap in floral tape. Paint stems green with acrylic paint.
Resources
Recycled copy paper is available at office supply stores. We used magenta acrylic paint from Delta, Iridescent Tinting Medium from Liquitex, Acrylic Glazing Gloss Liquid Medium from Golden Makes, yellow card stock or yellow/pink origami paper for the stamens, and a hot glue gun by Dremel. You can find cable wire for the stem at hardware stores.
Special Thanks
Lisa Yuen, www.paperbloomsters.com
Finally found videos parts 2 and part 3 ... by searching the site! Of course, then neither of these extra videos would play. Talk about making it hard for users.
It's all a bit useless. I've wasted enough time on this incompetently constructed site & I won't be back.
Frustrating website - tried over several days to play video including using different browsers & settings, etc. Finally decided to join to make a comment & lo & behold the video finally plays - there is NO notice that you need to be signed in to watch videos. Then discover there is supposedly a part 2 - but where is it??? VERY BAD experience.
Is this meant to be made for Valentines Day 2013??? This would take more than 24 hrs. to make!!!
Peonies are light and rufflely and delicate. I think this medium makes them look more like pinkI artichokes.
Loved the top Lisa is wearing Anyone know where to find it
Is there a substitute could use for the Silpat? I can't afford to buy it right now. Thanks!
I'd be interested in buying these. Too bad the website takes you to someone's graphic design portfolio site.
these look pretty.
these look pretty.
Video is not working when the vidoe pops up for a second then it goest back loading again needs fixing
Michael's and hobby lobby
The website is not correct, if anyone knows where you can actually buy these instead of making them, let me know.
They are very pretty but way too labor intensive.
I think these are gorgeous, but as soon as I glanced at the list of the ingredients I thought "yeah, right"
try holding down the shift key as you click on the template link.
I've clicked on the "template" link and when it opens there is nothing. I do have a program to open .pdf files. Any suggestions?
the templates link is on the article once you close the video
close the window, and you will get the link to the templates
When the video starts to load close it (right upper corner) and the link becomes available to the templates
To find the templates, just close the page (right upper corner) and then the link to the templates is available via the article (it took me a while to figure it out)
Where are the templates and recipe?? templates for all your projects should be more easily accessible.
There is at least 3 parts of the video.
As of 9/6/08, the video is fixed. It is in 2 parts. Silpat is a french brand silicone non-stick rolling mat.
The video is still not playing correctly. What is a slipat?
I cant seem to access the video as its nt playing properly..........it plays and stops plays and stops .....and i want to make the roses fr my daughters wedding
thanks and regards
rbayer
Would you be kind enough to fix this so we can see the actual demonstration instead of the commercial playing over and over?
The video is still mot opening. If it does not work , it should be fixed or removed.
The commercials keep repeatly playing, which is dissapointing. My 12 year old daughter wanted to make these for her grandmother on Mother's Day. :( I looked at the other comments,
I also had no response when I tried to watch the video.
i do agree i tried opening it to and it did not respond
Commercials keep playing over and over - the video never plays.