No matter how many treats you pile atop a party table, without a good centerpiece, the display will still seem incomplete.
One idea, brought to us by "Martha Stewart Living" TV stylist Helen Quinn, was to showcase a few oversize crepe-paper blooms in a container -- a simple arrangement that looks great while the celebration is underway and enables each of your guests to go home with an enduring reminder of the event.
Tools and Materials
Crepe paper in various colors
3/16-inch wooden dowel
Small saw or clippers, for the dowel
Floral tape
Masking tape
Crepe Flowers How-To
1. To make the center of the flower, cut a 6-inch strip across the width of a sheet of crepe paper, and fold it half lengthwise. Along the entire folded side, make 1-inch cuts about 1/4 inch apart. Cut another piece of crepe paper in a different color to the same measurements. After folding this piece lengthwise, cut along the open edge, creating a doubled loose fringe.
2. Make the flower's petals by folding an entire sheet of crepe paper in half lengthwise and then crosswise. Fold it once more crosswise. Holding onto the folded edge, cut a zigzag pattern through all four layers on the opposite side, about 1 inch in from the open edge. Trim 1/2 inch along the entire folded edge, creating two long strips of crepe paper.
3. Cut the dowel into thirds using a small saw or clippers. Starting with the center color, twirl the crepe paper around the end of the dowel, tacking it in place with masking tape. Go slowly around the center, building up layers in a circular motion, twisting and gathering as you go. When you reach the end of the crepe paper, secure it with another piece of masking tape.
4. Wrap the base of the flower with green floral tape to create the stem.
Are there instructions for the other flowers she made on the show? If so where?
I agree....a video would be nice!
Please can someone post the video??? I love the idea though!!!! And if it was wrttien better i think it would be better to understand.
Yes, I do need a video on this. Sitting here trying over and over and over again and the petals keep coming off. Please put up a video! Help! :-)
I need a video! =)
Well What goes around comes around - I made tons of these in the 60's - they were quite the decorating item!
Ok I made some, It helps to make a small one first, i cut the instructions in half like a recipe and that really helped! the first two colors you do not have to gather and twist but the third you do. i also found that my butter fingers would drop it alot and everything i twisted would untwist and i would have to start over, so i kept a bunch of small strips of masking tape handy to tape in place as i worked! good luck :)
Ok sorry things got a little cranky yesterday... I went out and bought more crepe paper! I re-read the directions, tested out some scrap paper and I think the key words are "twisting and gathering" I think you do this to the third and final color. I'm gonna give it another go!
Ok sorry things got a little cranky yesterday... I went out and bought more crepe paper! I re-read the directions, tested out some scrap paper and I think the key words are "twisting and gathering" I think you do this to the third and final color. I'm gonna give it another go!
Ok, hello everyone, i went to hobby lobby today, made a special trip just to make these God forsaken flowers! I got all the way to the third color with ease and beauty! the third color, aka the petals, are a thorn in my side, i followed the instructions meticulously and now i have a pile of blue crepe paper under my feet! without a video i will continue to feel like a pinata maker sculpting the statue of liberty's torch!
I think that's it!! Yay - thanks LornaM - I will try at home tonight with the crepe paper. I was cutting the wrong side for the zigzag and the folded side. Truly thanks again, I am having a baby shower for my friend Saturday and wanted to use these as decorations.
I experimented with some scratch paper and think I got it. After folding paper up lengthwise, then fold sideways, twice. Cut zigzag pattern at the top, where you have the open edge. Then holding the zigzag side, trim off 1/2 " off the folded bottom side, making 2 strips of paper. Now I just need to buy supplies and see how it turns out! Good luck everyone.
What does crosswise mean?
Could someone explain crosswise to me? Even with geoferr's instructions I still cannot make this craft happen. Thank you!
Step 2 should probably read:
Unfold an entire sheet of crepe paper.
Fold it in half lengthwise to create a long narrow doubled sheet.
Fold that sheet in half crosswise and then in half crosswise again. [
Holding on to he long folded edge, cut 6 to 8 zizzags on the long open edge to form petals.
Open all folds. There will be a zigzag pattern on both long edges.
Cut up the center lengthwise to separate two long zigzag strips.
Step 2 should probably read:
Unfold an entire sheet of crepe paper.
Fold it in half lengthwise to create a long narrow doubled sheet.
Fold that sheet in half crosswise and then in half crosswise again. [
Holding on to he long folded edge, cut 6 to 8 zizzags on the long open edge to form petals.
Open all folds. There will be a zigzag pattern on both long edges.
Cut up the center lengthwise to separate two long zigzag strips.
I agree that written instructions on this and every other craft project are poorly written. Writing clear instructions is difficult; it's an art in itself. You need a better writer.
written instructions are NOT good. can't figure out what they're talking about.
Please provide a link to the video that aired in 2002 or at least some still shots!!!:)
These flowers are beautiful, but the written instructions are useless to me without a picture reference!
A video -PLEASE! If not, maybe pictures of each step?
I luv this flowers!! I've never seen ones like these, with the colored centers and the fringed pedals on the outside. Let's see...first aired in August 2002, now it's March 2010 and still no video! Come on folks.
Flowers are gorgeous. A video would be so helpful--pleaseeeeeeee!
GREAT source for crepe paper - is www.blumchen.com. They also have double sided crepe paper which is just gorgeous.
Unfortunately the link to the video posted below does not work. Does anyone have another link/video.
Unfortunately the link to the video posted below does not work. Does anyone have another link/video.
Here's a link to a video of how to make TISSUE PAPER flowers: http://how-to-make-paper-flowers.com/how-to-make-tissue-paper-flower.html. They don't look like the ones Martha shows, but at least it gives you some ideas.
This was a segment on Martha's show in August 2002 and there is no video in the archives. Hopefully someone will make them and be able to provide illustrations and/or more detailed information. I agree, these are a great idea and a video would be most helpful.
What???? I agree, video please
agree w/others. i can't picture this in my mind, but i love the flowers. step by step video please.
agree w/others. i can't picture this in my mind, but i love the flowers. step by step video please.
Can you put the video up please.
Can you put the video up please.
We really need the video Martha!
I would love to make these as well. Is there a video available that I can view first.
A video of this would really be helpful. They are so cute, but I'm a little confused on a couple of the steps and just know that when I try it, they'll come out looking more like feather dusters than flowers
These are soo beautiful, yet very inexpensive to make, which is great!
Has anyone made these? Are they difficult? I would like to make about 20 of these to display at a summer fiesta party/fundraiser for our theater arts center. I would like to view a video of this process.
My comment did not get sown.
Linda cablerlindacabelr@charter,net
forty years ago a friend and I made about sixty of these puppies for a "flower power" float in a community parade. We were in grade eleven. Just goes to show "what is old is new again" and there really is not anything new crafts wise under the sun. Thanks for the memories MSL!!
www.blumchen.com. they have double sided crepe paper as well.
my whole comment was not posted....
D. Blumchen
Great craft! D. Blumchen
A.C. Moore has a nice assortment of crepe paper......
Crepe paper is different from tissue paper....it has a texture to it and a bit of "give" or stretch to it.
You can find crepe paper sheets here.
www.craftsetc.com
yes they are talking about tissue paper--she mentions "tissue paper" in her other crepe paper crafts. have fun!
Couold they be talking about just tissue paper?
Does anyone know where to find the crepe paper sheets. I have been to Joanns, Michaels and Ac Moore and I can't find any.
This is quite difficult. Anyone have an idea how to keep the base of the flower from getting so big??? After wrapping crepe paper ( very tightly) around the dowel, the paper starts to get too big to wrap floral tape over! Anyone have any idea how to make this easier please let me know.
I agree, this one is particularly hard to follow, but the flowers are so great so I'm going to try anyway and see how it comes out. Crepe paper is pretty cheap, there's room for error.
Her directions are always hard to follow and the show goes to fast. I would like a list of where to purchase certain materials. I am making Martha's crepe flowers for my wedding and her multi-colored pack of crepe paper at Michael's is wasteful and expensive for me when I only need two colors.
I need help understanding how to fold for the flower's petals. I understand folding lengthwise but I am comfused how to fold crosswise. Can you please send me a diagram with the folding lines. Thanks.
Hi, this was on her T.V. show, I saw it when it aired. I tried searching for it on YouTube. No luck though. Sorry.
this looks great to try, but i would like to have a video of it. much easuer to follow a video that read directions...... please videos
These might make beautiful asian poppies. They have a great center, like these crepe paper flowers, plus they have so few big petals. And perhaps having fewer petals to put on would be easier. Although I haven't tried it yet.
I started making these beautiful crepe paper flowers today. I got the first 2 colors on the dowel fine but the main petals are hard for me to put on. Is there a video so I can see what I am doing wrong.
I want to make there flowers for my granddaughter's graduation party.
Can someone please help?????
Any chance there is a video???? I would be interested also.
I too would love a copy of the video to assist me in making these flowers. Is it available on your website?
I saw this on the show and would really like to do the craft. I can't find the video to watch. Is it available?