USE YOUR PAPER 1; A Fall BOOquet

I HAVE WAY TOO MUCH PATTERNED PAPER!

Can you relate?  And even though I know I have too much paper, I still buy more. 

I'm going to start a new series called "USE YOUR PAPER".  I hope you follow along with me on this series, use your papers and (drumroll here) do not keep your scraps.  HUH?!  Yup, that's my challenge and goal.  Now don't get me wrong, if there's at least half a sheet leftover, I'm going to keep it - after all, I'm not a freak!  But seriously, challenge yourself, unless you've got a specific project in mind that you're working on immediately after, toss that (s)crap!


I'm starting this series off with a BANG.  I made this amazing flower bouquet using Halloween papers.  I purchased this paper pad on clearance after Halloween about three years ago.  I have used some of the papers, but an entire pad...no.  So, I gathered several sheets of paper and my Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge and started cutting flowers.  The largest flowers are cut at 6 1/2" down to the smallest at 3 1/2".  The "mums" were cut in four sizes for each flower.  I started the largest at 3 1/2, 3, 2 1/2, and 2.  I cut out leaves at 2 1/2" and the acorns were at 1 1/2" (3 per 3D acorn).  (If you are interested in the exact cuts, leave a comment and I'll get back to you on that.)

Originally I was going to put skewers on the ends of each flower to create stems, but ended up hot gluing the flowers to a 6" Styrofoam ball.  I know there's a process to flower arranging, but I just glued the largest flowers first and then the smaller ones to fill in.  I put the acorns and leaves in to cover the areas where the Styrofoam was still showing. 

I really wish I would have taken photos of the process, but of course I didn't.


Even though I used Halloween paper, you really can't tell.  This BOOquet can be displayed all through Fall.  My mother-in-law is in a nursing home so this pretty thing is going to her.
Close Ups:

Join me as I post more USE YOUR PAPER projects.  This project used 10 double-sides pieces of patterned paper.  What a great way to use papers you're not in love with or some that you've just had for way too long.  This is definitely not a traditional way to use Halloween papers but look how gorgeous the flowers turned out!




Note:  I cut the flowers and then watched a movie with the family while rolling them.  Although there were a lot of blooms, it didn't seem like an overwhelming project.  Believe it or not, the hardest part was tying that bow on the vase.  I am horrible at tying bows!