How to Make a Paper Vase Bouquet
A paper flower bouquet can brighten up any room and makes an eye-catching table decoration for occasions such as parties, holidays and weddings. Younger crafters can enjoy making simple flowers and decorating their own vases, while adults can make elegant bouquets using scrapbooking supplies and art materials such as watercolor paints or inks. Either method gives you a paper flower bouquet and vase that is inexpensive and beautiful.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Tissue paper or crepe paper
- Scissors
- Wax crayons
- Green chenille stems (pipe cleaners)
- Empty glass jelly jar or wide-mouthed juice bottle
- Newspaper
- White glue or flour paste
- Brush
- Plain white paper
- Colored construction paper
- Poster paint
- Plain white paper towels
- Hot glue
- Watercolors or colored inks
- Saucer
- Buttons, beads and decorative brads
- Green floral wire
- Cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels
- Flat cardboard sheet
- Pencil
- Decorative scrapbooking paper
- Ribbons, lace or other trimmings
Instructions
-
Paper Bouquet and Papier-Mache Vase
-
1
Cut squares of tissue paper or crepe paper approximately 8 to 10 inches square. Color two opposite edges of each piece with a stripe in a contrasting shade using a crayon, gently stroking the wax crayon over the paper to build up a stripe of color without ripping the paper. Use good quality wax crayons as these are softer and have more pigment; hard, cheap wax crayons are more likely to tear the paper before sufficient color is applied. Dull rather than sharp crayons are also less apt to tear the paper. Fold each piece of paper lengthwise like an accordion, with the colored edges at each end. You should have a rectangular piece of folded paper with the crayoned color stripes on the short ends.
-
2
Twist the end of a green chenille stem tightly and securely around the middle of the folded paper. Gently open up the folds at the ends of the paper to make fluffy, carnation-like blossoms.
-
-
3
Wash and dry the empty juice bottle or jelly jar. Tear the newspaper into strips. Cover one side of the strip with white glue or flour-and-water paste using a brush and smooth it onto the outside of the bottle. Glue the strips of paper all over the outside of the bottle or jar, covering it completely. Apply three layers of newspaper, allowing each to dry for an hour or two before you start the next. Apply a final layer of torn strips of white paper and allow to dry overnight.
-
4
Decorate the outside of the papier-mache vase with poster paint and shapes cut from construction paper. Allow the paint and glue to dry completely. Leave the glass jar or bottle inside the papier-mache for stability. Place the tissue or crepe paper bouquet in the vase.
Paper Towel Flower Bouquet
-
5
Make one kind of flower by folding a paper towel. Fold the towel from corner to corner to make sure it is square, cutting away a strip from one edge if it isn't. Unfold the towel. Fold all four corners of the towel into the center, making a smaller square. Fold the corners of this new, smaller square into the center again. Flip it over and repeat, securing the folded corners in the middle of the square with a dab of hot glue. Turn the square over again and unfold the corners to make petal shapes.
-
6
Place a little ink or watercolor paint in a saucer and mix with water. Dab the diluted color all over your paper towel flower and allow to dry.
-
7
Push a length of floral wire through the center of the flower. Slip a bead or button through the wire, then push the end back through the center and twist it tightly together with the other end of the wire to hold the flower securely to the stem. Alternatively, create the stem without using a bead or button, concealing the wire in the center with a decorative brad.
-
8
Make a second type of paper towel flower from circular layers of colored paper towels. Dab plain white towels with diluted watercolors or inks. Apply drops of ink to wet paper towels. Allow these to dry thoroughly. Cut out circles or flower shapes in different sizes. Stack three or four of these together, using different colored pieces for contrast. Apply a dab of hot glue to the centers to hold them together. Create stems and centers as in Step Three.
-
9
Cut the cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels to the height you want your vase to be. Stand the tube end-down on the flat cardboard sheet. Draw around the base with the pencil. Cut out the circle of cardboard.
-
10
Cut a piece of decorative scrapbooking paper large enough to cover the outside of the cardboard tube. Glue it carefully to the outside of the tube using white glue or hot glue. Allow to dry completely. Hot glue the cardboard circle to the base.
-
11
Hot glue lace, ribbon or other trimming to the outside of your vase. Arrange the kitchen towel bouquet in the vase.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
You can make the paper towel roll vase more stable by placing small rocks or a lump of modeling clay inside.
Supervise children with chenille stems as wire can be sharp enough to scratch them. Don't let children use scissors or hot glue.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images
