How to Make Paper Roses With Scrapbook Punches
Scrapbooking to preserve your precious photographs and memories has become very popular. New supplies, embellishments and tools are released almost daily, it seems, but trying to keep up with the latest and greatest in scrapbooking can grow expensive quickly. Many scrappers already own paper punches, and one embellishment you can make inexpensively at home with nothing more than paper, two basic punches -- a heart and a circle -- and some acid-free adhesive is paper roses. Beautify the roses even more by adding glitter, brads, buttons or ribbons.
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Things You'll Need
- Acid-free card stock in the chosen colors of your roses
- Acid-free card stock in shades of green
- Circle paper punch
- Heart paper punch
- Brown ink pad (optional)
- Acid-free pen
- Acid-free liquid adhesive
- Cotton swab (optional)
- Embellishments, such as glitter, buttons, brads or ribbons (optional)
Instructions
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1
Punch out 15 circles and 15 hearts of similar size from the card stock. For example, punch 15 1-inch circles and 15 1-inch hearts. For varied-size roses, use two different sizes of punches, such as a 1-inch circle and a 1 1/2-inch heart.
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2
Crinkle each piece of paper and then flatten it again, smoothing with your hands. This gives the rose petals an antique look. If you want a more distressed look, gently tap the edges of each piece of paper on a brown ink pad before you crinkle.
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3
Grip one side of a circle between your thumb and index finger. Pinch the paper together to create a narrow fold on one side of the circle. The petal will now resemble a teardrop shape that is slightly crinkled. Repeat for the remaining 14 petals.
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Hold one of the hearts with the point facing you, and roll -- do not fold -- each side gently toward the center, creating a furled, slightly crinkled petal. Repeat for the remaining 14 hearts.
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Cut two 2-inch circles from the same paper you used to cut the petals. Apply a generous dollop of liquid adhesive to the center of the first circle.
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Create the first row of petals by gluing six of the circle petals to the center circle. Glue the widest end of each petal -- the rounded side rather than the pointed side that you pinched -- to the circle. Overlap the petals slightly so all six fit around the circle. Add more adhesive as you go if necessary.
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Press lightly on the first round of petals to flatten them slightly.
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Glue another layer of six petals on top of the first six, staggering them so the pointed ends -- the part you squeezed -- protrudes between each of the petals from the first round. Do not flatten this layer.
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Glue the final three petals to the innermost part of the rose, placing each of the three close to the center of your original 2-inch circle. Again, stagger the three so they are spaced around the center of the rose in a pleasing, natural-looking arrangement. Your first rose is complete.
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Repeat these steps with the heart-shaped papers. On rows two and three, bend each petal, after gluing it down, toward the center of the rose. Bend row two in slightly and row three more tightly, creating a small "bud" in the center. Your second rose is complete.
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Embellish the roses if you want a fancier look. Add a button or decorative brad to the center of the circle rose. Apply a thin layer of glue with a cotton swab to the outermost petal edges of either rose, and dip the edges in glitter.
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Glue the two roses close together on a piece of acid-free paper. With green card stock, cut stems and leaves of varying shapes and sizes. If you wish, draw veins on the leaves with an acid-free pen. Adhere the stems and leaves to your paper just below and slightly underneath the roses so it appears that the stems are coming from behind them.
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Tie a small ribbon into a bow with 2-inch trailing ends, and glue the ribbon to the stems so it appears that the ribbon is holding the stems of the roses together.
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Tips & Warnings
You are not limited to a single color of roses; consider patterned paper or black, pink, yellow and even blue roses.
Blue roses are a beautiful adornment for a baby boy's page; pink or yellow roses beautify a baby girl's page.
Make several of each type of rose if you want a fuller bouquet.
Never use actual pressed flowers in your scrapbook pages, as the lignin in the petals will cause the paper and photographs to yellow.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Roses image by Andy Merrett from Fotolia.com
