Currently Reading:
Our currently reading for this week is Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. This gorgeously illustrated book tells the story of Alice Rumphius who set out to make the world more beautiful. Known as the Lupine Lady, Miss Rumphius scattered lupine seeds everywhere she went, and the many that still bloom along the coast of Maine are a testament to her success.
Craft: Paper Flowers
Make your world a bit brighter like Miss Rumphius with these paper flowers! This week’s craft is a bit more complicated than normal, but it is worth the patience needed! For it, you will need at least four different colors of paper, a hot glue gun, a ruler, a pencil, and scissors. In addition to the pink and purple papers that I have pictured, I also added silver and white for depth.
I would recommend adult supervision for this craft and for adults to handle the hot glue gun while their little helpers help with the placement of the petals. As a disclaimer, this craft also takes a bit of time but would be perfect to fill the gap between lunch and dinner.
Step One:
Measure out 2×2 squares on one piece of paper then measure out 4×4 squares on others. The 2×2 squares are just for the inner part of the flower and not that many are needed. For the 2×2 pieces, I used a bit of paper I had leftover from another project and not a full page.
When making the squares, I measured out two inches on each side and made marks, then connected my marks to ensure that the shapes were as close to perfect as possible. This will help when it comes to shaping the actual petal.
Little helpers can help cutting out the petals.
Step Two:
Cut out the squares and then cut the squares in half to form triangles. Make a mix of large and small triangles by cutting the large triangles in half. The small 2×2 squares will also be cut in half, but I waited until the end so it was easier to keep my materials organized.
When I cut out my shapes, I organize my materials by size so that I can easily grab them when it comes to gluing them down. Unfortunately, I forgot to count the number of petals I used, but it is easy to make a few extra petals if you are short. Normally, I go until I run out of paper, and then if I have extra petals at the end, I put them in a box for future projects. One of my favorite aspects about this craft is that you can use up any scraps of paper you have leftover from previous crafts.
Step Three:
Making the petals is a bit tricky and one of the hardest parts. You are going to take the shortest point and roll it towards one of the larger ends. When you are close to finishing the roll, put a dot of hot glue on the paper, and then finish the roll. It is really easy to put too much glue on the end, so I would caution putting less and then adding more if the petal does not hold its shape. It took me a couple of tries to figure out how to shape them, just have patience and keep trying!
Step Four:
You will need a base to glue the petals on. I used a six-inch plate to make it as round as possible. The size and color of the paper are not very important as they will be covered with petals by the end. This also provides a nice base to put painter’s tape on and hang from the wall/fridge. One of my favorite parts about this craft is that it brightens up any space so easily and can be made as large/small as necessary. If you want a larger flower, just make a larger base. I have several of these hanging in my office and around my apartment to remind myself that while it might be snowing outside, it is technically spring.
Trace the circle and then cut it out.
Step Five:
Now comes the gluing! You will want to place your larger petals on the outer edges and then the smaller ones closer to the center. This will give the flower a really cool 3D effect. As previously mentioned, have your helpers decide where to put the petals, but leave the actual hot gluing for an adult.
Step Six:
To start, place the petals about an inch apart. You can stagger your colors, or use all the same ones, it just depends on how you want the flower to look at the end. It is also alright if petals that are a bit smaller are next to larger ones.
Step Seven:
Fill in the gaps you left between the original petals.
Step Eight:
Start to stack the petals on top of each other. I look to see which petal fits nicely next to one that is already glued, then I put a strip of glue on the petal, and press it in next to the one already glued down.
I like to turn the flower as I glue to keep the petals as evenly distributed as possible.
Step Nine:
With each stacking, move closer and closer into the center of the flower, you will start to notice that your flower is taking shape!
Step Ten:
Remember those tiny little squares? This is where they come into play. You are going to cut them in half and roll them just like the larger ones, and then you are going to put a dot of glue on their end and slide them into the center of the flower. You can use any leftover petals to fill in any awkward spaces left between petals.
