Hello and welcome to our first instructables, in this tutorial we will learn how to make a paper flower wreath, we hope you have as much fun making this project as we did.

Materials:

cardboard

Scissors

A craft knife

crepe paper

coloured paper

paper glue

pencil

optional:

coloured pens/pencil

white paper

hot glue gun (but only to put wreath together not the flowers you'll melt your fingers)

glitter

sequin

Step 1: Making Cardboard Ring Base

We use our cardboard to make a ring for the base of the wreath. Use 2 round objects of varying sizes to draw around to make the ring, we used a plate and a bowl, we penciled a line around the plate, then we used a ruler to measure the approximate centre of the plate line, then centred up the bowl to draw around it.

We then used the sharp craft knife to cut a "hoop" out of the cardboard. We then drew around the "hoop" using it as a template to make another hoop so we can glue them both together to make a strong base for our wreath.

Step 2: Coating Cardboard Ring Base in Crepe Paper

Now we will use scissors, glue, our cardboard ring and crepe paper (you can use whatever colour you like we suggest you be creative, we used green in our example). Cut some crepe paper into strips, you could tear it if you want we used scissors but sometimes the shabby edges add to the effect.

(top tip: only cut a few strips at a time so as not to waste materials).

Coat sections of the ring in glue (we coated about a quarter at a time, it allows you to get work done without glue drying before hand). Wrap the cut strips of crepe paper around the ring, keep adding glue as you go, add a few layers of crepe paper to the ring. If you find any gaps just fill them in with little strips of crepe paper gluing them down until the ring looks even in colour.

Set aside to dry.

Step 3: Making the Flowers

This is where we have the most fun making lots of paper flowers, enough to full the ring!

We will need the coloured paper, scissors glue, pencil and the ruler. Using the ruler mark 4x (4cm x 4cm) squares and cut them out.

(this is where you can experiment, try different size pieces of paper just make 4 of each approximately the same size, again be creative mix colours try paints, pens and other things of colour or add some bling with glitter.

Step 4: Folding the Squares

This can be a bit tricky to do at first and is a little awkward to explain but once you have it cracked, it becomes easy (the main problem is keeping the folded paper the right way up for cutting).

Start by folding the square of paper in half as in [pic1].

Next fold in half again as in [pic2] so it looks like [pic3].

making sure the you have a hold of the folded edge of the squares corner with the fanned edge [pic 4] [pic 5] facing outwards from your thumb/finger (this is to ensure the correct edge is cut).

Now Fold the square left corner to right corner to form a triangle [pic6].

again making sure the the fanned edge is to the top and keeping hold of the folded edges draw a semi(ish) circle on the triangle of paper [pic7].

Carefully cut out [pic8] and put to one side but do not unfold this is the "master template" for this flower.

repeat the folding as above with the other 3 squares of this flower [pic10]. line up the "master template" square paying attention in keeping the fanned edge to the top and the folded edge to the bottom and draw around the "master template" on each triangle, cut to make 4 clone-ish "paper pizza slices" [pic11].

(this is another time where we suggest you test new things, try cutting out different shapes and patterns to create crazy and individual flowers)

Unfold all four and sort in order of size, more than likely there will be a slight variation in sizes so put the biggest ones to the "back".

Step 5: Sectioning and Cutting of the Petals

Mark the petals with lines as in [pic1] (basically mark a line, then a single petal, a double petal and a triple petal), cut along the marked lines to create petal segments but keep all pieces and lay out as in [pic2].(again essentially cut a slit, a single petal, a double petal and a triple petal)

Take the biggest petals with only the slit cut in it and put glue glue the first petal [pic3]. Attach and hold to the opposite petal to close the gap making a complete layer, to make a "bowl like" shape[pic4], repeat the procedure on the other 3 largest petal groups[pic5].

using the triple petal piece[pic6] glue the outside petals in the same manner as before[pic7-8] then push closed[pic9-10]. when dry gently squeeze edges and tease open to make a cone shape[pic11].

Finally take the heart shaped piece[pic12] and roll and glue the end to make a "spiral tube".[pic13-14-15].

Step 6: Putting the Flower Together

Starting with the largest petal group put some glue in the centre, place in the next largest petal group and follow the same procedure until you construct the flower.

(To add effect gently and carefully roll back the petal edges to give your flower a more realistic look)

With a sheet of green paper (or a colour of your choice) cut 2 teardrop shape pieces of paper to form a pair of leaves to attach to the bottom of the flower, make each leaf approximately half the size of your flower. Glue the leaves to the bottom of the flower then leave the whole thing to dry, thats one complete flower.

Step 7: Building the Wreath

After you have spent many fun hours making flowers and you now have lots and lots of them its time to start arranging the flowers on your cardboard ring that you made earlier. Before you stick anything in place and make things permanent we suggest you lay them on the ring trying different layouts until you are happy with the look of your wreath (this is where your imagination comes into play again, make your wreath elegant or loud with colour, make it as brash and garish as possible, make it unique to your taste).

When you are happy with the position of your flowers you can begin to glue them in place (this is where you can use the hot glue gun if you wish to do so). Again use as many or as few flowers as you want vary the sizes and then add accessories such as the butterflies as we have on ours, add ribbons, bows sequence and glitter or anything else that compliments your design, most importantly have fun.

Step 8: Expanding on the Flowers

During making this wreath we experimented with different coloured pens paper and materials. We thought it would be a good idea to share some of the stuff we tried to hopefully inspire you into trying some ideas of your own.

We tried cutting out flowers with white paper and outlining the petals with one colour [pic2] and using and alternative colour to shade the centre [pic3], we think the end result was very striking [pic4].

[pic 5] Is a selection of the different colours of paper and pen we tried to see what gave the best results

[pic 6] In this wreath we tried varying the sizes of the flowers as well as the edge cutting patterns.