DIY Idea: Tissue Paper Flowers

Call me a geek but I love anything to do with paper projects. I remember being a kid and creating paper chains and paper ornaments for holidays, making my own envelopes and beads out of magazine pages, creating collages from interesting images I found, the list goes on and on. One of my very favorite projects growing up was tissue paper flowers. Every Mother's Day my sister and I would go to work creating a paper bouquet for our Mom... we used tissue paper of all colors and created the craziest bouquets, and every year Mom would fawn over the silly things and display them prominently, whether she liked them or not. (Aren't Moms the best?)

Anyway, all ranting aside, tissue paper flowers can be a great DIY project for your wedding or event. They are inexpensive, fairly simple to make, and last forever so they can even be brought home as favors.

The premise behind the flowers is simple, use tissue paper and floral wire to create a pop of color. When we were kids we followed the steps below. But there are lots and lots of resources on the web for different options and uses, and a great tutorial here on eHow. You can also find premade kits at places like Michaels and Paper Source. I have borrowed some images from Martha Stewart for the use of this post but there is also great eye candy on the Project Wedding Blog.

Materials:
Floral Wire and Floral Tape
Various Colors of Tissue Paper
Scissors
A little imagination.

1. Lay multiple sheets of tissue paper on top of each other, using multiple colors in the same shade. I would use squares between 8"x8" and 12"x12" depending on the size of the flower.
2. Accordion fold the paper (fold it back and forth) until it's one long, skinny rectangle.
3. Wrap your floral wire around the center of the paper and twist it off, be sure to have plenty of room for the stem.
4. Cut the edges of the paper into shapes depending on the look you want, maybe a scalloped edge or a deep triangle for a more ragged finish.
5. Carefully separate the layers of paper from each other, fluffing and arranging the pieces as you go, be sure to separate the left and right sides toward the center.
6. Finish the flower off with scissors, trimming where appropriate. 

 All images are the property of Martha Stewart Weddings, Inc.