Welcome back to my craft space! I hope you enjoyed last week’s tour of my Cricut & Sizzix crafting space showing where I store Cricut tools and materials and dies and embossing folders. If you… More
Fifteen Paper Flower Techniques on a Christmas Wreath
It’s time for another Creative Design Team video series! This month, our team is sharing a variety of Christmas in July creations with you. If you have not had a chance to meet our team, you can view each of their channels by clicking on the Creative Design Team link in the menu above.
Today, I am sharing Fifteen Paper Flower making tips with you as I show you how to create this Christmas Clothespin Wreath. In the video, you will learn how to use up some of your paper scraps to create a holiday wreath and learn a few ways to dress up those paper flowers.
This wreath is very easy to make using wooden clothespins and a wire wreath frame. I used a mixture of patterns from the White Pines collection and Holiday Stack on my clothespins along with images from our Flower Market Cricut collection to create the wreath. This is a great project to use up those paper scraps you have from last Christmas.
I like to use the 6×6 Paper Stacks for projects like this because the patterns are scaled down from the original design. The smaller pattern works well with the size of the clothespins making it easier to see the holiday images.
Each paper strip was cut to the size of the clothespin, then adhered to the top using a Matte Gel medium. In the video, I share a few adhesive options, but this Matte Gel is my favorite option for adhering paper to raw wood. I have added links to all the adhesives I show in the supply list at the end of this post.
If you want to make a wreath of your own or plan on using this design for a workshop, you might be wondering how many clothespins to purchase. Here is how you can determine what you will need for your wreath.
Diameter of Wreath X 3.14 = Total Number of 1″ Clothespins (12″ x 3.14 = 37.5)
Total 1″ Clothespins X 2 = Total Number of 1/2″ Clothespins (37.5 X 2 = 75)
For Two Layers of Clothespins Multiply by Two (75 X 2 = 150)
I found a batch of 50 clothespins for $0.97 each, and the wreath form was purchased at a dollar store, so this hardly cost me anything at all to make. It’s costs hardly anything if you choose to use paper scraps.
The next step is my favorite step – Decorating the Wreath with Paper Flowers! In the video, you will learn FIFTEEN of my favorite paper flower-making tricks. After you have watched the video, I will share my top three tips with you in detail.
Did you enjoy the tutorial? How about the Flower-Making Tips? Those are always my favorite to share. When I began teaching online five years ago, I posted individual paper flower tutorials, and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed those. Every time I teach how to create paper flowers, these are the top five tips I always share.
Use Ink to Add Depth & Dimension
When you cut out a three-dimensional flower using your Cricut or die-cut machine, it is usually one-dimensional and one color. To add shadows and depth, I use ink, shimmer sprays, or paint.
I add layers of color to the edges and centers of both sides of the die-cut flowers and leaves. To create a natural vein, I fold the petals or leaves down the center and apply color to the fold adding just another level of dimension to my flower.
Alternate Thick & Thin Foam Tape
When I create flowers for home décor pieces or a big bulky card, I alternate thin and thick foam tape between the layers. Sometimes, I double the layers of foam tape for a fluffy flower in full bloom.
Some of the layers do not have any foam tape at all. If I want to create depth and shadow, I will adhere a few layers flat against the bottom layer. On my berries, I added foam tape to a few of the buds and left the others flat against the background layer. This adds to the realistic look of the flower image.
Think Outside the Box
This might be hard for some of you, but when it comes to creating something unique, you need to think outside the box! Explore ideas that are creative and unusual and are not limited by rules. To be honest, I hate rules. If you tell me I have to do something, I will probably try to do the opposite (this coming from the lady with degrees in accounting and paralegal).
What I am trying to say is: When you are creating something new, try something unexpected. On my flowers, I used liquid pearls for berry tips, beads for pistils, vellum for petals, oxide ink for snow, and a button for the center of a flower. It’s all one big trip to Wonderland, but it looks astounding because it is unique.
I hope that today’s project inspired you and that you give one of these fifteen flower-making techniques a try. Don’t forget to check out all the other Creative Design Team Christmas in July creations. You are going to be inspired to create something new!
Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. By clicking on those links and making a purchase, you are helping to support my small business. This is at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
here is a list of some supplies I used today (View All My Supplies Here)
Tuesday Tip: Create a Swatch Book
Do you keep track of all the markers, paints, pencils, and inks you own OR do you trust you can find them in your craft space and hope that you don’t buy doubles when your favorite craft store has a sale? If you are looking for a way to keep track and stay a little more organized, then today’s Tuesday Tip is for you.
In my latest Craft Space Tour, I briefly mentioned my Swatch Binder. Today, I am going to show you how I use this book and share ways that you can make a few swatches of your own.
For those who are new to color swatching, let me explain what these are and how I use them. Swatches allow you to see the dried result of a specific medium – paint, ink, gel, spray, etc. When you create a swatch, you can see the variety of tints, gradients, and patterns in that medium.
I keep all of my swatches in my planner because it travels with me everywhere. When I shop, I can check my swatches to see if I already own a specific color. When I am crafting, I use my swatches to match my papers or cardstock to the medium I plan on using.
In the video, I show how I create swatches for Spectrum Noir Triblends and Watercolor Paints. The alcohol marker swatches are self-explanitory. I simply shade in the area with the color label.
Watercolors are swatched a little differently. When I use watercolors, I can change the shade of the pigment by adding more water. I created my swatches to show the variation of pigment to water ratios.
I have labeled both my watercolor swatches and my watercolor palette using a label maker. This may seem a bit tedious, but it is much easier for people to read the labels when I am teaching in-person and online.
Once I have completed a swatch sheet, I use a Disc Punch to add it to my planner. If you don’t want to use a disc planner, you can create a three-ring binder full of swatches or add it to an artist’s notebook.
No matter how you organize your swatches, they will be a great reference for you. If you would like to learn how to create a swatch book of your own, go ahead and watch today’s Tuesday Tip!
My swatch book stays in my craft space and goes with me when I shop and go to weekend retreats. I keep it near when I am crafting so that I can see which colors will go best with a pattern paper I am using. These swatches also come in handy when my favorite craft shop is having a sale. No more buying doubles of my favorite ink or marker. 😉
I hope that today’s Tuesday Tip inspired you to create a swatch book of your own. If you have already made one, I would like to know how you store your swatches. Feel free to comment below and tell me about your swatch book or post any questions you have.
Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. By clicking on those links and making a purchase, you are helping to support my small business. This is at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
here is a list of some supplies I used today (View All My Supplies Here)
How to Use Attach in Cricut Design Space
Teaching people how to use their Cricut machines is one of my passions, and I know how little time many of you have to learn how to use those wonderful machines you invested in. That is why I have decided to start teaching Five Minute Cricut Classes.
I know that your time is valuable and I also know how much you want to dust off those Cricut machines and start using them, so I have decided to create some short little classes you can watch over your lunch break.
Today, we are going to talk about the Attach Function. Attach is located in the Layers Panel in the lower right corner of your Desktop screen. In the Android and iOS App, it can be found in Actions.
When you are creating a project, there are two major functions of Attach you will need to be aware of. Attach is used to hold objects in place and to attach, or fasten, linetypes to an object.
After you watch the five minute video, let’s take a look at these in more detail.
Using Attach to Hold Objects in Place
This feature is most commonly used to create stencils and when designing with iron-on and adhesive vinyl. When you create a project, the images you want to cut out are placed onto your mat randomly to save material. There are times, like when you create a stencil, that you want the objects to stay where you placed them onto your canvas. This is where Attach comes into play.
To create my snowflake stencil, I have added some images to my canvas and placed them where I want them to stay. When I chose “Make It”, the snowflakes are placed randomly on each mat to save material.
To keep my objects in the position where I have placed them, I need to select all the images and choose Attach. The images in the Layers Panel are shown as an attached group and all the images are one color.
When I chose “Make It”, all the images are placed on the mat and spaced exactly how I placed them on my Canvas.
Using Attach to Fasten Linetype
Each machine has different Linetype capabilities which tell your machine how to interact with materials. When an image is added to your canvas, the linetype is usually a “Cut” which means that it will cut out the image. We will talk more about linetype in another Five Minute Class.
In my last Cricut Classroom class, I shared how to draw on an image. To change a cut design into an image that is drawn, you need to first change the linetype. After choosing your pen type and color, you can move the object onto the image it will be drawn onto.
If I leave this as is and choose “Make It”, the drawn image and the cut image are placed onto separate mats. I have not told Design Space where I want the heart to be drawn.
For the heart to be drawn onto the circle I need to attach the two images. Like before, I select both images, chose attach, and now the heart is gong to be drawn onto the circle.
In my Cricut Classroom, we recently used attach to create a foiled background, journaling, and HTV iron-on images. These are just a few ways that you can also use the Attach feature.
If you enjoyed learning how to use your Cricut today, I encourage you to join my Cricut Classroom. Each week, I teach an hour-long class live, on facebook, and upload the video to a private classroom website along with notes and project instructions.
I would love for you to join us!!
Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. By clicking on those links and making a purchase, you are helping to support my small business. This is at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
