It's tulip season! This crepe paper flower is pretty simple to make, plus it has a secret container for a little present.
Materials:
Crepe paper { green and color for petals}, cardstock weight paper { green and another color}, text weight paper, cloth wrapped wire stem, green floral tape, thin floral wire
Tools: Spool of thread, scissors, hot glue
Trace and cut out circle of cardstock { or even better matt board } the same size as the bottom of your spool of thread. Cut out circle of text weight paper that is just a bit smaller.
Cut piece of crepe paper to 5" x 6" with the grain running vertically. Place cardstock circle on the bottom of the spool and wrap crepe paper tightly around it - allow for a 1/2 " overhang at bottom and then snip overhang very 1/4" all the way around. Fold these pieces toward center and glue to cardstock circle, creating the base of the pouch. Glue smaller textweight paper circle to the bottom. { If I were to make this over again, I would choose to use papers that are close to the color of the flower.} With the spool of thread still inside, twist the top as tightly as possible right at the top of the spool. Untwist and remove spool.
For the flower, cut a piece of crepe paper 14" wide and 7" in length. Along top edge, cut soft undulating waves for the petals. Wrap crepe paper completely around spool of thread with a 1 1/2" overhang at the bottom. Lightly tack the seam with glue. Put green wire stem inside and cinch the bottom crepe paper around the stem with fine floral wire as tightly as possible. Keep the spool inside the flower!
Cut piece of green cardstock into a long leaf shape, about 1" by 4". { I wrote I love you with green pen} Cut piece of green crepe paper 2" by 3" with an undulating curve at top. Gently stretch the top part of the crepe paper and then wrap around base of flower and stem. Secure with floral tape and wrap remainder of wire stem. Glue a long, thin strip of green crepe at base and tightly wrap stem, securing with glue every 1/2" or so. Stop 2/3 of the way down and glue paper leaf to stem, wrap crepe over that connection a couple of times and finish wrapping remainder of stem.
Remove spool of thread and widen the bloom a tiny bit with your fingers. Place your gift in the secret pouch with tissue paper if needed. Twist top tightly and fold down. Place pouch inside flower, making sure to tuck the top down. To make is more secure, use a small repositionable glue dot on the bottom of pouch.
