Paper Roses

We've had a love affair with handmade paper flowers for the last several years. They started appearing in catalogs, such as Garnet Hill and Anthropologie, in magazines like Somerset Life, and in the booths of talented flea market-istas, such as JoAn Babb and CJ Zondervan. So pretty! Kits are available from retailers, like as the PaperSource, or you can make yourself a batch from scratch. CJ taught me to make the ones pictured above. Make a square template of desired size, then trace and cut tissue paper. Stack 6 sheets per flower and accordion-fold. Wrap the center with thin wire and unfold toward the middle. Voila! Finis. We attached ours to twigs, but you can use pipe cleaners or whatever else inspires you.

To make these guys, we used a vintage metal flower to create a template. Next we traced the pattern on to ledger paper. Cut out and place a dot of glue in the center -- three sheets of paper to one flower. Large glass bubbles were used to create the centers. Pick a graphic you like, trace bubble and glue to back using ModPodge. Attach to flower center using Tacky Glue and allow to dry. We used vintage wires for the stems this time, but again you can use your imagination. Fill a vase today!

The paper flowers were just one of our offerings last weekend at the Kane County Flea Market. Thanks to everyone who came out and made it such a great show. Check out our show photos on Facebook (just search Rhubarb Reign Inc and LIKE us while you're there!) and then check back later in the week for a sneak peek of what's coming to Grayslake! See you then. xo