I’ve never been a roses and chocolates kind of girl – I find the act of giving a severed bunch of flowers sex organs slightly disturbing. But that’s not to say this girl don’t like flowers!

These DIY creations made from recycled paper (in this case, music sheets I found at my local op shop for a fiver) are MUCH prettier, and last for EVAH.

And they’re fun to make! I made mine Valentinesy with a some diluted food colouring, but they look just as pretty left as is.

What you’ll need

Some old paper, cardboard or old books work well.

A pair of scissors

A pencil

A skewer

Some craft glue or PVA

Sticky tape

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. You can use any paper you like, but make sure it’s not too thick. I chose an old music score I found in an op shop.  You’ll need a large square. The bigger you want your rose, the bigger the square. Using a pencil, draw a spiral. It doesn’t’ have to be perfect, in fact, some irregularities will make it look more authentic!

 

 

2. Once you have your spiral shape, start from the outside and cut all the way to the center. Start from the outside, and wrap the paper around your skewer. After you’ve wrapped it a few times, you can use your fingers to continue curling if that makes it easier. Go all the way until you reach the center.

 

3. Let the paper unfurl. See that bit in the middle? You’re going to wrap it around itself to make a cone shape. Secure with a small amount of sticky tape. This is the flower’s base.

4. Using craft glue or PVA, fill the cone with a good dollop. Then, place your rose in the center, holding for a few seconds.

 

You can leave as is, or for something a bit extra, fill a small dish with some food colouring and water, and drop the rose in upside down.  You could also use shellac, gold leaf or varnish, or even burn the edges for different effects. If you want to display in a vase, pierce the bottom of the rose with a skewer – this is your stem, or, use smaller toothpicks and use a Styrofoam ball to create a pomander ball.

You’re all done!  Give to someone special, keep them for yourself or use them in a pretty hair piece.