Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

From the FloraCraft Make It: Fun Blog.

What a fun way to display popular accordion-folded flowers for a 4th of July picnic! By using a paper shredder, create “bursts” of paper exploding out of a paint can. Use coordinating papers to decorate a soup can to hold plastic cutlery and a loaf pan to hold napkins. This easy idea is perfect for a 4th of July Celebration.

Supplies

• Two – Desert Foam bricks, 2 5/8″ x 3 1/2″ x 7 7/8″
• 12″ x 12″ scrapbook papers
• Empty paint pail
• 2″ x 4″ x 8″ small metal bread pan
• 5″ tall metal soup can
• Two – 1/4″ diameter, 36″ length wood dowels
• Three 1 1/2″ white buttons
• Five 1″ burgundy buttons
• 24″ length of 24 gauge any-color wire
• 18″ length of 3/8″ wide navy ribbon
• Design It Foam Cutter
• Glue dots, thin-medium
• Glue dots, 3D popup-medium
• All purpose glue stick
• 12″ rotary paper trimmer
• Precision tip scissors
• 12″ metal ruler
• Paper shredder

Instructions

CENTERPIECE

1. Measure height of paint pail between top and bottom rims. Use rotary paper trimmer to cut a patterned scrapbook paper to that size. Wrap paper around pail, piecing with additional paper as needed. Glue overlap areas with glue stick.

Press Desert Foam bricks into paint pail. Use foam cutter to trim foam as needed to fit. Use glue gun to hold bricks in place, if needed.

For large flower, use rotary paper trimmer to cut patterned scrapbook paper into two 10″ squares and another design into two 6″ squares. For medium flower, cut patterned scrapbook paper into two 8″ squares and another design into two 4″ squares. For small flower, cut patterned scrapbook paper into two 6″ squares and another design into three 3″ squares.

Set aside three 3″ squares for now. Fan-fold (accordion-fold) all other squares with approximately 1/2″ folds. With other folded squares, connect ends of two of the same folded squares using glue stick to make one longer folded piece. Use 4″ lengths of wire and wrap one around centers of each folded unit, twist to tightly secure. Fan out ends of paper to make complete circle. Glue edges that meet and use clothespins to hold until dry.

For smallest flower, now use three 3″ squares. Fan-fold approximately 3/8″ folds and glue together ends as you did with large flowers. Instead of using wire, simply pinch and glue, securing with clothespins until dry.

Refer to photo and layer one flower onto another, using 3D popup glue spots to join. Use precision tip scissors to cut ribbon into three 6″ lengths. Thread through buttonholes and knot. Use glue spots to attach buttons to centers of flowers.

Trim dowels to 26″, 18″ and 10″ lengths for large, medium and small flowers, respectively. On back, use glue gun to attach ends of dowels between folds of flowers. Trim wire ends. Optional: If centerpiece will be viewed from back, make additional fan-folded flowers to cover wire centers. Insert dowels into floral foam in pail and arrange as shown in photo.

Press and hot glue floral foam into pail. Cut five patterned scrapbook paper sheets in half. One at a time, run each piece through paper shredder, stopping approx. 3″ from bottom and reversing shredder to remove paper. (This leaves shreds joined.) Tightly roll and hot glue joined end to create a “stem” on the shreds. Insert stem into floral foam in pail. Repeat with all, creating a nice “explosion” of paper all around flowers. In front, trim ends if desired so pail shows. NOTE: If shredder doesn’t have reverse capabilities, shred and gather lengths, align and rubber band at one end. Insert rubber banded ends into foam.

CUTLERY CAN

Measure height of can between top and bottom rims. Use rotary paper trimmer to cut patterned scrapbook paper to that size. Wrap paper around can and trim, leaving 1″ overlap to glue with glue stick.

Follow CENTERPIECE, Step 4 to make smallest flower, cutting and fan-folding three 3″ squares of patterned scrapbook paper. Use thin-medium glue dots to attach burgundy button in center. Secure flower toward top of can using 3D popup-medium glue dots. Fill can with cutlery.

NAPKIN PAN

Measure height of pan between top rim and bottom. Add 1″. Use rotary paper trimmer to cut patterned scrapbook paper to that size x 12″. Apply glue stick and wrap paper around pan, leaving excess paper at bottom. Repeat to completely cover pan, gluing overlapped ends. Clip corners and fold excess paper around to bottom of pan, smoothing and clipping as needed. From same paper, cut rectangle same size as bottom of pan. Glue, overlapping paper edges.

Follow CENTERPIECE, Step 4. to make smallest flower, cutting and fan-folding three 3″ squares of patterned scrapbook paper. Also make another flower using three 3″ squares patterned scrapbook paper. Secure red flower overlapping blue flower toward top left of pan using 3D popup-medium glue dots. Fill pan with napkins.

OPTIONAL ACCENTS

Make additional small red flowers to scatter on table around centerpiece.