Is there really anything prettier than flowers? All the colors, shapes, sizes, and textures. I love them all! The only thing I don’t love is how expensive they are and the fact that they never last as long as I want. That’s where crepe paper flowers come in! Sure, they aren’t real flowers, but when you use high quality crepe paper, they come pretty close. Not only do they look like the real thing, but they last for practically ever (I still have large ones I made for my daughter’s birthday four years ago still out on display on my mantel) and they happen to be very easy on the wallet.
We partnered with Paper Mart, who has so many great and affordable items to transform my love of crepe paper flowers into the perfect floral summer picnic basket. They even have many options for food packaging so I could put together tons of delicious snacks to go in the basket once it was complete.
Materials
–premium crepe paper in a few different colors (I used all the shades of pink, orange, and yellow I could get!)
–picnic basket
-hot glue gun
-scissors
–clear food safe packaging for your picnic
Each flower will vary in the number and shape of petals you need, but I will walk you through a few types. Then just use your imagination to create as many new flower shapes as you want.
Step One: Begin by cutting out all your flower pieces. For the first flower, you will need 3-4 curved petals (be sure to cut so that the crepe paper banding is vertical on your petal), a dark pink square for the center of the flower, a ball of crepe paper scraps about the size of a grape, and rectangle of black crepe paper about 6″ long.
Step Two: Wrap the dark pink crepe paper around the ball to create the center of the flower. Then fringe cut the black crepe paper to create the stamen and wrap and glue it around the pink center.
Step Three: Ruffle the petals by gently pulling on them on the top and middle only. Then use the glue to attach them at the base of the petal and around the center stem. Repeat with the next petal and then the one after that until your flower is complete.
Step Four: To make the protea flower, you will need three 12″ strips of 6″ high crepe paper cut into triangles about 2/3 of the way down, one large golf ball sized piece of scrap crepe paper, one large 6″ square piece of yellow crepe paper, and one 10″ long piece of green crepe paper fringe cut about 2/3 of the way down.
Step Five: Wrap the yellow crepe paper around the ball of crepe paper, then glue the green around the center, and then glue the pink around the center, creating several layers. Use a pen to curl the petals out and your flowers is complete.
Step Six: Repeat this process several times to make flowers of different shapes, sizes, and colors.
Step Seven: Once you have made all your flowers, use the hot glue gun to attach the flowers to your picnic basket.
Now that your picnic basket is complete, be sure to use one of the many adorable food packaging containers from Paper Mart to hold all your snacks.
I can’t tell you how much I love this basket! And I know it is going to get plenty of action this summer as I plan on taking it with me for every movie under the stars night, hillside concert, and outdoor adventure I can! xo. Kara
Credits// Author and Photography: Kara Whitten. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
17 Comments
Oh wow, that’s some beautiful handicraft right there. I can see this basket used for a picnic with the girls in autumn!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Oh my gosh! Those paper flowers are top notch. I got married in front of a paper flower wall, but mine was all white. I love all the colors in yours!
Such perfect timing! I just ordered a pkg of crepe paper to try my hand at flowers. So excited to make them! Your basket is beautiful.
Picnics are my number one thing to do this summer! This basket will make for delightful picture…and gorgeous instagram backdrops!
Love this colorful DIY!
Liv
http://livforstyle.net
This is INCREDIBLE, Kara!!! I want one. :))
xx
Thanks Elsie!
This is such a neat idea! Which I had time to do more crafty things like this!
Thanks for sharing this information. It’s really incredible.
The flowers look so beautiful, what a little piece of art! Almost too precious to take it outside!
https://www.makeandmess.com/
Oh my god, this looks amazing!
So sad I don’t have the patients to do this myself!
x Silje
http://www.pentupstyle.blogspot.com
Love them! They look like real ones 🙂
Okay so there’s many things to love about this blog (you guys rock btw) but three things I love about this post, one, you don’t use a strict pattern for the flowers (I’m all about of the cuff!) two it uses a glue gun (what can’t you do with a glue gun!) and three multicoloured macaroons ? You had me at the macaroons ?
Such perfect timing! I just ordered a pkg of crepe paper to try my hand at flowers. So excited to make them! Your basket is beautiful.
This is so gorgeous! ???? Which is the other bright pink flower? Is it a dahlia? And can u please share how you made that????????
Beautiful! These flowers look so real and colorful.
Thanks for the best blog. it was very useful for me.keep sharing such ideas in the future as well.