Mother's Day Flowers

The May project was designing these paper flowers for the tables at the local soup kitchen. Usually I make one large centerpiece for each table. This time I made 23 single flowers and put 3 on each table so that three people at a table could each take one home instead of just one person. After lunch there were no leftover flowers.

The blossom is made like the folded snowflake and creased for 3-D effect. I made the base like a box that is open on the bottom. The chenille stem pokes through the blossom center and is covered with a circle of the flower color. The leaves are cut on the fold and a small hole poked in fold center. Then the stem is pushed through the hole in the leaves, into base, and into second piece of cardboard inside the base so flower will be able to stand upright. I printed the words on sticker paper and cut them to fit the base which is made of marbled paper.

Several flowers without the bases could be used in a bouquet or put into a card.

Nailed for Me Cross Magnet

This Cross magnet was given out by me on Good Friday to 50 people eating at the local soup kitchen where I volunteer each week. I enjoy designing different things to take there each month.

I used the square nails(mason nails for masonry) that I was given by my cousin. She used them in a project for her church.

The design had to be printed several times before I had the right size to fit the nail and the words. I got 8 designs to fit on a page and then cut them apart. A small nail was used to start the holes. On the back of each nail I attached a round magnet using a piece of carpet tape. That tape is very sticky. This strong magnet holds the heavy nail. I got the set of 50 magnets at WalMart.

Paper Daffodils for Spring

For March I was inspired to make daffodils to brighten up the dining tables at the local soup kitchen. I love yellow daffodils and they look pretty in the green vases. I first made these paper flowers when I taught second grade and used them as an art project for the students.

It took a few tries to get the correct, center trumpet shape. I made flower heads for 3-4 days as 21 flowers were needed and then did the leaves and stems. The leaves and stems are folded lengthwise for stability. I put 3 flowers in each vase with about five leaves.

The vase is a lemon juice bottle. I have a supply because the empty bottles are too pretty to throw away. I removed the label of each bottle and cut the bottle into two pieces. The top half of the bottle has a circle shape of cardboard attached to bottom with glue. The edge of lower half of the bottle has been cut about 12 times to a depth of 1 inch or what ever will create a 3/4 inch diameter hole in center when the sections are bent inward to the center. The sections will overlap and stay in place. This way I get 2 vases out of one bottle. I think the Royal brand lemon juice bottle has the best shape.

After 2 weeks of use I gave each vase of daffodils to whomever wanted one.