Our Weekly Tip: Faux Floral Revival

Paper peonies
(Credit: Craftberrybush.com)

Our Tip of the Week: It’s hard to believe, but these petals are made from paper. These DIY beauties would make a thoughtful, lasting gift for someone who has lost a loved one, or set a gorgeous, personal tone for an end-of-life celebration or memorial. The soft, undulating beauty of the petals is particularly well-captured using crepe paper.

Paper anemones
(Credit: Ruffledblog.com)

The blooms of ranunculi, peonies and anemones (three of my top petal choices, seen in the tutorials below) are especially striking and lifelike when made by hand. The handmade element adds a personal touch to the blooms, and they can be treasured for years after their service in a memorial.

Gone are the days when fake flowers looked cheap, cheeky or cheesy. I think it is safe to say that the DIY movement has bloomed beautiful paper flowers in abundance, at once raising the aesthetic bar and making the crafting of these elegant objects approachable and inspiring.

For deep inspiration, check out UK-based Susan Beech’s Instagram account A Petal Unfolds, and when you come up for air, try your hand using some of the tutorials below.

How-to Suggestion: White is a traditional color for memorial flowers, but with DIY blooms you can entirely customize the faux flower, even creating the favored blooms or colors of your departed loved one. Add subtle hints of color or go bold in reflection of the vibrant life you are celebrating. The flowers can be incorporated into wreaths, set into an altar or simply presented in a beautiful frosted milk glass vase.

Some great tutorials can be found here, here and here.