Easy Tissue Paper Flower Centerpieces - tutorial

Last week I helped host the teacher appreciation luncheon at my daughters middle school. Since we like to spend the majority of our budget on the food I try to come up with inexpensive centerpieces for the tables. This year I created these super easy tissue paper flower centerpieces for a mere $1.00 a piece.

Here are the list of supplies you will need: Sturdy tissue paper, holder of some kind (mine were pencil holders from IKEA), floral wire (thin jewelry wire also works), foam peanuts or newspaper for planting your flower, shredded paper to hide peanuts, drinking straws or wooden dowels, scissors and a ruler.

The tissue paper I bought was 16.5 x 24.  Tissue paper comes in a variety of sizes so no need to get hung up on having the exact same size because making these flowers is a very flexible process.

Stack five sheets of tissue paper and then cut them into 8 x 16.5 strips.  Next, start at the short side of the paper and make a 1 inch fold.  I find that the folds end up being about 1.5 inches wide if you start the first fold at one inch. Fold the paper accordion style. If you get to the end at the paper and you do not have enough to make another full fold just cut the extra off (but if it is a little smaller than the rest it really doesn't matter).

Next round off the ends of the paper with your scissors.  You can cut the paper pointed for a different look.  Now fold the paper in half to find the middle and loop a 14 inch piece of wire around the paper twisting the ends together with your fingers.

If you are usually multiple colors make sure the tail of the wire is on that bottom of the flower.  For example, I wanted the one yellow sheet to be at the top so I made sure the tail of the wire was pointing away from the yellow paper.

Now spread open the paper and gently start peeling each layer towards the center of the flower. I peel up each side before I start on a new layer.  Pull the tissue paper from as close to the center of the flower as possible. This makes the flower full and puffy.  If the paper starts to rip don't worry, you won't be able to see it.  Just keep going until you have all the layers pulled towards the center.

 

 Once you have all the layers separated you can fluff and adjust each layer until you have it the way you like it.

The edges sometimes get folded over so just smooth them open with your fingers.

Next you need to plant your flower in your pot.  When I have made these flowers or poms in the past I have attached them to wooden bamboo skewers, but I had a bunch of light green drinking stars (also from IKEA) that I thought would look cute so I simply threaded the wire through the straws as the base.

To secure the flowers I gently places one piece of tissue paper into the base of the pencil holder and then I shoved (and I mean shoved) foam packing peanuts into the base about half way up the holder. Once I had a secure base I created a hole with my finger in the middle and stuck the straw and flower into the holder.  I then shoved in more peanuts until the flower was in there securely. 

Last but not least I topped the foam peanuts with shredded paper (the kind you get for gift bags).  And whala......super easy, super inexpensive festive table centerpieces.

 I am linking up to Todays Creative Blog.