Pink Paper Peppermints - Craft. Create. Celebrate.

Hot Dog Flowers, Paper Roses and Computer Monitors! | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 20

 Day Twenty Flowers-a-Plenty!



Today I've got some more fabulous flower tutorial links for you! (my tutorials will be back on Monday)

Today's features are:

Sister Diane from CraftyPod (featured on Fall of Autumn Press)

Diane shows us a super cute way to deck out our computer monitors with flowers and photos!

and

Cooking Cute

Oh my gosh, Hot Dog flowers!  Now I have to say I am morally and ethically against *anyone* eating hot dogs, *but* if you get the non-evil kind from Whole Foods and make these hot dog flowers, well ok then!


and finally one of my favorite artists *ever*:


Rebecca Sower

She has an easy tutorial for some beautiful, glittery paper roses!  (and have a look around her blog because it is so incredibly inspiring!)


Ok have fun with these and I'll see you on Monday for more 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days!


Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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 "The fig trees are producing their early fruit. The flowers on the vines are giving off their sweet smell."
-Song of Solomon 2:13

Applique Flower Stationery | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 19

Day Nineteen - Kentucky Wonder Bean.

(no meaning...it's just starting to get hard to rhyme the word teen! heh-heh)

We're using fabric to make appliqué note cards for today's 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days !

This is such a perfect way to use up your scraps of lovely fabric that are too small for anything else! 

I think it would be a great way to repurpose old clothes and linens as well!

Here's what you need to get started:

-Fabric
-Fusible Webbing (like Wonder Under)
-Flower Templates
-Iron
-Cardstock or blank notecards
-Pencil
-Scissors

Step One

First cut a piece of the fusible webbing to the size you'll need for your appliqué and place the rough side on the wrong side of your fabric. 

Press it for 5-8 seconds until fused. 

Now trace your flower pattern onto the paper side of the webbing.

Step Two

Cut out your fabric flower appliqué and leaves if you've made them.

Step Three

Peel the backing paper off your shapes.  Arrange them on your card and press gently for a few seconds until fused.
 
You may want to place a cloth between your card and the iron.

Now you're finished! 

If you want to you can embellish them with beads, buttons, sequins, rubber stamps or even embroidery to spruce them up a bit, but I think they're lovely just like this!

(Now I'm going to go do some housework and try not to worry that they've killed-off Sawyer in LOST tonight!)

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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"My beloved is to me a cluster of henna flowers in the vineyards of En-gedi ..."
-Song of Solomon 1:14

Rubber Stamp Embroidery Pattern | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 18

Day Eighteen - It's one crafty scene.

Today's crafty flower idea for 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days is to use your flower rubber stamps as patterns for embroidery!

I'm going to make a little felt patch, but you could use any fabric that can be embroidered on or even paper!

DISCLAIMER: Um...this is not an *embroidery* tutorial 'cause...you know...I'm just learning to do that myself so I'm no expert...actually I'm not a stamping expert either so...(heh-heh) just get what ya can out of it, k?

Here's what you need to get started:

-Rubber Stamps
-Marker
-Felt (or Fabric) on which to embroider
-Needle & embroidery thread
-Embroidery Hoop
-Scissors

Step One

Use a light colored marker to ink up your stamp.  I'm using a Zig brush marker (english lavender) here.

I use a marker instead of an ink pad for this technique because I have more control over how much ink is applied and where it is applied.

You want to use a light color because you want it to be just barely visible for your pattern.

Tip:

If you don't have an acrylic block for your acrylic stamps (or if you have several but you can't find *any* of them because your craft table is such a mess *cough*) then you can use an old cd case or the lid of a clear plastic container like I've done here.

Step Two

Press your stamp on to the felt or fabric with even pressure to make your pattern.

Step Three

Place your felt or fabric in an embroidery hoop and embroider! 

If you're embroidering on felt be careful not to pull your stitches too tightly or they will all but disappear in the felt (I found this out the hard way...heh-heh)



Step Four

Once your complete your embroidery you can cut it out and apply it to all sorts of other craft projects.  I'm thinking of putting mine on a felt cell phone cozy for my new phone! (a pink razr- my first upgrade in five years ha! - more on that later.)

 

If you've sent me an email in the last week or so I'm slowly working my way through them and I'll be replying soon!

Have a great Wednesday crafty friends! - See you tomorrow!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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"The desert and dry land will become happy; the desert will be glad and will produce flowers. Like a flower, it will have many blooms. It will show its happiness, as if it were shouting with joy."
-Isaiah 35:1

Altered Reusable Grocery Bags! | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days-Day 17

Day Seventeen - You're a Flower Queen!

It's day 17 of the 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days extravaganza!  Woo-hoo!

Today we're using silk flowers (and a little fabric & buttons) to gussie up those ugly (but important) reusable shopping bags!

(gussie up - that's Texan for make 'em pretty)

I got mine on sale when my Albertson's was going out of business and now I really don't like taking them to other stores because of the big (and mega-ugly) Alberston's logo on them.

I first got the idea of "altering" them at this little blog: ferferly.  She has a wonderful tutorial for creating a pocket to cover the logo.

My bags were different than hers though and I'm not quite as good a seamstress so this is my solution.

(I think you could do this completely with hot glue too if you are not a sewy sew kinda gal.)

Here's what you need to get started:

 

-A reusable shopping bag with an ugly logo (or not)
-Silk flowers (or polyester - the dollar store usually has bunches of them for...well a dollar, heh-heh)
-Fabric Scraps
-Hot Glue gun
-Needle & thread
-Sewing Machine (optional)

Step One

Cut out the the fabric to the size needed to cover the logo. 

Step Two

Layout the flowers in the design/pattern of your choice and pin them to the fabric.

Step Three

I sewed around the edges of my fabric square to make it look sewn-on.  I left raw edges because I like that look, but you could turn the seams under if you prefer a neater look.

In hind-sight I should have done that *before* pinning the flowers on.  It would just be easier.  Now you don't have to make that mistake though.  Aren't I awesome?  I'm always workin' for ya to figure things out. heh-heh.

Step Four

Now select the buttons for your flower centers and sew them on by hand.

Step Five



Attach your fabric square to the bag.  I used hot glue, but you could hand sew it or even hot glue velcro strips to both the bag and the fabric so that the fabric could be removed for washing!

That's it! 

Now you have a pretty bag to take shopping!   

And you can create so many different designs with this idea too! 

You could do a patchwork of different fabrics instead of just one.  You could even use appliqué or embroidery or cross-stitch to decorate the fabric!

You could also hot glue only around three sides to create a pocket (similar to what ferferly did with hers)!

If you don't already have some reusable grocery bags (with mega ugly logos on them) you can get some very nice plain ones to decorate here.


Ok! Go make some fun & flowery shopping bags and say no to plastic!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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"At that time the Lord All-Powerful will be like a beautiful crown, like a wonderful crown of flowers for His people."
-Is 28:5

Packing Tape Image Transfer Flower | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 16

Day Sixteen - Crafty McBean!

Happy Memorial Day!

It's week 5 of my 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days!

Today's crafty flower is a packing tape transfer! This is such a fun and easy technique.

It's especially fun with kiddos.  They can create their own little scrapbooks or journals full of transfers.

It's also a great way to include images from magazines and old books for your lapbooks in homeschooling  

If you want to include larger images or maps in your lapbooking, you can use clear contact paper instead of packing tape.

Here's what you need to get started:

 

-Packing Tape (the cheaper the better) or clear contact paper
-an image from a magazine, old calendar, junk mail, packaging, newspaper, photos printed on a laser printer (ink jet won't work)
-bone folder
-water
-Optional ribbon & tags to decorate

Step One

 
Cut out the image you want to transfer and cover it with packing tape.  Burnish with a bone folder or the back of a spoon.

Make sure there are no air pockets or bubbles.

Step Two

You can now soak the image in a bowl of water for 15 to 20 minutes or (if you're in a hurry) hold the image under running water until the paper is thoroughly saturated.

 
You should begin to see the image through the back of the paper when it is saturated. 

This will take longer the thicker your backing paper is.

 

Step Three

Begin rubbing the backing paper off under the running water.

 

For a distressed look ruse a sponge to create scratches in the image.

 

Let the image dry for a few minutes.  The backing will remain sticky.

Step Four

Layer your image over patterned paper, old maps, sheet music, or other collage material.

Step Five

Burnish your image to the background paper and trim.

That's it! 

Now you have a transfered image that you can use for a scrapbook page embellishment, in your journal, as a tag, on a handmade card, as part of a school project and all kinds of fun crafty ideas!

I punched a hole in mine and tied on some ribbon for a tag to add to my tag tree!

Hope you're having a fun holiday weekend!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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"Now the top pieces on the pillars of the porch were made to look like lily flowers, as tall as a man."
-1 Kings 7:19

Fabulous Fabric Floral Fun | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 15

 Day Fifteen Oh jumpin' jelly beans!

*ignoring the groans at my lame rhyme*



Yay day 15!  I'm so glad you've been enjoying the links.  Thanks so much for your emails.  I owe lots of you replies still, but it's gonna take me a little time. 

Please know that I'm reading them all and checking out your amazing links as I am able!

Don't forget if you have a flower tutorial you'd like to see featured, you've created a flower that you would like to see in the Flower Power gallery  (coming soon) or you know of a great link please email me and let me know! 

So let's get to today's featured flower tutorials:

Molly Chicken's

Raggy Flowers

Fabric Flowers


You may remember Molly Chicken from when I featured her in my Neat-O links. 

Of course she has not one but *two* amazing tutorials for flowers.  She even has super sweet tiny little button & embroidery flowers in her header! 

and

Blair Peter's Wise Craft

Links to flower tutorials could not be complete without a link to the lovely Wise Craft blog. 

She has a beautiful fabric flower tutorial (among many other wonderful things at which to drool look).


So that's it for today.  I'll be back Monday with more flower tutorials of my own to share! 


Just a reminder, if you're reading in a feed reader I've updated the sidebars with some new links!


And a little favor to ask, if you have time today would you stop in at Top Momma and vote for me by clicking on the "Pink Paper Peppermints" square? 

I sure would love to have your vote and maybe make it to the Top Momma Hall of Fame - Woo-hoo! (too bad you don't get points for rhyming, huh?)


Ok make some flowers this weekend and come back Monday for more 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days!


Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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 "Let us get up early and go to the grape-fields. Let us see if the buds are on the vines, and if its flowers have opened."
-Song of Solomon 7:12

Five Point Ribbon and Hairpin FLower Tutorials | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 14

 Day Fourteen and I'm a flower machine!



Fourteen crafty flower tutorials and counting -- we're half way there, can you believe it?  I think you're gonna *love* today's links.  (My tutorials will be back in full swing on Monday.)

In the meantime if you have a flower tutorial you'd like to see featured or you know of a great link please email me and let me know! 

Today's features are:

Sharon B's In a Minute Ago


A fabulous tutorial on how to make a five-pointed ribbon flower!

and

Susan Mentrak's Joybucket


She has a really neat tutorial on making a little puffy flower hairpin.  I think you could also make so many other things with this style of flower!

Ok have fun with these and come back tomorrow for more 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days!


Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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 "The mandrake flowers give their sweet smell, and all the best fruits are at our gates." 
-Song of Solomon 7:13

Puffy Fabric & Frayed Fabric Flowers | 31 crafty flowers in 31 days Day 13

 Day Thirteen Lean & Mean



Hey guys!  Hope you're havin' fun with 31 flowers!   For the next couple of days I'll be posting my favorite flower tutorials by other crafty ladies around the blogosphere!

If you have a flower tutorial you'd like to see featured or you know of a great link please email me and let me know! 

Today's features are:

Maize's Diary: Frayed Flower

Super cute flower made of frayed fabric strips! 

and

Artsy-Craftsy Babe: Fluffy Flower

This is a two for one because she has some fun button flowers in her header! Love those! 

Plus a tutorial for a pretty flower made with a unique hand sewn fabric petal technique! 

She also has a free tote bag pattern to download in the sidebar! Woo-hoo!


Ok have fun with these and come back tomorrow for more 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days!


Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
---------------------------------------------------------
 "If you value Wisdom and hold tightly to her, great honors will be yours. It will be like wearing a glorious crown of beautiful flowers." 
-Proverbs 4:8-10

Foldable Paper Heart Flower Book Card | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day Twelve

Day Twelve it's time to delve!

(Ha! Rhyming is back due to popular demand!  Ok, it was only a couple of  people, but still, every vote counts right?)

**Sorry about the the delay and the crazy formating guys!  Typepad is really not behaving today and thinks everything should be red Arial no matter how many times I try to change it.  Earlier I couldn't even get on though, so at least now I can post...hopefully!**


Today's flower is a fun foldable! 

It can be used as an invitation, a handmade card, for journaling on a scrapbook page or for a foldable booklet in a lapbook!

Here's what you need to get started:

-Foldable Template Pattern (download here)
-Scrapbook Paper
-Ribbon
-Glassine Envelope or 3x6 envelope
-Bone Folder
-Scissors
-Pencil
-Adhesive

Step One

First print and cut out the template pattern for the flower card.

 

Next trace the template onto your patterned paper.

Step Two

Cut out your flower.

Step Three

Cut and attach a center for your flower. 

I used graph paper (my latest obsession) for this, but you could use any patterned paper.

Step Four

Fold and score the flower with a bone folder along the lines indicated on the pattern.


When you're finished your flower should look something like the above photo.

Step Six

Next you're going to push in the the two side hearts like so:



Your flower/heart should look similar to this from the top:

Continue folding and press your flower into a flat heart-shaped card then add your message to the inside.

Step Seven

Now we'll place it in a pretty glassine envelope and tie it with a sweet ribbon tie.

 

This is especially nice for shower invitations, announcements and handmade cards. 

If you don't have glassine envelopes the flowers will fit in a regular 3x6 envelope.

 (or you can get some glassines from my shop here!)

Step Eight

To tie your ribbon, fold the envelope down to create a flap and punch two holes about an inch and a half apart.



Next thread your ribbon through the holes from front to back.


Now flip your glassine envelope over to the back and cross the ribbon ends over each other:



Thread the ends of the ribbon pieces into those opposite holes:



Finally flip your envelope over once more and pull out the ribbon strips:






That's it!  Now you have a pretty invitation or handmade card that looks like a heart and opens up to a flower!




I'd love to see what you make with these so send me some links!


Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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"The LORD will bring about justice and praise in every nation on earth, like flowers blooming in a garden."
-Isaiah 61:11

Watercolor Chipboard Flowers | 31 Crafty Flowers Day Eleven

Hey Welcome Back! 

It's week 3 of my 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days!

Today's flower is a Watercolor Chipboard flower. 

It's super easy and can be used in all kinds of crafts!

Here's what you need to get started:



-Watercolor crayons
-Water & paintbrush
-Chipboard (thin, like cereal box, notepad backing, etc.)
-Sequins (or other embellishments for center) 

Step One

First draw your flower and fill it in with watercolor crayons.  I like to use two contrasting colors for the outline and the fill.  Here I used red and pink.

Step Two

Now dip your brush lightly in the water and blend the color on the petals.

The chipboard will turn dark as you blend, but don't worry this will dry.

Step Three

Next cut your flower out.  It should look something like this:

Step Four

Now it's time to give your flower that distressed look. 

While it's still damp, crumple it up, being careful not to tear the edges.  (Although if you do tear the edges don't worry about it, it will just add to the distressed look.)

Step Five

Unfold your flower and let it dry for 10-15 minutes before adding the sequin center.

Step Six

You can use glue dots to attach the sequins or sew them on with needle and thread.

That's it!  Now you have a gorgeous watercolor chipboard flower. 

These are perfect for scrapbook pages like mine below or:

-journal covers
-mixed media collages
-shadow boxes
-handmade cards

Have fun!

♥ Grace & Peace,

Melissa~
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"The lampstand was made of hammered gold from its base to the decorative flowers on top, exactly like the pattern the LORD had described to Moses."
-Numbers 8:4