Perfect Paper Poppies

The 3rd and final flower from our wedding show bouquet is a paper flower that I make frequently, usually as an accent on wrapped gifts. It can be made with any kind of paper and in any size. For this project I used handmade papers from Paper Zone. Because handmades are softer in texture, these are best for making smaller flowers.

For this project you will need at least 2 colors of paper, floral wire, scissors and tape. The Martha Stewart fringe scissors are not necessary to make these flowers, but they make the inner part of the flower so much easier to make and once you use them, you'll want to fringe everything. They are so awesome!

Start with 3 strips of paper. The strip for the inner part of the flower should be about 2 1/4 inches wide and 8 inches long. For the petals, use one strip that is 2 1/4 " wide and 24" long and the second string should be slightly wider: 2 1/2" wide and 24" long. They do not need to be cut perfect because you'll be cutting them down.

For the inner part of the flower, cut along one edge using the fringe scissors. Leave about 1/4" uncut so that you have a base for rolling up the fringed piece. Once this piece has been fringed, roll up tightly along the uncut side and tape.

Next, cut petals out of the other two strips. You can make squares any way you like out of the strips, but for ease, I just fold the strips over and then cut off both edges of folds so that I have a neat little stack of cut squares of all the same size.

I freestyle cut the shape of a petal into these squares. The best part of this flower, is that it doesn't really matter how precise the petal shapes are because all of the pieces will be scrunched together and will pretty much look great no matter what. With these squares you will get about 6 or 7 petals. Just be sure to leave about a half inch "stem" in your petals so that you can assemble the flower with ease.

Cut 6 or 7 petals of a slightly larger size out of the second strip of paper.

To assemble the flower you will start with the inner flower (fringed piece) as your base and the smaller petals. Using the floral wire, TIGHTLY wrap the stem of the petals to the base of the fringe, adding petals evenly around the base. It is very important to wrap the wire tightly so that the petals stay secure. I usually add 1 petal per go around with the wire. Add the larger petals in the same manner until all of your petals are tightly attached at the base.

Next, flip open the flower and let it bloom. Spread the petals with your fingers, opening it up and shaping the petals as you like. Working with paper is great because your can bend and shape the petals into pretty much any direction you like. I sometimes even do a little "gardening" and cut down larger petals if they seem out of place.

I like to change up the color patterns in my flowers when making a bunch so that each flower is unique, but in the same color scheme. And you can use any color!

To complete the bouquet above, I used some leftover of the blue handmade paper to line a square glass dish that I got at the supermarket and ended up with a pretty cute little centerpiece.

I have also seen these flowers used with a string of white Christmas lights, which makes a pretty cute decoration for any party or event. Happy Paper Gardening! --Kim

Going to The Chapel...

Do you hear the wedding bells ringing? Ok, you might not hear them quite yet...but it's definitely getting to that time when brides are starting to get their fix on wedding planning. This past weekend marked my first dose of wedding for the year with our participation at the Seattle Wedding Show.

For the many years I've been with PZ, I've had a hand in putting our booth together and getting things ready for the show. Every year the show is a little different, but there are always a few things that - year after year - people just go crazy for. For one, this lingerie shower invitation.
Although a little risque, it's always been a huge hit. You can find the template for it right here, and the shopping list here. This invite has inspired lots of bridesmaids to host lingerie showers, and it's made a lot of grooms-to-be blush at our booth. And the bridesmaids always love this bachelorette party invite, so fun and girlie, a perfect invite for a girls' night out:
People also were loving these new little favor boxes, simply assemble the box, fill it with candy and you have an adorable wedding favor:

Another thing that I personally was loving this year was the cupcake booths at the show...and of course the generous samples that were handed to me as I perused the Wedding Show aisles (I think I spent the entire day yesterday fueled by cupcakes!). This year, we also showcased a really beautiful bouquet of paper flowers that people adored:

For weddings, it makes a simple and chic table centerpiece...you can even switch around the papers to match your wedding colors. The bouquet was a collaboration from a few of us at PZ, so today I'm sharing the steps to my part of the bouquet (yes...I used the tissue puff ball idea that I love - see here and here, scaled it down, and created a flower with it!).

Step 1. Gather your supplies - tissue paper, scissors and floral wire (yes, only 3 items!):

Step 2. Cut 6 sheets of tissue to 8.5" x 11" and accordian fold:

Step 3. Wrap the floral wire around the center of the folded piece:

Step 4. Cut a rounded edge from each of the ends:

Step 5. Reveal your flower by peeling away each layer of tissue, one at a time:

Check back on Wednesday to learn how to create the next flower in the bouquet!

--Lauren

Weddings for Beginners: Color Inspiration

After I recently got engaged I found myself looking down at my ring and thinking “now what?” So, I did the one thing I knew to do: I went to Paper Zone.

I have determined that aside from picking a date and place for my wedding, the next crucial step was picking colors. And who has more colors than PZ?

Knowing that we are planning an oceanside wedding, I was immediately drawn to the Aquamarine paper in the Envelopments line (below). Then there was the bronze, the pearl latte, the pearl linen, the So Silk, I could go on.

I absolutely knew I wanted handmade invitations (like the PZ sample above) because I want our wedding invitation say, “this is an important event and it is meaningful to us that you attend” and, to me, the best way of saying that is with a beautiful handmade invitation.

And thankfully, places like Paper Zone make that a doable task. In addition to numerous sample boards, we have this great checklist so you can plan all of your stationary needs at once for a cohesive presentation rather than thinking “oh yeah, I need programs too”.

There are many routes you can take with handmade invites: you can make them yourself start to finish; you can design them & then work with a professional printer; or you can work with a designer. And while we offer easy-to-follow templates and creative and helpful Associates, I opted to work with a designer (special shout out to Jennifer Witsil Creative).

My fist full of papers lead me to inspiration boards like the one to the left (I Googled "chocolate aqua wedding" and searched images) giving me ideas on other aspects of my wedding such as flowers, the cake, etc.

And, of course, out of the beautiful papers came a beautiful Save the Date:

Starting the wedding planning process can be intimidating, but start with a checklist and some inspiration and you’ll gradually move in the right direction. I really encourage any bride-to-be to stop by Paper Zone to browse. Photos cannot relay the pearl-like colors and satiny textures and papers that look like linen. . .oh it’s magical!

To see some of this magic, visit us at the Seattle Wedding Show January 8^th & 9^th. We’ll have some great papers and ideas on display (maybe even my invites too!). I hope to see you there. --Kim