Tissue Paper Flowers - Easy Tutorial

I am almost embarrassed to call this a tutorial, as it is so easy and once you begin doing it is so familiar. So maybe it is just a "reminder".

I used about 2 sheets of gift wrapping tissue per flower. Lay one sheet on top of the other and cut the majority of the tissue into squares approximately 6 inches. Then cut squares approximately 3 inches, and lay those on top of the 6 inch squares.

Fold up stacked tissue like an accordian...I think my folds were probably around 3/4". When folded, find the approximate center and cut a "V" on both sides...if your scissors are dull and you can't quite get a "V" a cut in the tissue will do. This notch allows you to tie the flower a little better.

To tie up, use pipe cleaners, floral wire, craft wire, or, as I did, twist ties from loaves of bread. Then open out the "petals" on your flower one by one. Don't you feel like you are in first grade again? Puff, it goes from a pile of tissue paper to a carnation, rose or poppy.

You can decorate your flowers if you wish with a little glitter glue, or glue and glitter, or a bit of market adding color here or there on the edges. Once complete you have options: hotmelt glue on a backing, such as a pin backing or barrette (pin backs and you can put them on hats or curtains), or, if you don't have "stems", add a stem now with wire of some sort. If you have any green felt lying around you can do as I did and cut out "leaves", cut a little snip in them and put the "stem" through the leaves.

For a Mother's Day gift for my daughter I took a recycled parmesan cheese can, threaded the stems through the holes on the top, and wrapped fabric around the can. Presto! I think I'll make some for myself now, as the tulips and jonquils have passed and the lilacs aren't quite open outside.

Then Came Baby Bibs

My older daughter got married a lot that year. She was, in fact, something of a seriel bride, but since she was marrying and remarrying the same fine man it provided us amusement and entertainment and not concern.

In January she married him three times...a private civil ceremony to make it legal, then a day for the immediate family which included two ceremonies - one in English, one in Tamil, and two receptions. In April a large celebration for family and friends on the groom's side in Nashville, and a few weeks later a trip to India which included - I've lost count - one or two wedding celebrations. By the time they had their big, outdoor celebration here in Vermont in August they were expecting their first child. So all of those fabric scraps I'd been saving from making dog scarves soon were earmarked to make baby bibs.

Soon they learned that they were expecting their first children! Twin boys! So the reversible bibs I was making and had tentatively called "two faced bibs" began and remains my "twin faced bibs".

I know many people are attracted to baby bibs with characters, bunnies, sports teams or funny baby sayings on them, but I'm in business to work with fabric I love so my bibs are fashioned from complimentary cotton fabrics of the highest quality and design. Bright colors, beautiful florals, French and African designs...whatever suits my fancy. My latest and most popular bib to date features an out of print farm pastoral on one side and an out of print Laura Ashley design of children playing at the beach...I call it "Summer in Vermont". Another favorite design of mine refashions vintage, monogrammed damask napkins into bibs...I love repurposing vintage linens!

The Great Dog Scarf Enterprise

As spring turned to summer that first year, the flower beds filled in and I filled about every container I had of any kind to bring posies near our doorway, I became more serious about setting out to form some kind of business crafting with fabric.

My first project was boutique dog scarves. I had done no marketing research, had no marketing plan or even a marketing notion. I just loved dogs and sewing and thought it would be a good idea.

I collected marvelous cotton fabrics...toiles, designs of Provence, florals, an out of print line of quilting fabric designed by Susan Sargent, and began making reversible dog scarves/bandanas. My own dogs, Maggie the elderly cocker spaniel and Toby the terrier were happy models. The dogs of neighbors and family provided models of different sizes. They were great, colorful and fun but I found myself hesitating whenever anyone asked me what I was up to these days to say "Oh, I'm making dog scarves".

A few problems began to emerge. The first, and most serious, was that as the scarves were cut out I realized the designs caused a lot of fabric wasteage, too much was falling "on the cutting room floor". The second, my own fault, as that as I went to adjust patterns when I determined one needed to be resized, or have longer ties for tying, is that I tended to save both the old pattern and the new without properly labeling them, so I often ended up confused as to which I should be working with. Finally I consulted with a dog groomer on sizing and found her recommending more scarves for toy sized dogs and some for giant breeds. The tiny scarves ended up being too challenging for my somewhat arthritic hands, and the scarves for giant breeds were so enormous that I knew that there was no way to sell them at the price required to make a profit. So, at a point about 12 dozen bandanas into the process, the enterprise lost its appeal.

While I often feel like I don't care if I never see another of these dog scarves again, and never marketed them to pet shops or grooming parlors, they have ended up being something of a success. Whether at farmer's markets or craft shows I always manage to sell a few. Sometimes people buy them for their dogs, sometimes as kerchiefs, to tie on packages or suitcases or gifts, even as baby bibs. But their greatest benefit to me has been as a marketing tool for the kind of fabrics I use. People love to pour through the bandanas and say "Oh, I love this fabric", "Could you make me placemats out of these fabrics", etc. etc. So the dreaded dog scarf enterprise has been a succcess, in its own way, after all.