Here are some lovely holiday gift wrapping ideas. If you'd like to add a flower embellishment you'll find over 45 types here.
I'll be posting other unusual holiday gift wrapping. Hope you enjoy them.
Do you usually wrap holiday gifts in the traditional red, white and green>
Mimi
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Paper flowers are a hot trend. Folks are making flowers out of all kinds of paper.
Image: Jeff Rudell
I must admit I've never seen a toilet paper flower tutorial though. But wait. I'd better check first.
Okay, I was wrong. There are many toilet paper flower tutorials, though there won't be any in this post. The pictures weren't great and you know presentation is everything.
Why are so many people making paper flowers you ask? I guess it's because they can be used in so many ways:
Here are some new paper flower tutorials I came across. Let me know what you think:
Image: Charcoal and Crayons
Paper Lily - Here's a wonderful paper flower tutorial by Andrea Brand from her blog, Charcoal and Crayons.
Image: Martha Stewart
Crepe Paper Magnolia Flowers - Here's a paper flower arrangement that would make a stunning centerpiece for an event or your home.
Image: Ruche
DIY Project: Giant Paper Flowers - Gigantic paper flower tutorial via Design Sponge.
Image: Martha Stewart
Cupcake Liner Flowers - Create these unique paper flowers out of cupcake liners and stickers.
Links To Paper Flower Tutorials
How to Make 5 Kinds of Paper Flowers
Decorating With Oversized Flowers
How To Make Beautiful Paper Flowers
Have You Ever Seen Such Beautiful Flowers
Tissue Paper Flowers: Step Outside The Box
Now you've got enough paper flower tutorials to keep you busy for a year. So get crafting!
Which type of paper do you think makes the best kind of flowers?
Mimi
Linking to:
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Topiary animals all dressed in green. Take a look at this emerald menagerie of leafy animals.
What kind of topiary animal would you like to see?
Mimi
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Wedding flowers are big business for floral designers. I get it. You believe you can do it cheaper and maybe even better. Maybe you can. But if you're planning to do your own fresh flowers, I 'd like you to keep these 10 things in mind:
10 Hints Your DIY Wedding Flower Plan Might Be In Trouble
1) No one planning to assemble the flowers has ever done it before. Bridal flowers must be perfect. They can look like they were just picked from a field, but you will regret it if they look amateur. Get someone who knows how to do it to help.
2) No one knows how long the selected flowers will last. Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers. But if you make a bouquet of them for an outdoor wedding on the hottest day of the year you will be holding a wilted bunch of stems and ribbon.
3) You have specific colors you want to use to match the bridal party dresses. If you're planning to buy your flowers from a wholesale flower market try to order them beforehand. So you know they will have what you want. Better still, pick the flowers before you select the dresses.
4) You don't have a cool place to store the flowers. See if you can find someone who does. Or pick up the flowers the day before from the wholesaler.
5) You have not attended a class or done extensive research on DIY wedding flowers. It's really not as easy as it seems. You want the flowers to look beautiful for the pictures. There's a reason people hire professionals. Don't let the stress of trying to get the flowers just right steal your joy on the days leading up to your wedding. Take a course.
6) You haven't practiced making the flower arrangements before the wedding. Step away from this computer screen and start practicing right now.
7) You've selected a complex bridal bouquet, because it's the one you've been dreaming of. Either choose another bouquet style or consider having a florist just make your bouquet. It will take the pressure off. A round bouquet may be easy to do, but a cascading one is a lot of work and technique. You can make a simple bouquet if you use one type of flower in one color.
8) You don't know how to take care of flowers. You can read up on this online.
9) You plan to dye your flowers to get the color just right. Don't even think about it. Nuff said.
10) You're planning to make an extremely unusual bridal bouquet with fish heads and purple sequins. That might be your style now. But in 20 years you will live to regret it when you look at those wedding pictures. Need proof? Check out the wedding pictures of people married in the '80s. They weren't even trying to be avant garde.
Here are a few websites to help you be successful with your DIY flowers. There are loads of them. Find one that meets your needs.
DIY Wedding Resources:
If you take these hints into consideration, your DIY flowers should turn out fine.
Have a story about someone who did their own wedding flowers? I'd love to hear about it.
Mimi
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Learn how to make 25 Valentines Day wreaths yourself. Here are tutorials for making wreaths from both fresh materials such as flowers and 22 wreaths from things you probably have around your house.
Martha Stewart
1) Velvety Flower Wreath - This beautiful heart-shaped wreath is made from cockscomb. It's out of season here in the northeast, but I couldn't resist including it. Learn how to make it here.
2) Mossy Wreath - Here's a moss covered wreath great for many kinds of celebrations. Learn to make it here.
3) Carnation Wreath- This beautiful carnation wreath can be made in just about any color. Here's the tutorial.
Learn how to make 22 different types of Valentines Day Wreaths over at the blog, Tip Junkie.
What kinds of wreaths have you made?
Mimi
Linking to:
Stuff and Nonsense
The Charm of Home
French Country Cottage
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Vintage Style Window Display
I didn't realize that birds were so in this year for Christmas until I stopped by Jamaili. It's a floral and event supply store in the flower district here in New York City.
Nearly every ornament in there was a bird. Glittered birds to be exact. There were small birds. Large birds, bird lights, I think, and even bird garland.
So I guess the Christmas tree here at the shop is quite on trend. I don't particularly care for that term, but sometimes it's best to just go with the lingo.
Vintage Swan Planter
I bought this vintage swan planter from a local thrift shop for $5.99. It was chipped, but I think it adds to its charm. I filled it with pine boughs and holiday ornaments.
Swan in Fly Me To The Moon Florists Window
If you read this blog regularly, this isn't the first or last time you''ll see this swan.
You can achieve a similar look with an urn or a different type of planter.
Christmas Tree at Fly Me To The Moon Florists
Red Birds in Golden Nests
I found these red birds, cardinals I think,at a local discount store.They were 2 for a dollar.
My lovely sister, Susan, was kind enough to make these golden nests from strips of paper. Aren't they beautiful? She applied glue to the strips of paper and formed them into the shape of nests. Then let them dry completely. She spray painted them gold and they were done.
I bought the golden french horn from an outlet store in the neighborhood.
Holiday Arrangement in Vintage Style Cone
Vintage Style Cone
I made this cone. Well actually, I covered a plastic cemetery vase with brown kraft paper. Then embellished it with a tea-stained colored piece of cardstockI made into a medallion. I glued the red and gold medallions on top of the other one. I believe there was a button or a tiny glittered circle on top of that, but it appears to have disappeared.
I then filled the cone half way with water. Inserted selected holiday greens, red foliage and filler and that thick beige stuff that used to be green amaranthus. I really love the way it turned out.
The cone arrangement is attached to the top of an 8ft. rusty iron obelisk- shaped shelving unit I found on the street. It weighs a ton.
It stands proudly in the nook right outside of Fly Me To The Moon Florists. We don't have to worry about anyone taking it though, because they can't move it either.
Golden Pumpkin with Glittered Pine and Pine Cone
Golden Pumpkin
I confess. This pumpkin was left over from Halloween. A simple coat of gold spray paint and embellishments turned it into this beauty. My business partner's triplet sons think it's just weird. You decide.
Christmas Tree at Fly Me To The Moon Florists
Christmas Tree
It's not easy taking a picture of a shop window without getting a reflection. We just got a DSLR camera which my business partner promises will change everything. We'll see.
Here's what's on the tree:
Holiday Window Fly Me To The Moon Florists
There are a few other holiday vignettes around the shop, but the lighting didn't allow me to get presentable pictures of them.
Hope you enjoyed our holidiay window display.
What would you have added to this vintage inspired window display?
Mimi
Linking to:
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I came across these paper flower tutorials this morning. I needed ideas for decorating a gigantic hutch at Fly Me To The Moon Florists.
I did a 4 part series on making paper flowers here. It was so popular that I thought you might enjoy the paper flower tutorials below.
Image: A Place for Us
Brown Paper Flowers- I'm making some of these bad boys for the shop. If they turn out well I'll share a picture of them.
Image: Jones Design Co.
Rolled Paper Flowers - There's a simple tutorial for making these rolled paper flowers here.
Image: Made By Nicole
Scrunched Paper Flowers - You may want to see how to make these paper flowers from old book pages here.
Image: Martha Stewart
Crepe Paper Flowers - Learn how to make different types of crepe paper flowers here.
Image: Greedy for Color
Tissue and Tulle Paper Flowers - Here's a tutorial for making these unusual tissue and tulle paper flowers.
Would you ever use paper flowers to decorate a special event instead of real ones? I'd love to know what you think.
Mimi
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Orange Dessert Table Decor
Love those orange paper fans! Look like pumpkins, but more sophisticated.
How else could these paper fans be used in a tablescape?
Mimi
Image: Amy Atlas Events
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After completing the series, "Flowers and Gift Wrapping" a couple of other things came to mind. So I wrote this post so I could tell you about them.
In case you missed it, our 4 Part series, "Flowers and Gift Wrapping" begins here with "How to Gift Wrap Elegantly."
Fake Flower Tip: Follow-up on "How To Fool People With Fake Flowers"
Flowers Not Available?
Let's say the flower you want to use for an arrangement is out of season or unavailable at a reasonable price. Buy a realistic fake flower and combine it with real flowers and foliage.
If you decide to use a few blue roses though, you're on your own. I can't help you. They will never look real.
Here's How:
Place the fake flowers into your arrangement where they won't be noticed right away. If you do this well no one may ever know. Except me of course, but I promise not to tell.
Tutorial: Follow-up on "How To Make Flowers For Gift Wrapping
Want to learn how to make these beautiful rustic though elegant flowers and/or pillow? Read Debbie's post, "A Tutorial: Pottery Barn Inspired Frenchy Pillow, on her blog Confessions of a Plate Addict.
That's it for now. Let me know if I missed anything else.
Mimi
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This is Part 4 of our series, "Flowers and Gift Wrapping." You can read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 here.
How To Make Flowers For Gift Wrapping
I hope you've been inspired to begin embellishing your gift packages with flowers. If you're a pro, I hope you've discovered some new techniques.
I've tried to give you as many links to how to make flower tutorials as I could. I'm sure I left some great ones out. My true passion is delighting people with real flowers at Fly Me To The Moon Florists. Now there, I leave nothing out!
So here are links to some flower-making tutorials. I hope you'll find helpful:
Paper Flower Tutorials
Here's a link where you'll find 45 different paper flower tutorials "How to Make Beautiful Paper Flowers"
Felt Flowers
Image: Mrspriss
Here are links to felt flower tutorials: mrspriss onelittleminute.com sprinkledwithglitter
Ribbon Flowers
Image: The White Bench
Here's a link to 17 ribbon flower tutorials: Ribbon Flower Tutorials and a video, "How to Make A Very Quick and Easy Ribbon Rose."
Hope you enjoyed this series, "Flowers and Gift Wrapping."
If you've got a little space you may want to set up a gift wrapping section in your home. I don't have the room. But I might incorporate a few of these ideas to keep my gift wrapping stuff under control.
Here's a great link from Kate of Centsational Girl blog for some wonderful ideas for storing your elegant gift wrapping supplies.
How have you been decorating your wrapped gifts?
Mimi
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