Sunday School: Beyond Borders (or how to get more from your border punches)

I was never a girl who liked lace and flowers.  When I was younger, I preferred brown corduroy and blue jeans.  Even as an adult, I still wasn’t into pink and frills, and even went so far as to say that I would “never dress my daughter in pastel pink.”  I even said this when I was pregnant.  Then...I had a girl.  And I had to eat my words. My sweet little girl came home from that hospital dressed in pink.  Ever since that day, the pinks seem so pretty, the purples, adorable, and I can’t get enough of the flowers.  I even like lace. And of course it’s starting to spill out of my daughter’s room and into my craft room.  Lately, I’ve been on the lookout for different ways to make my own flowers.

A few weeks ago, I found this tutorial by Patti Behan on YouTube that teaches you how to use a border punch to make flowers.  Since I have a few (or more) border punches, I really liked the idea, and look. They are quick and simple to make, a great way to use up some leftovers, and just plain cute to dress up everything from frames to cards to layouts.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Cut two strips of paper (I used one 1 ¼ “ by 12” strip and one 1 ½” by 12” strip). It’s easier to work with thinner papers, but you can also use cardstock. 

2.  Use a border punch to punch the design along the entire length of each of the strips. (I used Martha Stewart’s Floral Lace border punch, which you may (hint, hint) be seeing as a CraftySteal sometime soon.)

3. Clip one end of the wider strip in at an angle.  

4. Begin folding the paper, at an angle, so that it begins to form a circle.



5.  When you have folded enough of the strip so that the ends meet, trim enough so that the two end overlap each other slightly (keeping in the pattern if necessary).

6.  Add some liquid adhesive to attach the ends to shape the circle.

7. Repeat with the other, thinner strip.  At this point you can embellish the edges of the flower in other ways if you'd like - you can ink them to add dimension, or emboss them for more texture, even add some glitter or rhinestones for a little bling. 

8.  Make a backing for your flower (I used a 2" circle punch) and attach the larger flower to the base with some more liquid adhesive.

9. After larger flower is on, layer the smaller flower on top and attach with adhesive as well.

10.  Almost done! You just need to make your center.  You could use a brad, jewel, button, or other embellishment.  I chose to add a small 1" circle for simplicity's sake.

And here's the simple card I made with my flower:



 Enjoy your flower making and have a great Sunday!

* Writer's note: After writing this post earlier in the week, I finally got around to the stack of unread magazines in my car (I read in the carpool line) and saw that Scrapbooks, Etc. did a whole section on making paper flowers (including one very similar to the one I made above).  I guess great minds think alike! Check out their current issue if you want to learn some other cool techniques for making paper flowers.