Paper/fabric flowers

knottie2b256f5c2ae42586 · August 2015

I am thinking of making my flowers for my wedding. Granted, we don't have a wedding date yet (either fall 2016 or spring 2017), but I can't help but start to look at EVERYTHING!

I don't like the paper/fabric flowers that look like they are blatantly not real. I also have no problem with spending a good amount of time on them all and I certainly have the time to do it.

Anyone have experience or tips in making fabric/paper flowers?

I've already perused Pinterest a bit and have found some great tutorials.

Thanks!

MesmrEwe · August 2015

I made 400+ paper flowers for my brother's first wedding for the centerpieces... My vote - just buy real flowers LOL...

The challenge is that this is one of those projects that starts off as "simple and won't take a lot of time" that turns into "I'm sick of making these, this is taking forever, holy **** the cost of supplies really adds up!!!!"

justsie · August 2015

My friend made her bouquet for her friends wedding (She didn't have the heart to complain to her friend how miserable this was) and it took her about 2 weeks working during the little free time she had. She was miserable and had to stop many times due to the pain in her fingers. I'd check out the many online options and order paper flowers if that's what you're looking for.

knottie2b256f5c2ae42586 · August 2015

Thanks for the insight! @MesmrEwe @justsie

I can see how making so many paper flowers would be tiring for hands/fingers. I was also wondering if the cost of supplies was going to be worth it after all is said and done. I have read about many brides on this forum buying their flowers cheap from grocery stores or certain websites.

I will probably make a bouquet or centerpiece and see how I feel about it and determine whether or not it'll be worth my time.

justsie · August 2015

Jax43615 said:

Thanks for the insight! @MesmrEwe @justsie
I can see how making so many paper flowers would be tiring for hands/fingers. I was also wondering if the cost of supplies was going to be worth it after all is said and done. I have read about many brides on this forum buying their flowers cheap from grocery stores or certain websites.
I will probably make a bouquet or centerpiece and see how I feel about it and determine whether or not it'll be worth my time.

That sounds smart. And a good way to guesstimate how much it will cost since that is a concern of yours as well!

wandajune6 · August 2015

I can't find the pictures here anymore but I made these: https://craftywedding.wordpress.com/tag/kusudama/

The woman who had this website was on TK for a long time (I think she's gone and I'm drawing a blank on her screenname or I would tag her). They were the first things I saw on the message boards and I fell in love. I spent a fortune and endless hours making them in my wedding colors.

Months of evenings with a tv tray covered in hot glue to make these things. It was horrible and a far bigger project than I ever would have taken on. They're gorgeous and I loved them but I shudder to think of how much work I put into them and how much I spent on paper.

That said, if my budget hadn't allowed for fresh flowers I would have used them for everything-- I saw some fun centerpieces and loved the idea of kusudama balls for the flower girls and BMs-- sized based on the size of the carry-er (small for the FGs, bigger for the BMs). They're gorgeous, particularly with the right paper.

Knottie56088643 · August 2015

I'm planning on making 250-300 coffee filter flowers (dying them to match the wedding theme colors). I haven't started *yet* for my March wedding, but I've tried a bunch of different tutorials and am happy with the type of flowers I've decided on. My FMIL and bridesmaids have offered to come over and help make some too, so I figure a night with them plus flower-making during TV will put me in good shape by the time I go to dye the flowers in February.

My supplies so far: floral wire, large packs of coffee filters, acrylic paint, wire cutters, fabric for centerpieces, lace ribbon, floral foam. I'll be using the flowers for 20 centerpieces + 5 bouquets + 5 boutonnieres. They won't be as fancy as paper flowers, for sure, but so far I've spent about $120 and don't anticipate I need much more supply-wise. So it's more of an investment of time.. but just putting it out there of how much I spent!

knottie2b256f5c2ae42586 · August 2015

Great! Thank you!

alhaley88 · September 2015

I'm pretty sure you can order paper flowers from etsy....I think my friend ordered her paper flowers from there.

ryanandjoe4 · September 2015

I started with the fabric flowers, and found the real touch flowers (i can not have real due to allergies didnt want to be sneezing all day). we are only doing BM bouquets and the flower girl kusudama balls (also called kissing balls). plus our colors are blue and it is hard to find fresh flowers that are actually blue and not purple.. I bought all the supplies at hobby lobby, and it cost like $100 for all the supplies. this is how much a real version of just the bridal bouquet would cost..

lovemesomemonster · September 2015

Here's an example of the ones I'm making, just took out a few to take the pic. If you have the time they don't cost much and are pretty easy to make.

knottie2b256f5c2ae42586 · October 2015

I'm thinking over Christmas break I may attempt to make a few different kinds and see how I like them.

Our wedding venue also has decorations you can rent for the day and I need to look through what they have because I may end up not needing/wanting very many flowers at all, which would allow me to buy real flowers.

Cookie Pusher · October 2015

I made coffee filter flowers for my wedding - centerpieces, bouquets, corsages, bouts, and two small bunches on the guest book table. Between the coffee filters, floral wire/sticks, floral tape, dye, and hardware I spent around $30. However, it tooks weeks for everything to dry after dying, then weeks to put the flowers together... and my fingers ended up picking up the dye. I don't know that I'd recommend it as a project for a novice crafter, but everything turned out beautifully.

knottie2b256f5c2ae42586 · October 2015

Thank you for the pictures!! @Cookie Pusher!

I did not think about drying time...I will definitely consider that. I think I will have to just make a few sometime, maybe over the holiday break, and see how they turn out and if I think it will be worth my time.

Cookie Pusher · October 2015

Jax43615 said:

Thank you for the pictures!! @Cookie Pusher!
I did not think about drying time...I will definitely consider that. I think I will have to just make a few sometime, maybe over the holiday break, and see how they turn out and if I think it will be worth my time.

I did a "dry run" using undyed coffee filters before I decided I was going to go ahead with the project. Not going to lie, the texture of the coffee filters was definitely different after dying them. I don't really know how to describe the difference. The material was softer (so easier to handle/felt nicer) but because it was less stiff, it didn't hold the shape or fullness as well. I ended up using more coffee filters in the dyed "flowers" than in the undyed ones.

Still, though, I couldn't argue with the cost of the entire thing. I got the filters, floral picks/wires, floral tape, and dye at Walmart for dirt cheap. The containers are empty cans that I covered with cardstock/ribbon that I filled with cheap gravel from Home Depot. I just made sure I had a lot of time to put everything together because I didn't want to rush or get stressed.

fyrchk · October 2015

I am making paper flowers for our centerpieces. At first I didn't want people to know they weren't real, then changed my mind as time went on. I'm hoping people will enjoy them for the creativity.

knottie2b256f5c2ae42586 · October 2015

Those look so good!! @fyrchk

Knottie56088643 · November 2015

@Jax43615 - I'm DIY-ing coffee filter flowers for our wedding in March, and spent most of the summer trying out a bunch of different ways to make and dye the flowers. I am making all the flowers first and then dying them once they are assembled - I found it took less space to dry all the flowers (I'm making about 250) and I really liked how the flowers dried with varying colors depending on how I laid them out to dry. So for now I'm just making all my flowers with undyed filters, saving them in bags, and then I'll start dying them and then arranging them much closer to the wedding.

Good luck with your crafting!

knottie2b256f5c2ae42586 · November 2015

Thank you! Dying them after assembly sounds like a great idea

Renea2015 · November 2015

I made my bouquet and my 6 bridesmaids out of mostly coffee filter flowers and card stock with buttons in the center. I had a 2 year engagement and while I worked on them periodically through those 2 years, it was a lot of work. Was it worth it? Yes. But did I cry and hate myself while making them? Yes. But I'd do it again, and it's hella cheap. I had 3 different coffee filter flowers

1. Big white roses - using undyed filters
2. Pink and white smaller roses - using dark pink filters in the center, then lighter pink, then finishing with white filters
3. Pink and yellow fluffy things - using light pink and light yellow dyed filters.
I also had dark plum flowers made from card stock that I glued a gold button in the center of. These took the longest and I hated making them the most, but once they were done, I loved them!

Thinking back, I'm glad I did them and I love how they turned out, just give yourself PLENTY of time though, and good luck!

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020756/uploads/editor/xg/yf8vjpj9hk1i.jpg

knottie2b256f5c2ae42586 · November 2015

Wow your flowers turned out AMAZING! Also, love the sword hilt @renea2015

Thanks for the feedback

blueeyedkat · December 2015

I am doing the kusudama flowers also (the 5 petal origami ones). I work in law, so I decided to incorporate that into my flowers. Our firm's law library constantly throws out outdated law reference material, so I got an old book that they were going to throw out (federal statutes from 2013) and am cutting 3.5" and 4.5" squares out of the pages using the paper cutter in the office after work. I'll be throwing a craft party with my BMs and other friends, and we'll all be making these.

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