Spring Fresh Bouquet: Paper Craft DIY Flowers from Book Pages

#gno information! • crafts • #gno featured • decor & DIY

by Rebecca E. Parsons on February 16th, 2022 | 9 Comments »

Like most of us, I am more than ready for spring this year. A fresh bouquet of flowers might just brighten up the house. I adore the book art of artist Lisa Occhipinti. I especially love her Sea Anemones. They inspired these DIY flowers created from the pages of an old textbook. (I would never use a book of great value for this.)

Paper Craft DIY Flowers

Materials Needed

Old book
Craft knife with new blade
Clamp
Metal ruler
Cardstock - 1 sheet
Scissors
White glue
Acrylic paint - I used aqua, bright yellow and coral
Artist brush - I used a 1' flat
Sticks from my yard
Duct tape torn into small 2" X 1/2" pieces
Prepared canvas

Instructions

Separate the pages (book block) from the cover of the book by running a craft knife along the joint between the cover pages (front and back) and the book block.
Count at least 80 pages. You can use more to make fuller flowers with more petals. Cut between the pages to remove the pages from the rest of the book block.
Fold the pages, one at a time, in half toward the center of the book. (Place the edge in the gutter.) Take your time and make sure each page is about the same size.
When all pages have been folded in half, fold ever other page in half again. The makes alternate tall and short folds which will become your petals. DOn't worry if they are not exactly even. Nothing is nature is even! 🙂
Clamp the edges together. I used a strong kitchen bag clamp.
With your craft knife and ruler start cutting the folded pages from the spine to the edges. I cut 1/4" sections. Do not force the knife through the pages. It takes patience to cut through the stack. Just keep swiping the same area with your knife until cut all the way through. Allow the knife to do the work! Designer Hint: I kept raising the cut pieces away from what I was cutting so I could see better and have more control. This step is best done in a well-ventilated area. I tried to use a saw, but it gnawed the pages too much. A jig saw would work beautifully.
When you have enough flowers for your bouquet, spread them out in a circle with ends touching. Let them rest in this position as you cut 3" circles from cardstock with scissors. The circles will hold the flower together.
Place a large dallop of white glue in the center of the cardstock circle. Mine is about the size of a half dollar. Press the flower shape into the puddle and fluff the petals until they look like a flower. Designer Hint: I used the non-brush end of my paint brush to open each petal. Set aside to dry several hours.
Paint the flowers with acrylic craft paint. I used the paint diluted with a little water, but you can use it straight from the bottle. I just lightly brushed the petals until I achieved the look I wanted. Let dry.
At this point you can use the flowers in a number of ways - on a wreath, in flower pots or, as I did, as an artwork on canvas. I attached some sticks from my yard to the back of the cardstock with duct tape.

Here is the artwork in place. I love it and it does bring a touch of spring into my home! I would love to see some of your flowers, so share pictures below!

Note: If you are looking to make smaller flowers, use a smaller paperback book.

What do you love most about spring? What is your favorite spring craft project?

Rebecca E. Parsons, a Renaissance gal with a designer's eye and the gift o' gab, is the Chief Creative Force behind Cre8tive Compass Magazine and Artistically Speaking Talk Show. A freelance writer/publisher/talk show host and Social Media Pioneer, Rebecca has been blogging since 1999. She explores the creative lifestyle daily by writing about DIY and craft projects, sharing delicious recipes, party ideas and so much more. Her mission is to inform, enlighten, encourage, delight and entertain you while giving you ideas to enjoy every minute of your creative life and lifestyle. She cares, she listens, and she encourages your dreams.

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Rebecca E. Parsons

Rebecca E. Parsons, a Renaissance gal with designers eye and the gift o' gab, is the Chief Creative Force behind Cre8tive Compass Magazine (http://cre8tivecompass.com) and Artistically Speaking Talk Show (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/artisticallyspeaking). A freelance writer/publisher/talk show host and Social Media Pioneer, Rebecca has been blogging since 1999. She explores the creative lifestyle daily writing about DIY and craft projects, sharing delicious recipes, party ideas and so much more. Her mission is to inform, enlighten, encourage, delight and entertain you while giving you ideas to enjoy every minute of your creative life and lifestyle. She cares, she listens and she encourages your dreams.