As we are on the cusp of April and the seasons are changing I thought it would be fun to make something that could easily bring the brightness and cheer of the outdoors into your home – even if (like me) you don’t have much of a green thumb.
I have a ton of spare cardboard laying around, so I traced a circle out of it using a plate, and then traced another circle out of it, and cut it out with an exacto knife – leaving me with a cardboard ring to start a base for my floral wreath. I wanted to keep it a smaller, more manageable size, but you could definitely scale up or down depending on where you are intending to put it.
I picked out some colors of Curious Metallic card stock in green shades (there is a darker green called Botanic as well as a pale green called Lime) as well as Nude (a very shiny tannish color) for a bit of contrast. I went to town cutting out leaf shapes by hand, while my Silhouette Portrait digitally cut out some petal/flower shapes using the Violette and Shadow card stocks.
As each leaf shape was cut out, I used a bone folder to score a line down the center and the veins for each side of the leaf. For the leaves that had multiples that split off into sections, I bent them up or scored the paper to help me bend them, so the leaves appeared a bit more life-like.
While I was not trying for realism, it was nice to have that effect. Especially as the paper is metallic, so scoring/bending it is even more effective than if it were matte – it helps to catch the light.
The flowers were simple geometric shapes that I designed on the computer and cut out using my Silhouette Portrait. I then used the body of a pencil to shape the leaves so they curled up and stacked/glued them together.
Before I arranged all the flowers and leaves on the wreath, I knew some of the cardboard would show through, and I wanted to embrace the texture – so I grabbed some Distress Ink in Vintage Photo and swiped it across the whole ring, using a foam dabber when necessary to blend. I then distressed the look by throwing water on top and blotting, which created a stained effect.
I used Aleene’s Tacky Glue to attach each piece, using an awareness of visual balance to help me determine where to add more color or foliage. While it may have taken a while to do all the work up front, it took a matter of minutes to bring it all together.
For finishing touches, I used a white paint pen by Molotow to add highlights in the middle of each flower and to signify some folds in the flower petals.
You could easily punch a hole in the top to thread some twine for hanging. I decided to put mine on a narrow hallway closet and used some strong tape to adhere it.
If you like what you see, be sure to follow CutCardStock on Instagram and Facebook!
CutCardStock CHRISTMAS BLOG GIVEAWAY CutCardStock.com will be giving away 5 Gift Certificates to our On-Line Store on Monday, DECEMBER 5 , 2011 Leave a comment or two to be entered and you could win one of the following prizes: 1st place: $30 Gift Certificate 2nd Place: $25 Gift Certificate 3rd Place: $20 Gift Certificate4th & 5th…
Hi, I’m Amber Lawrence and I live in Bigfork, Montana with my husband, our two teenage boys and Goldendoodle, Bella. I’ve been working with CutCardStock for over 7 years now, and I love their products and the wonderful artists I get to work with on the design team. I’ve been crafting for so many years…
This fun card can be adapted for any occasion, and it can even be a gift card holder! Supplies: 8 ½ x 11 Pop Tones cardstock (I used Blue Raspberry as the card, Sweet Tooth for the stamped pieces, and Grape Jelly for the slide-out section). Stamps and Inks (I used Close to My Heart’s…
It is that time of year. Many of us are getting ready for our kids to distribute Valentine’s Day greetings to their classmates. I don’t know about you but when I was little, it was enough to simply buy some cute cartoon cards and sign them. Now, it seems that everyone gives candy…OK, I always…
Hello, I am super excited to join the “Holiday Countdown” ! I am super excited to share with you some Christmas Photo cards that Cut Card Stock is giving to you for FREE. Perfect for sending your family and loved ones a Christmas greeting and reminder that they are thought of during this very busy…
Hey there CutCardStock friends, It’s Pinky today just getting ready for the holiday season ahead.Everyone is on a budget- well I know I am, but I love to give handmade giftsso this year I am trying to go handmade all the way and this is a great start. It is amazing what one person can…
So pretty!