Wedding Blog
Last night I tried my hand at Martha Stewart’s paper flowers.
I’d only bought ivory tissue, and already had the floral tape and wire, so I just tried the “folded petal” flowers–I didn’t attempt to make leaves since I didn’t have any green tissue on hand. Martha’s instructions are pretty good, and until I’m a lot more confident at making them I won’t suggest any changes. I sat down with That 70’s Show, a Diet Coke, and way too much time on my hands.
Here’s my first attempt:
Not bad, eh? I kept accidentally working the leaves down the stem instead of keeping them even, so I had to redo it. Oh yeah, and it took an hour. 
I tried another (35 minutes) and then a third (23 minutes). And a fourth (22 minutes). Here are all 4 together:
I don’t have the specific vase that I’ll be using, so I’m not sure how many are going to go into each centerpiece, but it’ll probably be a lot more than 4. But each one goes faster than the one before it, and I’ll definitely be making more progress if I’m not trying to Facebook at the same time. 
But I like how the ones I’ve tried so far have turned out, so I do think I’ll use them in my centerpieces. I love how they don’t look like traditional tissue flowers 
. And, of course, they’re *much* more budget-friendly than real or even silk (I can get about 9 flowers per SHEET of tissue paper, and it only takes about 12″ of wire and the same amount of floral tape per, as well).
When I make them “for real” I luckily have a friend who enjoys massive amounts of repetitive, meticulous work. So I’m not that worried about the effort involved.
What do you think? Should I use them or not — Yay or nay?
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They are pretty! You should def. use them, it’s creative and you save tons of money on flower arrangements… I would if I could do it! ^_^
Those look great! I really like them though they seem very time consuming….beautiful job!
I think they look great! I made some of the bubble flowers, I just don’t know what to do with them yet. I thought the cutting part was a pain but for the effort you put into it, it’s worth it. You should use it for your centerpieces, it will look lovely.
I think they look wonderful. Very nice job!
they look really good! if you have the time, patience AND help then go ahead and do them. i like the way they turned out…maybe i’ll try my hand at one for a bridal shower. thanks!
I’ll say it again here… You can have my pink ones cheap. And I definitely think you should use them.
they look really nice!!! Are you making them for centerpieces? They look time consuming, I’m glad you got someone to help you w/ those! =)
There is nothing like real flowers. I say unless you are on a very tight budget, no.
They’re cute! I like the ivory. =) I think it’d look good if you complement it nicely. Maybe will green leafy fillers and dark blue pebbles/marbles (since they are your colors?).
Spend less on your dress and more on flowers.
they look great! You should definitely use them!
I did some for my wedding. It was a disaster. Alot of them got crushed during transport to the venue.
i love them! ^_^ just don’t catch them on fire or anything if you have candles too. AND start EARLY, like make a few everyday up until your wedding. yay for DIY!
They are very pretty– You could also have them be your favors (put enough for each person at the table in your vase, with a ribbon and their name, or your name(s), etc)
i think nancy is wrong. i’d def spend more on the dress and less on flowers if you’re on a budget. flowers will get tossed at the end of the evening. you and your gorgeous gown will be in pictures forever. go cheap with the flowers and make sure you look and feel like a million bucks!
and the tissue paper flowers you made came out beautifully! i’d LOVE to see that at a wedding. tight budget or not, it’s inventive and gorgeous and a lot of work. i’m sure your guests will be speaking about them and how amazing you are for years to come!
It is amazing what women do to feel like a little princess. Do you realize how often those expensive pictures will be looked at? What will you do with that expensive dress. Get real flowers and a live band, show your guests a good time. You will look beautiful no matter how expensive or inexpensive your dress. In the photos, no one will know if its from Kleinfeld or David’s
You will look beautiful no matter how expensive or inexpensive your dress. In the photos, no one will know if its from Kleinfeld or David’s
can i have the direction to those flowers? they are so cute!
facebook is addicting…
newly_engaged–What a sweet comment! Thank you for that 
Nancy–not to be rude (though that doesn’t seem to be a concern of yours), but I am already doing a *lot* to ensure my guests have a good time. And my dress was not from Kleinfeld, or David’s. I’m planning my entire wedding on a 4-figure budget (ie under $10,000) and my dress was less than $600. I am accommodating my guests in many ways–offering them a *massive* dessert buffet and free alcohol, a very good DJ (a live band is not in our budget, nor would it work with our venue’s tone), and the opportunity for those who rarely get together, to see friends and loved ones in a happy environment.
What it boils down to is that peoples priorities are different. Some girls do value their centerpieces. I’m one of them. But I also choose to spend my small budget in ways that the guests will notice. So I’m putting forth the effort to create unique and beautiful centerpieces that won’t take up much of my precious budget. And at any wedding, guests notice food, atmosphere, a happy couple, and free alcohol (hopefully not in that order). Anything else is peripheral.
Jayme–the link is in the first line of my post…the directions are really easy to follow! Feel free to email me if you have any questions
I used paper flowers at my wedding–used them around my guest book (placed in mini vases), alongside hurricane lamps with candles near the front entrance. People loved them and took them home with them after–my new in-laws have put them out as table decoration at quite a few family get togethers since (!)
And not to flan the flames…but I have to admit that I attended a wedding recently and the thing I’ll really remember is how horrible the dress was (and it wasn’t just me–everyone at my table was really surprised). Flowers? I was too busy staring at the dress (I know…). All this to say: if you spread resources around and don’t overly scrimp on any one area (thus, giving your guests something to be surprised by and fret over) your guests will have a great time and come away with a general sense of well being.
Mattie–(sorry I didn’t see your comment earlier). Great point! How did you try to transport them? If you could do it over again, what would you do differently? I plan on using a large Rubbermaid tub that will contain tissue flowers, and ONLY tissue flowers, so that nothing can bang into them. Does this sound good to you? Or would you suggest I try something else?
Thanks, I really appreciate the advice
I think you should figure out the amount of time spent working on them, multiplied by paying yourself minimum wage to make them*, and find out if your time is better spent doing something else and buying flowers. I think they are beautiful, but it seems like A LOT of work. Even if you get sick of making them half-way through, you could mix tables of paper flowers with real flowers.
*i.e. if it takes you 20 minutes to make one, that =~$1.75 per flower.
jayme- i also made flowers using martha. you can find my entry here along with a link to her website that provides detailed instructions:
http://www.weddingbee.com/2006/10/31/just-call-me-martha/#comments
good luck!! ^_^
here is the link directly to directions:
http://www.weddingbee.com/2006/10/18/non-traditional-bouquets/
I like them, and if you like them, then use them! What wre your guests going to say? “I’m SO leaving, ther aren’t any REAL flowers here.” Sure, sure. I’m having fruit centerpieces I think, and lots of people have candles and shells, so why are flowers the have-to-have item?
okay, i’m an idiot! here: http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=channel3530026&site
i promise this is the right one! =)
I like the look of the paper flowers, and I say spend your money the way YOU want! People’s priorities are different, and I sure am NOT going to be spending a lot of money of flowers that are just going to die. IMO, that’s a waste.
You’re so good at DIY!
Those look awesome!!
I think they look adorable! Have you seen the new paper daffodils from Paper Source? I think I’m going to make them and put them around my escort cards, which will be in the same “butter” colored paper as some of the daffodils. I’ll have to see how big they are, I might put some in low vases, or even attach some to the cards if they’re small enough. And I’m thinking of using Martha’s flowers to make flower initials to put on the front doors of the venue–you know, those things that are wreaths but not, because they’re initials? I thought the paper flowers would be prettier than silk, because I’m doing my flowers myself and will have no time to do them with real blooms.
And as far as spending money goes–there’s inexpensive, and then there’s cheap. Miss Blueberrie’s paper centerpieces will be beautiful and inexpensive. They won’t be cheap. As someone else who is trying to throw a $10K or less wedding (in the NY metro area, yet) I’m being very careful about cheap vs. inexpensive.
i love how the paper flowers turned out! im sure they’ll look great as centerpieces or whatever u choose to use them for. hmm..i might attempt to make these to put them on each guest’s plate for decoration!
I think they are amazing. I think people will talk about them… because they will be amazed that you made them and how beautiful they are! In the end all that matters is if you are happy with how things look. My advice, make one full centerpiece and if you are happy with the outcome, then go for it. Please post pictures as you progress!
They look great!! I am getting married in June and I have a card making company so I love paper! My wedding has a “paper theme” so I also am doing these flowers for all center pieces and boquets. We are also using martha’s “Pom Pom” tissue paper craft for decorations!! Great job and good luck!
Hi,
nice flowers,I do make paper flowers,do come by and see my creations!
http://stjudescreations.netfirms.com
http://stjudescreations.blogspot.com
Beautiful
too bad the link is not working at Martha Stewart
How did you make them?!
Oh this is such a great idea! I was thinking of doing the centerpieces out of paper flowers too. I actually called Martha Stewart living and ordered a back copy of the Spring 2006 issue that originally featured the paper flowers so that I could get some idea.
And Megan, the paper theme is such a cute idea! So inspiring!
I really love the paper flowers idea. I am doing them for my wedding also. I have been using the Martha Stewart tissue paper flower bouquet kit. It took a little practice but I think they are great. I took them to work and our doctor tried to smell them! They are a great conversation piece and they will last forever. You can really dress them up in a cute vase. I think people really look at your wedding as a whole, once all of the details fal into place it doesnt matter if your flowers are real or not. And anyways, the real flowers die in a few days and you just throw away THOUSANDS of dollars.
Anybody looking to do this now should check out a couple other varieties of paper flowers at
http://simplydazzlingevents.blogspot.com/2009/05/diy-crafted-bouquet-and-centerpieces_21.html
Hope this helps!
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Mrs. Blueberry, Kansas City
Age and Occupation in 06: 21, Full-time Student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Full-time Student
Engagement Date: September 10, 2005
Wedding Date: May 25, 2007
Venue: Wynbrick Center - a historic mansion in my hometown.
About Me: We're having an intimate, 125-ish person wedding with a full-blown dessert reception. When I'm not obsessing over wedding stuff or studying for my BA in English, I'm usually playing with our two kitty cats, blogging, doing crafty things, or hanging out with Mr. Blueberry!
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