Create a lifelike bouquet of roses and sweet peas

What you need...

• Crepe paper: pink, pale yellow, green
  
• Hobby wire: 35cm x 0.90mm, 18cm x 0.60mm
  
• Wire tape, green
  
• Toilet paper
  
• Cotton wool
  
• Scissors
  
• Hot glue gun
  
• Adhesives

instructions

1. Roses - 1 Using the templates provided, cut out crepe paper in the following colours: pink, 6 x A (small petal) and 4 x B (large petal); green, 6 x C (leaf). Take a 35mm length of wire and one sheet of toilet paper. Fold the paper in half, then two more times.
   
   2 Using a hot glue gun, anchor the end of the folded paper at the end of the wire, then twist it round on itself to form a roll. Draw the end of the paper up slightly, then glue to seal. Begin the flower by stretching and forming a small petal into a chrysalis shape, then stick it in place around the toilet paper bud with a glue gun, ensuring the top appears quite closed.
   
   3 Shape the next petal, slightly rolling the edges using the blunt sides of scissors; as you pull the paper over it will roll. Stick this in the opposite direction from and over the first. Continue stretching and sticking the small petals, overlapping each. Make the larger petals by rolling the edges more and crimping them in places. Once happy, stick them over the smaller ones. Wrap the base of the flower with wire tape to secure the petals, then wind the tape down a little way onto the wire.
   
   4 Form a scrap of green crepe paper into a base. Cut a strip, 4cm x 5cm, then trim a pointed fringe along one of the 4cm sides. Slightly stretch the piece, then wrap it around the base. Cut away any excess from the width and adhere the edges. Twist the base underneath that of the flower. To hold the twisted green paper in place, wrap from the base of the flower, then down for 10cm with the wire tape.
   
   5 Cut the leaves in half lengthways and apply all-purpose glue down one of the centre cut lines. Lay a shorter wire along the glue, then secure the remaining half of the leaf over the top, sandwiching it down the centre. Wind the wire with tape.
   
   6 Make three leaves and secure them by holding one leaf and placing another 4cm below. Connect the wires with tape, then attach the third opposite the second and twist the tape halfway down. Repeat the process and make another three leaf stem.
   
   7 Position one leaf set 5cm away from the base of the flower on the stem and bind in place, then attach the remaining stem opposite with a longer length. Continue to wrap the remainder of the wire with tape.
   
   8 To make the small rose, cut out 6 x A and 2 x B. Form the rose as before, but don’t roll the edges of the outer petal quite as much. Add one set of leaves to the stem, then on the opposite side add a single leaf. For the rose bud, use three smaller petals and complete as before. Add two single leaves to the stem, staggered slightly.
   

2. Sweet Peas - 1 Cut out the templates in the following coloured crepe paper: pale yellow, 5 x D (centre bud) and 5 x E (inner petal); pink, 5 x F (outer petal); green, 5 x G (base). Form the centre bud of the flower. Take a shorter wire and lay a small piece of cotton wool at the top. Bend the wire over, then turn the cotton wool into a bud shape.
   
   2 Apply all-purpose glue onto one side of a D piece, then place the cotton bud in the centre and fold the piece over, sticking the edges together. You may need to trim the edges to form a good shape.
   
   3 Slightly roll the edges of the inner petal and apply glue to the centre. Place the bud along the centre, then pinch the base of the flower. Work the pink outer petal a little more by curling and rolling the edges. Apply glue down the centre, then lay the inner flower along. Pinch the base to secure.
   
   4 Adhere glue to the green base piece, then stick and fold this around the bottom of the flower. Make three tendrils by wrapping tape around a shorter length of wire, then winding it around a knitting needle to form the coils. Connect three of the flowers by holding one flower and placing another 4cm below.
   
   5 Secure the wires with tape and attach the third opposite the second and twist the tape. Add a tendril, then another. Attach the remaining two flowers and tendril below the others and continue wrapping the tape around the wires to the base.

It's truly amazing what you can make from paper! At a first glance this blooming bouquet of dainty flowers looks entirely real, however on closer inspection you can see that Amanda Walker's delicate project is made using crepe paper. The technique takes a little while to master but once you’re there its fascinating and you'll soon be addicted to making a garden full of them.