DIY Paper lei for graduation

Graduation is upon us! The downside is that we’ll lose some our interns (and they’ve been life-savers), but the upside is that it gives all of us the excuse to make these pretty paper leis for our favorite graduates! And you all know that I’ll take any occasion as a reason to make a paper flower! 

Materials:

• card stock in the colors of your choice! (we used this one)
• PDF template or craft cutting machine SVG Template (download here)
• craft knife
• cutting mat
• string
• scissors
• 5 paper straws
• cardboard (for spray painting on)
• spray paint (we used this one)
• bone folder or pencil
• glue gun
• large embroidery needle

1. Cut 21 flower shapes using either a craft cutter and the SVG file provided or a craft knife and the template provided.

 

3. Score the flowers along the tab and in between the petals.

4. Hold the flower with spray painted side up. Hold a bone folder or pencil under a petal of a flower. Pull the flower downward and through your hand holding the bone folder or pencil firmly against the bottom side to the petal. Repeat with each petal of each flower. This will curve the petals inward.

5. Use your bone folder or pencil and the same method to curve the tip of each petal in the opposite direction.

6. Fold the flowers along the scored lines. Use a glue gun to glue the tab to the inside of the outer petal to form a complete flower.

7. Spray paint the paper straws and let them dry. Cut the straws into 1.5 inch segments.

8. Thread the string onto the embroidery needle. String a straw segment and then a flower (stringing the needle into the cup of the flower and out of the bottom as shown in the photo). Thread another straw segment and then another flower and continue to alternate until all of your flowers are threaded and have a straw segment in between them. After you thread your last flower, cut the string and tie the ends together.