We make enough paper flowers around here that we figured it was high time we show you how to make your own floral stamens to go with them! For the flower novice, a stamen is the pollen producing part of the flower, located in the center. It may seem like an insignificant part of the flower, but it makes a huge difference in the overall look of the bloom. The addition of stamens to paper flowers brings them to life! You can buy all sorts of different flower stamens, but they are often expensive and only found through small online shops. Not our cup of tea. If you make your own flower stamens you can create unique paper flowers without breaking the bank! Count us in. You probably already have all the supplies you need. So what are you waiting for? Let’s fill the world with beautiful blooms!
Continue for the full tutorial!
Make your own flower stamens:
Materials:
- spool of thread – we used black and white
- 26 gauge wire
- wire cutters
- green floral tape
- scissors
- craft glue – we used Elmer’s
- acrylic paint in desired colors
- cornmeal
- paintbrush
Instructions:
*To color your cornmeal, which will become the stamen “pollen,” put a spoonful of cornmeal onto a paper towel. Then pour a small amount of paint on top of the cornmeal. Fold up the paper towel and rub the cornmeal and paint together until the cornmeal is all an even shade of the color.
- Start by wrapping the thread around two fingers about 50 times, more of less depending upon your desired fullness.
- Slip the loop of threads off your fingers and thread a piece of wire through the threads and twist at the base.
- Cut the wire, leaving about 2 inches of a tail.
- Wrap floral wire beginning at the base of the thread loop and all the way down the wire.
- Cut the thread loop at the top, turning the loop into a cluster of threads.
- Dip your paint brush into the glue and brush the tips of the threads with a thin coat of glue.
- Sprinkle over your dyed cornmeal and press into the thread tips, avoiding clumps and aiming for even distribution on the thread tips. Let dry.
- Add them to your paper flowers and surround yourselves with blooms!
Photography by Anna Killian | Crafting by Rebecca Young
