Corrie Beth Hogg, a former Lars contributor, is coming out with her new book, Handmade Houseplants on September 4th and we are the first to share an exclusive tutorial from the book. Welcome, Corrie!

Hi all, I’m Corrie and I am excited to be back on The House That Lars Built to celebrate the launch of my new book, Handmade Houseplants. It comes out on Sept. 4th! Today I am sharing a project I put together just for you, so put on your crafting hat and let’s go!

Japanese maple trees are something I grew to know and love after I moved to New York City. I love walking along the residential blocks of Brooklyn and seeing these beauties in shades of pink, maroon, and green in the small courtyards of brownstones. I’ve long coveted one of these maples for my apartment (one day I’ll have a yard) but they are very difficult to keep alive in pots. So, naturally, I decided to make one out of paper!

This variety is called “Shirazz” and its color changes throughout the seasons … starting out scarlet, fading to pale-pink in the summer, and becoming vibrant once again in the fall. For this tutorial, I’ve created a tree, but you could also craft just a branch or two and place them in vases. If hot pink isn’t your thing, go for the subtler pale pink or even green … the steps below will be the same!

Continue to see the full tutorial for this stunning DIY Japanese Maple Tree!

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The Zygocactus, more widely and affectionately known as the Christmas cactus, is a bit wild and wonderful with it’s curvy jaunty stems. It’s a great alternative gift idea for the holidays with its vibrant red and green! Not surprisingly, the Zygocactus blooms around Christmas time with large red, pink, or orange flowers. Not always so easy to care for or if you’re like me, December 25th comes and goes and it never blooms… errr, not to worry though! The crafted version is here! A DIY paper Christmas Cactus! The Christmas cactus easily translates into paper, especially if you have a paper cutting machine. Give the gift that doesn’t require a green thumb! This is pretty quick to craft and you can easily make a simple smaller version with only two or three stems. How fun is this paper plant as a party favor or place card at your holiday get together? I love the quirky nature of it–It certainly lives up to its name! 

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by contributor Corrie Beth Hogg of The Apple of My DIY

I wear my ‘crazy plant lady’ badge with honor and you should too! I have big love for the plants I grow, for the paper plants I make, and for those I ooh and aah over at my local botanic garden! I firmly believe you can never have too many plants (just like shoes, ha!). This year, for Halloween I decided to make a ‘hat’ for all the plant lovers like me. It’s one part Carmen Miranda, one part Minnie Pearl, and two parts Agnes Arber! So, wear it to sing samba, to get silly at a Halloween party, or studious while tending to your crop. It’s super lightweight and comfortable and easy to make too! You can make the leaves using the paper plant tutorials here at Lars, such as: heart leaf philodendron, watermelon peperomia, or the swiss cheese plant.

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by Corrie Beth Hogg of The Apple of My DIY

Let the paper plant crafting party continue! Today I am showing you the swiss cheese plant also known as monstera obliqua. She is kinda like the darling daughter of everyone’s favorite – the monstera deliciosa! (We’re working up to the deliciosa!) What’s not to like about a plant named for cheese? Anyhow, I’ve had so much fun sharing with y’all some of my best-loved plants made from paper! You can find ‘em here! And, I’m honored to share another one today! Read on to learn how to make a paper swiss cheese plant!! Read on →

by Corrie Beth Hogg of Apple of My DIY 

A few years ago I visited the redwood forests in northern California for the first time, my friend and I spent hours hiking amongst the large boughs and trunks, it was magical and inspirational! One of my favorite memories is this steep rock face we found that was completely covered in maidenhair ferns. I love how delicate and expressive they are. I’m smitten. I’ve tried to capture those qualities here in paper with this mobile, it is so light, it’s constantly twisting and turning in the slightest breeze. You only need a few supplies to make this – super easy if you have a paper cutting machine, but you can cut by hand as well. Read on →