Recycled Paper Roses (DIY)

 I found pictures of paper roses in a waiting room magazine and became determined to make my own.  With a little experimenting and a lot of patience, I figured it out! 

The result is a crafty way to recycle almost any paper into beautiful, delicate little roses.  So many things can be enhanced by them: wreaths, place cards and even jewelry. I plan to use mine in place of bows on a gift.

Here’s what you will need:

*paper

*scissors

*hot glue gun

Cut a 5 inch circle out of your paper and a 1 ½ inch circle from the scraps.  The do not need to be perfect, slight imperfections make them look more natural.  Start at the edge and cut a spiral out of your circle.  You don’t want a perfect spiral; by making it have skinny & fat parts, you will add variation to your rose similar to petals.

Roll up the outer edge of your spiral (about 2 inches).  This will be the center of your rose.   

Add a dab of hot glue to the center of your small paper circle and attach the rolled up end of your spiral.  Slowly wrap the spiral around the center adding tiny dabs of glue to keep it in place.  

Try not to wrap your paper tightly, as it may rip.  

If it does, just add a dab of glue, stick the new end of your spiral on, and continue.

As your spiral gets shorter, your rose will start to look like it is blooming. 

When your spiral is completely wound (or when you decide the rose looks complete), seal the edge with glue and trim the excess paper from your base. 

You now have a beautiful, delicate paper rose!

I used old book pages, but you could use anything you have:

Sheet music 

Scrap booking paper 

Used gift wrapping

Magazine pages

Letters or cards