Thursday, June 30, 2011

How to make gigantic poppies.....

These poppies were adapted from directions on Martha Stewart's website.

You can see the scale of these flowers in a previous post. Here.
Here is a finished one. It's about 24 inches across.
I don't have the exact measurements for too much, as I basically wing it when I make them.

This pattern I made because some of my friends wanted to make some. This is on a piece of 12" by 18" colored construction paper. Cut 4 petals that look something like the pattern.


Cut 3 smaller ones.

Sorry, I didn't measure these circles, but they are placed on 9" by 12" colored construction paper, so you can estimate the size by comparing it to the paper. They don't have to be exact.
(this will be the centers of the finished flower)


Here is a close up of how I make the cuts. As you cut more, the paper gets weaker, so the later slits are cut shorter and shorter not to weaken the center of the circle.



Cuts already made. Randomly take something round like a marker and curl the strips of paper on the marker. See a close up of the finished flower up above to see what I mean. (biggify the photo)


The folds that are made on each petal are made on the edge of a ruler randomly, radiating out from the imaginary center of an imaginary circle. (Clear as mud......) Some folds are done from one side of the paper and some are done from the other side, in no apparent order and no rhyme or reason. 
All the petals are actually stapled together. First the outer four, in a circular fashion, and then the center three. Then I stapled them all to each other wherever I could.
I'm sure they are supposed to be glued together or something, but I didn't want to wait until the glue dried.


Poppy leaves are cut out to some shape that resembles poppy leaves.


I scored them down the center to create a vein of sorts.

After I took these photos, I forgot to take any more. But I think if you refer to the first photo of the finished poppy, you get the gist of how to glue the pieces together.

These are the worst directions I've ever given, I'm sorry to say. 
We just went out to dinner, had two glasses of wine, came home (we are actually in Oregon, believe it or not), had some delicious chocolate chip cookies, am stuffed to the gills and suffering from possible jet lag and THATS when I decide to do a blog entry.
You get what you pay for, and I'm paying.
Going to bed to try and remedy the situation.
Good night!