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One more time, with feeling!
Making paper rosettes from odds and ends of paper or
giftwrap is easy. All it takes is a bit of know-how. If you can cut out a strip
or circle of paper, pleat, and glue, then you can make large and small
rosettes. They are so pretty as ornaments, or as decorations. Fancy-up a plain
lunchbag and turn it into a gift bag with the addition of a paper rosette.
Follow along by viewing the pictures. I tell you how to make a rosette from two scalloped circles of paper. Use a craft-punch to make the circles. The bigger the punch, the bigger the finished rosette.
If you don't have a way to buy or punch out scalloped circles, just cut out a regular circle. Trace a coffee can or plate or use a compass to make a circle on a piece of paper. Cut out. Then fold in half, half again, and half again and half again to make creases to guide you in adding the scallops by hand with scissors. So, you are folding in half four times, the rounding the top of the folded paper. It's a bit like making a paper snowflake, as we learned in elementary school!
If you make your rosette this way, you will have a nice rosette, but it won't look quite as fancy as the ones from the scalloped circles (because the scalloped circles will have more pleats). But they will look lovely either way! Perfect for that "prim" and rustic look!
Now, back to the instructions, with the punched out scalloped circles. You can either fold them in half again and again, or score them. Scoring works best, because you have more precise lines to later pleat. It's very difficult to fold paper in half more than four times. But by scoring the circle as shown in the pictures, you will have many precise "petals" to pleat, and a lovely finished rosette.
To learn how to make rosettes from strips of paper, visit my Strip Rosettes from Scratch page!
Follow along by viewing the pictures. I tell you how to make a rosette from two scalloped circles of paper. Use a craft-punch to make the circles. The bigger the punch, the bigger the finished rosette.
If you don't have a way to buy or punch out scalloped circles, just cut out a regular circle. Trace a coffee can or plate or use a compass to make a circle on a piece of paper. Cut out. Then fold in half, half again, and half again and half again to make creases to guide you in adding the scallops by hand with scissors. So, you are folding in half four times, the rounding the top of the folded paper. It's a bit like making a paper snowflake, as we learned in elementary school!
If you make your rosette this way, you will have a nice rosette, but it won't look quite as fancy as the ones from the scalloped circles (because the scalloped circles will have more pleats). But they will look lovely either way! Perfect for that "prim" and rustic look!
Now, back to the instructions, with the punched out scalloped circles. You can either fold them in half again and again, or score them. Scoring works best, because you have more precise lines to later pleat. It's very difficult to fold paper in half more than four times. But by scoring the circle as shown in the pictures, you will have many precise "petals" to pleat, and a lovely finished rosette.
To learn how to make rosettes from strips of paper, visit my Strip Rosettes from Scratch page!
Step One - Scoring the Rosette
Mark the middle of your rosette with a dot of ink or pencil. This makes it easy to see what you're doing as you score "petals" or "pleats" into the paper. You will cross this mark every time you make a scoreline or crease.
Using a ruler and a dried-out ink pen or scoring tool (or even a seam ripper), place the scalloped circle on a cushioned surface, such as a piece of cardboard. Press firmly with your scoring tool, and score across the middle of the circle, from the low point of a scallop to the opposite low point. Make sure you cross that middle mark!
Do all the scallops.
Step Two: Cutting Halfway and Pleating
Take your scissors and cut along a scoreline to the middle mark. If you can, punch out a tiny hole at that middle mark. But it's not vital - it just makes it easier to pleat precisely.
Now start pleating. Just like a fan, one pleat is folded towards you, and the next, away.
Do the other circle the same way!
Step Three: Connect the Two Pleated Circles
Now, it's time to glue the two pleated circles together. One pleat will "nest" into the other. Add glue to just one pleat, and place the other atop it. You may or may not have to CUT OFF a single pleat to make them nest correctly. Just look and see - you will be able to tell if it's necessary.
Glue the other free ends together - nest them again - cut a single pleat off if necessary again - now the rosette is formed! Use your fingers to sharpen pleats and shift pleats as needed to even out the pleats around the rosette.
Step Four: Stabilize the Rosette and Add A Pretty Center
These rosettes don't pull or tug apart, but it's best to stabilize them with little cardstock circles. I like to use the hot glue for this, too. I place a bit of hot glue along the tops of the pleats, and pop a cardstock circle over the middle of the rosette. So you can see, it doesn't matter if your pleats were particularly perfect or not! That little center circle hides any problems.
It isn't strictly necessary, but I like to turn the rosette over and add a circle to the back, too. I always do, if I'm going to use it to decorate a tree as an ornament or if I use it in a swag.
Step Five: Finishing Touches
Your rosette is ready to use, but you can fancy it up, too - I sometimes add a paper circle or a stick-on "gem" in the center of the cardstock circle. You can punch a very small hole in one pleat at the free side and thread a bit of yard or gilt thread through and make it into an ornament at this time.
For more rosette instructions and pictures, don't forget to drop by my other pages!
Now, review the instructions. Make a CUT along one scoreline to the center. Then PLEAT the circle, like a little fan, one "petal" towards you, one away, using the score lines as guides!
