Believe me, there is something really interesting and beautiful about recycled paper bag flowers. Flowers made from recycled lunch bags and recycled grocery bags (like the large flower above) are wonderful, and it's especially nice to combine a few different types of recycled paper bags that may be slightly different shades of brown. And with the Jewish holiday of Shavuos quickly approaching, well, it's time to make flowers! And in my book, the more the better, so grab some paper bags, a bit of wire, a pair of scissors and you're in business! And while these paper bag flowers are far from traditional, they actually look great in my mother's mid-century modern living room, so I think you can feel safe even giving them as a fun gift to someone with any style home.
You'll Need:
- recycled brown paper bags, any size
- wire, sturdy is best, but if you've got flimsy wire or pipe cleaners you can always re-inforce the stem with more wire if necessary
- scissors
How To:
- Cut 10 concentric circles, about 5 on the larger side, and 5 on the smaller side. Combine different colored brown paper bags in one flower if possible, and let some of the printed lettering show if desired as well.
- Crumple all the circles into little balls, and unfold
- Stack the circles with the smallest on top and the largest on the bottom.
- Using something sharp, pierce two holes side by side and through all the layers.
- Thread the wire up the stack through one of the holes, and then down through the stack through the second hole, and twist two ends of the wire together to form the stem.
- Take each layer and fold and crumple the edges while bringing the sides up towards the center. Play around a little until you're happy with the shape of your flower.
- Make a bunch and enjoy!