Hi there! It feels like spring outside today (finally!) and I have to admit, it makes me feel like dancing. Sunshine… oh, how I have missed you!
Today’s project is just as cheerful as the weather. I have an upcoming church event that I was asked to make centerpieces for. This is what I came up with:
I made accordion-folded paper flowers, added a dowel stuck in a mason jar, and covered the jar with tissue paper. Cheerful, cheap and easy… a winning combination in my book!
Like most church events, the budget was pretty tight, so I had to do it on a shoestring. In fact, I’m not even going to turn in my receipts to be reimbursed because I spent so little (and because I want to keep these beauties). Eight centerpieces were less than $6!
Materials
- 1 pack cardstock (25 pieces from Michael’s). $2 on sale.
- 1 pack tissue paper (from Dollar Tree). $1
- curling ribbon (from Michael’s). $0.79
- 3 dowels (from Michael’s) $1.77 ($0.59 each)
- 8 mason jars with rings, but not lids. free. (hopefully you have some lying around. If not, I see them at thrift stores all the time)
- sand. free. (or go scoop up some dirt from your backyard)
- white paint, scraps of cardstock, and a hot glue gun
Instructions
1. Make the accordion fold flowers. HERE is the tutorial.
2. Glue the top of the dowel to one flower, then glue two flowers together. This hides the dowel and makes the centerpieces look pretty from the front and the back.
3. Cut a piece of cardstock the same size as a mason jar lid. Punch a hole just large enough for the dowel to squeeze through.
4. Fill the mason jar with sand. This anchors the dowel and makes the centerpiece much more sturdy and stable. Put the paper “lid” on, screw the ring onto the jar, and slide the dowel through the hole.
5. Wrap a piece of tissue paper around the mason jar and secure with ribbon. Don’t forget to curl those ends!
I love how these turned out. They are so bright and cheery! I definitely got a lot of bang for my buck as far as decorating goes.
Wouldn’t they be cute for baby shower decor? Change the colors to red, white, and blue and they would be so cute for the Fourth of July. They sell glitter paper that would be adorable to use for these. You could even make THESE giant paper flowers instead of the fan folded ones for a totally different look. So many possibilities!
Don’t want to make the paper flower? You won’t believe where I found these flower pinwheels! They are an even easier alternative to making the paper flowers. Read about them HERE.
Comments & Reviews
Very cute!
I am going to be a butt-in-ski and encourage you to turn in your receipts. My husband was the financial clerk and tells me there are 2 good reasons to turn in your receipts for church event spending. One is to give the budget the actual cost for the event. Money not spent usually equals money deleted for the budget next year. Use it or lose it so to speak. Second is that "donating" supplies can't be done by everyone and it sets a precedent that can't always be met. If the person coming after you does not have the resources to do what you have done and the budget was reduced since it didn't seem to be needed… well there can be problems.
Again very cute project and I will be pinning this to use at Young Women events in the future. Love how you solved the tipping issue with the paper top in the jar. Very clever.
Thanks for the advice, Amy. I will probably still not turn in my receipts though, because I want to keep these centerpieces for personal use in the future… I've got several events coming up this summer that these flowers would be perfect for.
Colorful, modern and springy!
Well, thank you very much, Cheryl!
Very cute & easy!
Btw, I thought you might like my last DIY post. Not sure if you have a car remote but it looked like something you would post! http://tiffany-harvey.blogspot.com/2014/04/diy-car-remote-fix.html
I love these!!!! I needed a summer craft since I am charge of the end of the year staff lunch and these are perfect!! Thanks sooooo much. 🙂
Oh, good! I am glad I could help you out! Good luck at your lunch!
Adorable! I’ve been stuck trying to think of a centerpiece for my sons birthday party and this post gave me the inspiration I needed! Does it matter what weight cardstock you buy? Thanks so much!
No, it’s a pretty forgiving project… I just bought whatever was on sale!