Just because "April showers bring May flowers" doesn't meant we shouldn't enjoy some flowers in April, too. Paper flowers, never go out of season. This kusudama flower is extra special because it is made completely out of re-purposed materials, glue and all, making it a good project to celebrate Earth Day (April 22, 2014).I used a sample of Recycled School Glue that I recently received from Nine Lives Products to create my flower. Their glues are made from recycled styrofoam and plant-based ingredients. I absolutely love the idea of creating something useful, like glue, from something that would otherwise just be piling up in landfills. And a bonus, the glue smells like oranges.
Materials
- paper trimmer
- magazine pages
- recycled school glue
- paper clips
Directions
Kusudama is like origami. The individual parts of your creation are made by folding paper and then they are joined together with glue.
 | Choose magazine pages with pretty colors, then trim them into five squares. I used three inch squares, but if you would like a larger or smaller flower, you could make larger or smaller squares. Each square will be one petal of the star shaped flower. |
 | Place one of the squares, face down on your work surface. |
 | Fold it in half, diagonally, to create a triangle. |
 | Fold the left corner up to the top point of the triangle. |
 | Fold the right corner up to the top of the triangle, creating a square. |
 | Fold the left flap down so the edge is even with the lower left edge of the square. |
 | Repeat with the right flap. |
 | Slide your finger into the left flap to open it. |
 | Gently press it flat. |
 | Slide your finger into the right flap to open it. |
 | Press it flat. |
 | Fold down the corner of the left flap. |
 | Fold down the corner of the right flap. |
 | Fold the left flap in half. |
 | Fold the right flap in half. |
 | Apply a thin layer of glue to the right flap. |
 | Bend the petal to glue the right flap to the left. |
 | Slide a paperclip onto the petal to secure it until the glue dries. |
 | Repeat the process to create five petals. |
 | Once the petals have dried, you can begin gluing them togather. Apply a thin line of glue along the center edge of one petal. |
 | Place a second petal along the glued edge. Glue the rest of the petals to the flower. Once all the petals are positioned the way you like, place the flower upside down to dry. |
After your flower is dry, you can use it to decorate as you choose. Next, I'll show you how to create an impressive flower ball ornament with a dozen of these kusudama blossoms.
