DIY giant paper flowers

I was asked to make a display table that represented faith at our stakes New Beginnings this week. 

I knew I wanted to do giant white flowers. Not only did they fit my theme perfectly, they also added a lot of drama.

I wasn't able to find any tutorials online that fit the shape and size I wanted so I thought I would share what I figured out in the process. 

They are super easy to make and only take a few minutes. You can make them Giant or small and with supplies you already have at home. I used plain old printer paper as well as some butcher paper from my husbands school. Even with just 8-1/2x11 sheet of paper you can still get a 24" flower. 

For this flower I used:

 6 sheets of 8-1/2x11 paper

scissors

hot glue

I cut four sheets of paper in half, one into 4th's and one into 8th's. 

 Then I cut the tops into a petal shape. Various shapes on top will add dimension. Next I cut a slit up the middle of the bottom. It was about 3" or so. 

Next I placed a blob of glue on one side of the slit.  

 Then I folded the one side of the slit onto the top of the other side. You want to create a cone shape with the glue holding it in place. 

 You can fold it over a little for a shallow bump or a lot for a deeper bump. You'll want to vary how deep of a cone you get with each layer. The outside petals will need a shallow bump and the inside need a deeper bump. 

 Once you've made all your petals for each layer, start glueing them together. I like to start with the largest petals and move in. For this flower I started with two petals and then added petals around it. 

I placed the glue on the top side of the bottom end of the petal and then stuck it under the existing petals.  

Once I had my outside petals done I glued the four middle ones together and placed them on the inside.  

 Then I did three of the smallest. I cut down two of the smaller petals and added them to the very center. 

Hope that makes sense cause they really are super easy and so fun. You could do any color and any size depending on what paper you have available. I think they'd be great for a wedding or big party. 

If you are interested the chalk boards, I got a giant board (2'x4') at Home Depot for $10 and had it cut down (for free) to fit my frame. Thanks to Cheri for the tip on chalk boards. I was then able to use the left over pieces for the other projects. 

The chalk board worked perfectly with my Chalk Markers. I see a lot more Chalk Art in my future.

back to school on a budget

I pride myself on being pretty thrifty. I'm probably more excited when someone says they like something I bought for super cheap, than if they say they like something I made. 

School starts next week for us and in the name of tradition we've been doing some back-to-school shopping. With four school age kids, it can be very costly. 

Some ways I shop on a budget are:

-clearance, especially end of season for the next year

- buy second hand- (I find new things at thrift stores all the time)

- back to school sales for jeans

- refashion unused clothing you already have

I kinda have this rule in my head that I won't spend much more than $10 for an outfit. Sometimes I get worried when I go to a few stores and I don't find anything I like in that price range, but if I keep looking, it always works out. Of course the exception to that is boys jeans. It's really hard to find boys jeans second hand. That is when you have to take advantage of back to school sales and stock up.  

One of my favorite traditions is to do a little fashion show with the kids when we are done shopping. We've done it for the last few years. It's a fun way to show dad the new stuff and get the kids excited for school to start. 

Here are a few of our thrifty finds this year:

1. Arizona shirt- thirfted, $4; Levi's Jeans- thrifted, $8; total- $12

2. long sleeve T- thirfted with original tags, $2.60; jeans- The children's place, $12: total- $14.60

3. J. Crew polo- thirfted, $3; jeans- The children's place $12; total-$15.00

DC shoes, $10

1. dress- thrifted, $2; jean jacket- thrifted, $2.50; total- $4.50

2. sweater- thifted, $4; leggins- walmart, $5; total- $9.00

3. shirt- walmart, $5; turquoise corduroy pants- Osh-Kosh clearance, $6; total-$11.00 

1. shirt- Walmart, $3.88; skinny jeans - thrifted, $6.50; total- $10.38
2. dress- Walmart, $6; leggins- Walmart, $3.88; total- $9.88
3. shirt and pants combo- costco $7.99

One of my favorite buys were these hightop sneakers. I got them at a thrift store for $5. 

We got loads more stuff to integrate with their current wardrobe and I'm hoping to do a few more refashions for the girls this week. You can't beat free clothing.

Here are the links to the refashions I did last year, for those that missed them:

1. pear dress, 2. Skirt to Shirts 3. Pants to Tunic 

1. eyelet dress, 2. T-shirt dreses, 3. sundress to school dress

For more ideas on sewing for school age girls check out Dress Your School Girl starting next week on The Train to Crazy. I'll be guest posting on Monday.

What do you do to save money this time of year?