Guest Michael Strong demonstrates how to make a greenhouse full of paper plants.
English Ivy
Materials:
8-1/2" x 11" piece dark green card stock
8-1/2" x 11" piece medium green card stock
lead pencil
yellow pencil
white glue
scissors
paper cutter
Steps:
1. Using a paper cutter, cut each sheet of green card stock into 16 equal pieces, approximately 2-1/8" x 2-3/4" each. First cut a sheet in half to yield two 5-1/2 " x 8-1/2" pieces. Then cut each of those pieces in half to yield four 5-1/2" x 4 -1/4" pieces, then in half again to yield eight 2-3/4" x 4-1/4" pieces. Finally, cut each of those eight pieces in half. Then you'll have 16 pieces that are 2-3/4" x 2-1/8" each. After cutting both sheets, you'll have 32 pieces.
2. Set aside one piece of each color for stems.
3. Fold each of the 30 remaining pieces in half lengthwise.
4. With the regular lead pencil, draw half of a tall thin triangle shape on the spine of each fold and a second triangle shape over (figure A). Vary the size of the triangles to give the finished product a more natural look.
5. Cut out with scissors as shown in the illustration (figure B).
6. Cut out a small notch from the base of the leaf (figure C). Open to form the ivy leaf.
7. To make the veins of the leaf, use the yellow pencil to draw a line from the inside center of the base of the leaf to the tip, (along the center fold). Now repeat this line from the center of the base to the remaining four tips of the leaf. Draw in the other veins (figure D).
8. To make a stem, fold one of the two set-aside pieces from step 3 in half lengthwise. With scissors, cut off the spine very thinly (figure E). (The spine piece will bend on its own during the cutting process.) You may continue to fold the small scraps in half to make more stems.
9. Flatten out a small section of one end of the stem and glue it to the back of the leaf so that when looking at the veined side of the leaf, the stem will be curving downwards. (It's not necessary to add stems to each leaf.)
10. Repeat the process until you have a nice pile of leaves to decorate cards, packages, collages, etc.
Bird of Paradise
Materials:
8-1/2" x 11" piece dark green card stock
2" x 3" scrap of orange construction paper or card stock
yellow and orange colored pencils
white glue
pencil
scissors
paper cutter
Steps:
1. Using a paper cutter, cut the sheet of dark green card stock in half to yield two 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" pieces. Set aside one of the pieces to be used for stems later.
2. With the paper cutter, cut the other piece in half to yield two 5-1/2" x 4-1 /4" pieces. Cut these pieces in half again to yield four 2-3/4" x 4-1/4" pieces. Finally, cut each of these pieces in half to yield eight 2-3/4" x 2-1/8" pieces.
3. Fold each of those eight pieces in half lengthwise.
4. To make a leaf, cut one of the folded pieces with scissors from the top of the spine side to the bottom of the spine side to resemble half an elongated football (figure F).
5. Cut three or four triangular notches into the rounded side of the folded elongated football-shaped piece (figure G).
6. Repeat the cutting process with three of the remaining folded pieces of card stock.
7. To make the body of the flower, draw half an elongated teardrop along the spine of one of the remaining four pieces of folded card stock. (figure H). Cut out the half teardrop shape so that when opened, it appears as a whole teardrop shape. The teardrops should be approximately 1-1/4-inch long (figure I). Repeat with the other three pieces of folded card stock.
8. To make the flower petals, scribble in yellow and orange pencil onto the scrap of orange construction paper or orange card stock. Bear down heavily with the pencils to thoroughly cover the surface. When finished coloring, polish the surface with a tissue to give a shiny appearance.
9. With scissors, cut out 12 small petals approximately 3/4 inch long (figure J).
10. Glue together three of the petals as shown in figure K. Repeat with the other sets of petals.
11. To make the stem, fold the set-aside piece of dark green card stock from step 1 in half to make a folded card 5-1/2" x 4-1/4".
12. Cut off the spine thinly (figure L). (The spine piece will bend on its own during the cutting process.) Repeat to yield three more stems.
13. To assemble, flatten out a leaf and glue a stem to the inside along the center fold line, about halfway up. When held, the stem should bend downward (figure M). Repeat with another leaf.
14. Flatten out a teardrop flower body piece and glue a stem to it in the same manner as the leaf. Repeat with another flower body.
15. Glue a set of three petals to the inside of each flower body. Fold the flower body around the petals (figure N).
16. Glue together two stemmed flower pieces and two stemmed leaf pieces (figure O) to form a complete Bird of Paradise.
Bamboo
Materials:
8-1/2" x 11" piece tan paper (Fox River confetti paper in tan)
3" x 8-1/2" scrap piece of dark brown
two 3" x 2" scrap pieces of green card stock (Neenah Classic Linen in
Augusta Green)
green colored pencils
scissors
white glue
glue stick
sheet of Wonder Tape or Red Liner Tape
wooden skewer
craft knife
cutting mat
paper cutter
pine needles (optional)
Steps:
1. Using a paper cutter, cut the 8-1/2" x 11" sheet of tan paper in half to yield two 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" pieces. Cut one of those pieces in half to yield two 5-1/2" x 4-1/4" pieces. Now cut those two pieces to yield four 2" x 4-1/4" pieces. (You will have two small leftover pieces to discard.) Cut the other piece to yield four 2" x 5-1/2" pieces. (You will have one small leftover piece to discard). You now have enough pieces to make eight bamboo poles.
2. Using the paper cutter, cut the scrap 3" x 8-1/2" brown card stock to yield about 40 strips, approximately 3" x 1/16" each.
3. To make a bamboo pole, swipe a glue stick four or five times across one of the tan strips and press on a few of the small 3" x 1/16" strips (figure P). Trim any overhanging strips.
4. Swipe the glue stick along one edge of the paper lengthwise and roll the piece of paper onto a wooden skewer (figure Q). Make sure the stripes are on the inside and the glued edge is at the bottom.
5. Roll the paper as tightly as you can until it is completely rolled up and the glued edge is holding it together. Keep rolling it between your fingers, pressing tightly to define the look of the joints made by the paper strips on the inside. Then slide the rolled paper off the skewer.
6. Flatten the roll and cut small notches randomly down the length of the pole on both sides with a craft knife (figure R). Return its shape to a cylinder with your fingers. With scissors, make a diagonal cut at the top of the pole. Set aside.
7. Completely cover both sides of the green scrap paper with colored pencil. Color back and forth in one direction, letting some of the paper show through. Polish both sides with a tissue until shiny.
8. Cut small leaves from the paper (figure S).
9. Put a spot of white glue into one of the notches on the pole and insert one or two leaves. Repeat until all the notches are filled with leaves (figure T).
Optional: If you have access to pine needles you may attach leaves to the bamboo poles in a different way. Attach the scrap of color-penciled green card stock to a sheet of Wonder Tape, Red Liner Tape or similar type of sheet adhesive.
- Cut out a number of small leaves. One side of the leaf will have the peel off protective film from the tape.
- Pine needles grow in clusters of three. Take one of the clusters and cut most of the length of the needles off. The three joined needles should be approximately one inch long after cutting.
- Peel off the backing from the leaves and attach one leaf to each needle. You will have a cluster of three leaves, which can be glued into the notches of the bamboo pole in place of or in addition too the other paper leaves.
Mother-In-Law's Tongue (Sansevieria)
Materials:
8-1/2" x 11" piece of dark green card stock
yellow and cream colored pencils
white glue
scissors
paper cutter
Steps:
1. Using a paper cutter, cut the card stock in half to yield two 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" pieces. Cut those two pieces in half to yield four 5-1/2" x 4-1/4" pieces. Cut those pieces in half to yield eight 4-1/4" x 2-3/4" pieces. Fold each piece in half lengthwise.
2. Using scissors, cut off the spine so that you have a folded piece measuring 4-1/4" x 1/4" and repeat with the other seven pieces.
3. Cut the top of each piece as shown in figure U.
4. Open each piece flat. With the cream colored pencil, make a series of lines across the width of the inside of the leaf. Color in the same direction until the whole leaf is covered with little lines from side to side. Tip: Hold your pencil at an angel so that the flat of the lead is in contact with the paper, not the point (figure V).
5. Color around the inside perimeter of each leaf with the yellow pencil to make a thin border of color around the whole inside of the leaf (figure W).
6. Put a small amount of white glue about a quarter of the way up from the base of the leaf on the inside fold. Press to hold. After the glue has dried, open up the base to form a flat surface (figure X).
7. Group several leaves together and glue the flat bases together, one atop the other, fan-like. Tip: Trimming the base of the leaves after step 5 at different lengths will give the leaves a more natural look when glued together. Use with a stamped, cutout image of a pot or other container glued over the base of the plant material (figure Y).
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