We were asked to make some flowers to decorate the tables for our Girl Scout Awards Ceremony, so I decided to try to make some coffee filter flowers. There are a million tutorials available online, but they are insanely easy to make.
Katie and Mia had a great time helping me dye the filters. I couldn't find my food coloring... but I knew exactly where my koolaid packets were. Added bonus, scented flowers. I just grabbed some plastic bowls and mixed some water and koolaid (not the pre-sweetened kind) until it looked pretty. It is a scientific method. Then I grabbed some filters from the stack (probably 12-20 at a time) and stuck them in the koolaid. I also used some cold coffee. When they had soaked up as much color as possible I lightly squeezed them and then placed them in the oven at 250 degrees. I'm lazy, I set the whole stack in at first and then, as they dried, peeled them apart to speed it up.
I did make some that were undyed that I used watercolor paint on after the flowers were made.
Once they are all dry, and you are admiring how pretty they look stacked up, you are ready to make flowers. The larger flowers took six filters. Fold the stack of filters in half then half again. Cut scallops along the outer edge. I then folded the open edge back to the folded edge (it is in eighths now). I took a length of wire around 12 inches, placed the middle at the base and stapled it. Then wrap the wire around, twisting and doubling back, until it feels secure. I left enough wire to be able to fasten the flower to a bamboo skewer later. Then you just find the middle and separate the layers, fluffing it up until you are satisfied.
Voila... flowers.
The smaller ones I used a little different method. Cutting the bottom from the filters and then a straight cut to separate the ring. Then you just roll the layers, forming a rose as you go. Staple and wire around the base. These I left the wire long and added to the "stem" of the larger flowers creating a mini bouquet.
For leaves a grabbed three filters which I folded into fourths. I cut leaf shapes, leaving an inch or so uncut to fasten my wire to. Fold into eighths, secure with wire and add to the bouquets.
(And if I weren't trying to post from my phone I would try to place pictures to explain these steps visually. A quick google will lead you to so many better tutorials. I promise.)
