Bloom basics

YOU WILL NEED: Foil Hot glue gun Green floral wire and tape (try hobbycraft.co.uk) Scissors and fringing scissors (optional) Flower-coloured and green Italian crêpe paper

FLOWER BUD

1 Roll a small ball of foil and use a glue gun to attach it to a piece of floral wire.

2 Cut a rectangle from the flower-coloured crêpe paper long enough to wrap around the ball and about two-thirds as wide, with the fine grain of the crêpe running along the length of the piece.

3 Use your fingers to stretch out the centre of the strip to help it fit neatly around the foil ball. Cover the foil with the crêpe paper, glueing it in place.

4 Cut two rectangles of green crêpe paper, twist into bows and fold in half. Form into cup shapes, glue the loose ends, then glue onto the ball, squeezing to shape. Cut two thin leaves and glue to the wire and the ball.

FRINGED FLOWER CENTRE WITH PETALS

1 Cut a rectangle of crêpe paper with the fine grain of the crêpe running across the width of the piece. The width of the rectangle will determine the size of your finished petals and should be long enough to wrap around the wire several times. Use normal or fringing scissors to fringe the paper widthways, leaving a narrow strip uncut along one long edge.

2 If making a flower centre with just a fringe, apply a line of hot glue along the uncut edge of the strip and wrap it around the end of the floral wire.

3 If making a centre with a ball and fringe, first make a small flower bud (as before). Then glue the fringed strip of crêpe paper around the base of the bud.

4 Make a petal template – a teardrop shape works well – and cut from crêpe paper with the grain of the crêpe running vertically down the centre of each petal.

5 Place both thumbs in the centre of each petal and stretch the crêpe outwards to form a cup shape. Apply hot glue to the base of the petal and attach it to the outside of the base of the fringed flower centre. Repeat to attach all the petals, overlapping them as you go.

6 If you like, attach green leaves around the back of the flower, as for the bud.

TO CONNECT FLOWER STEMS

1 Wrap the first wire stem with green floral tape. You need to stretch the tape fully to release the glue and allow the tape to stick to itself. Begin at the top (at the base of the bud or flower) and wrap the tape around the stem once, stretching fully and squeezing so the tape sticks to itself, then wind the tape down the stem. Cut the tape when you get to the end of the wire.

2 Begin wrapping the next stem as before, starting at the top and winding the tape down to the point where you want the connection to be. At this point, add the first stem and continue wrapping the tape around both stems. Add more stems in the same way, as required.