Use Pipe Cleaners, Buttons to Make Flower Paper Craft Embellishments

With simple materials you have sitting in your craft containers; you can create stylish embellishments for your paper crafts. A few buttons and some pipe cleaner are easily fashioned into a kitschy flower, perfect for celebrating spring, Mother's Day, birthdays, and Easter.

Pipe cleaner flowers add a fun touch to scrapbook pages, cards, gift bags, frames, shadow boxes, and other arts.

Materials

Pipe Cleaner

Button

Thread

Sewing Needle

Instructions

Using one-third of the pipe cleaner, make a figure eight shape (pictured.)

Make a second figure eight shape, overlapping the first figure eight, with the next one-third portion of the pipe cleaner (pictured.) You should have four loops or "petals" of the flower you are shaping.

Use the remaining pipe cleaner to form the fifth petal. Use any remaining pipe cleaner to secure the petals of the flower together by looping the wire around the center.

Tip: Use a laundry pin to hold the center of the flower in place while you form the "petals" into your desired flower shape (pictured.)

Thread needle. Leaving a three-inch length of thread, begin sewing button onto center of flower.

When you are finished sewing the button securely, tie beginning length of thread with end length to firmly secure the button (pictured.) You will now have a finished flower that can be glued, taped, or sewn onto your paper craft project.

Ideas: Any button will work, but try experimenting with shaped buttons to create different effects. A heart-shaped button was used for the pictured example, making the flower suitable for spring crafts or holidays such as Valentines Day or Easter.

A star button could be substituted for birthday, Fourth of July, Memorial Day, or Christmas crafts. A pumpkin for fall or Halloween. A square button for a funky, modern look. Use your imagination to mix the colors and buttons as you see fit to create personal touches on your flower embellishments.