Lia Griffith Crepe Paper Anemone

1.     Print out the template and align the grain of the crepe paper with the template. Cut the paper according to the template instructions. Once all pieces are cut, use pinking shears to cut along the long edge of the rectangular piece of paper, which will become the stamen of the flower.

2.      Color both sides of the jagged edge of the stamen with a black marker. Create fringe along the grain of the crepe paper using 5" detail scissors.

3.      Curl the stamen and petals. Wrap the plain side of the stamen piece around a pencil and gently stretch the paper to curl it. Then, hold a petal with the tip down, place your thumb in the middle, and curl each side of the tip away from you, gently stretching the paper while wrapped around a pencil. Curl the bottom of each petal toward you.

4.      Sand down the 1" foam ball to half its size, creating a 1/2" ball. Use needle nose pliers to bend the tip of wire into a U shape. Press the U-shaped tip into the foam ball, remove it, and add glue. Press the tip back into the glued hole. Stretch the black oval piece of crepe paper into a cup shape, cover the ball, and twist the edges around the base along the wire. Glue the stamen around the base of the ball, with the curl moving toward the center. Glue the smallest three petals at the base of the center of the flower, then repeat with the three medium-sized petals, and finish with the three remaining large petals.

5.      Curl the leaves in any desired direction, and glue them to the back of the anemone bloom. Wrap the base of the flower and stem with floral tape.