Beautiful Paper Flowers: more than just a book...

Beautiful Paper Flowers

Elegant – and easy to make– Blossoms

By Laurie Cinotto

Sterling Innovation,  June 2014

Boxed kit with paperback, £9.99 UK, $14.99 US, $15.95 CAN

ISBN 978 45491163

Star rating: *** ½

... and, it’s another paper flower book! This one is not a wallflower – it stands out from the crowd. Why?  Because it is more than just a book.  It is a beautifully-boxed kit. Known in the book trade as a “value-added” book. What you get is everything you need to make 9 different types of paper flower – plus an accompanying how-to paperback.

Here’s the kit inventory: you get 24 squares of crinkle crepe paper (posh – not the stretchy craft shop variety), a roll of green florist’s tape, stem wires, a pack of flower stamens – and the instructional book. The flower designs are for: 1 Anemone, 2 Carnation, 3 Peony, 4 Poppy, 5 Rose, 6 Daffodil; 7,8,9: Dahlias 3 ways: Water Lily, Cactus, and Round. 

The style of the flowers is realistic with a crafty touch (the anemones have button centres). When I first saw this kit, I thought it looked a little thin on the ground – but on closer examination, I was very impressed by the quality of the kit materials and of the instructional book. Two other plus factors: the distinctive crinkled-paper squares would be difficult to track down left to your own resources, and the price is quite reasonable for what is provided. 

The book is a slim paperback, but it does a very good job of packing all you need to know into 64 pages. The author, Laurie Cinotto, is very knowledgable. The text is written in a friendly conversational style and is filled with plenty of paper flower-making tips. There are tutorials on how to use floral tape, and how to attach petals. Leaves are considered optional, but they do get a mention, as does leaf placement. The author also describes how to make your own duo-coloured (in bands) papers.

As for the flowers: the Rose is breathtaking. The Round-Style Dahlia with fluted inner petals is a winner. The Daffodil is not very convincing – but that is a small quibble in an otherwise very nice package. There are full-sized photocopiable templates at the back of the book – for flower petals and leaves. 

Beautiful Paper Flowers is very giftable – perhaps for yourself!

Note: I was supplied with a review copy of the kit.