Recycled Watercolor Flower Garlands


I like to recycle my old paintings, my mess-ups and experiments.  It seems such a waste to throw away good watercolor paper.  

Thank goodness I have a large flower paper punch and a sewing machine!  When you cut up the mess-up paintings, you can hide the fact that they are, in fact,  mess-ups.  

Recycle old watercolor paintings in paper flower cut-outs
Recycle old watercolor paintings in paper flower cut-outs

To make a garland out of these:
  • Set your sewing machine to the longest stitch possible. 
  • Sew straight across one flower and feed in another very closely behind it to not leave much of a gap. Then continue with the rest of the flowers.
  • When you have all the flowers attached, sew a second line down through all the flowers about a quarter of an inch apart from the first, to keep the flowers facing forwards and keep them from turning.


Flower Garland made out of recycled watercolor paper: Grow Creative
Flower Garland made out of recycled watercolor paper: Grow Creative
Flower Garland made out of recycled watercolor paper: Grow Creative
Flower Garland made out of recycled watercolor paper: Grow Creative

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12 comments:

  1. Katelyn VidmarApril 9, 2015 at 11:37 AM

    Oooooh! I love it! These are beautiful and perfect for spring decor. :)

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    Replies
    1. Elise EnghApril 9, 2015 at 5:17 PM

      thanks! Now I just need a house of my own to decorate ;)

      Delete
  2. UnknownApril 9, 2015 at 12:08 PM

    So cute! I have to try this!! :)

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  3. UnknownApril 9, 2015 at 2:27 PM

    Wow those look great! I just ordered a 3" off of Amazon

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    Replies
    1. Elise EnghApril 9, 2015 at 5:18 PM

      Cool! Good luck with your project and any other future craftiness you use that paper punch for! It's one of my favorite craft tools ever.

      Delete
  4. SianApril 10, 2015 at 8:06 AM

    Oh they are lovely!!!!!

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  5. Gaby {lifeineight.com}April 10, 2015 at 2:41 PM

    These are so sweet and unbelievably easy to make! You've just given me a good idea for my little one's first birthday party decorations :)

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    Replies
    1. Elise EnghApril 10, 2015 at 4:55 PM

      oooh, yes birthday party decor would be a good use for these! Hadn't thought of that!

      Delete
  6. JackieApril 10, 2015 at 3:21 PM

    What a wonderful idea!! Seriously so cute. I wish my watercolors looked as good as your "mess ups"!

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  7. lesley: the dream treeMay 1, 2015 at 6:46 AM

    how creative!! cool.
    question: for example, in that fish tail, how do you get all those colors in there without making it look muddy? how dilute is your paint?

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    Replies
    1. Elise EnghMay 1, 2015 at 3:09 PM

      Thanks Lesley! I used a stencil on that fish, but I don't remember exactly how I laid the colors down- it was a long long time ago. I think using lots of pigment and placing the colors next to each other (not on top of each other) can help keep the colors fresh. That way the different colors are separate but run into each other a little.

      Delete

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