I’ve been on a bit of a paper creation binge lately – trying to dream up what kinds of things I can bring to life in paper form. My latest creation: paper air plants. Sure, air plants are already the lowest maintenance of all flora, but I couldn’t resist super-sizing their interesting contours and – oh yes – making them GOLD! Today, I’m sharing how to make a medium sized paper air plant about 8″ in diameter. Make lots and lots to create a table runner, or downsize them a bit for a creative plate adornment. I can only imagine all the uses you could come up with for these beauties! – Mandy Pellegrin of Craftcourse

Materials

• Gold Card Stock
• Scissors
• Bone Folder
• Hot Glue Gun

Step One: Cut out about 15 triangles in various widths ranging from 1/4″ – 1″ and heights ranging from 4 – 6″ to create the air plant’s leaves. Also cut (or punch) out two circles about 2″ in diameter.

Step Two: Use a bone folder to gently curl each of the leaves as you would curl ribbon. Vary the curliness. Create an S-curl on a few  by curling the entire leaf in one direction from the back and then curling just the end of the leaf in the other direction from the front.

Step Three: Cut a slit half way across the diameter of each of the circles.

Step Four: Overlap the cut edges of each circle to create two cones, and glue into place. Make one of the cones a bit more angled than the other.

Step Five: Glue 6 or 7 leaves into each of the cones by placing glue onto the back side of the bottom edge and sliding into the cone.

Step Six: Reserve two of the skinnier leaves for the center, and glue them together at the bottom.

Step Seven: Cut the bottom of the center two leaves into a point.

Step Eight: Dispense a large dollop of hot glue in the bottom of the less steep cone, and then affix the steeper of the two cones inside. Hold it in place a moment while the glue sets.

Step Nine: Dispense another small bead of glue into the steeper cone, and affix the pointed end of the center two leaves, holding in place while the glue sets.

Enjoy!

Photo Credits: Mandy Pellegrin for Oh So Beautiful Paper