Making Flowers & Leaves with paper punches.

[Thimble Hall]

I am following this closely, I have never made a paper flower. I have done  porcelain clay then fired it, fondant icing for cakes,,but this is all new to me, I watched the bleeding heart on Youtube and figured this is a whole new crazy thing here. So where do I start, at the beginning right, but there must be a simpler beginning than that bleeding heart. Is there a book, or a kit you suggest just to get me going..help.

[Debsrand56]

Hi, Jeannine.  Two good places for kits are The Miniature Garden (which, unfortunately, seems to be on a short break right now) and SDK Miniatures, although I know there are more out there.  The Miniature Garden provides pre-punched petals leaves from colored paper; SDK provides laser cut petals and leaves that you paint yourself (on the sheet).  Both also provide wires, pots, vases, "dirt", "pollen," etc., as appropriate for the plant, along with instructions, and both have full scale and half scale kits (SDK also has quarter scale).  There are also dozens of tutorials out there, if you Google "miniature flower tutorials" or "miniature plant tutorials."  However then, as Samantha did, you'll need to buy your own punches.

[WyckedWood]

I like the hankypankycrafts kits, that's what I started with. Some of the sdk kits use already colored paper. At least they used to when I was buying from her a few years ago. The bleeding heart kit that sdk sells is Mary kinlocks laser design.  I've done that one and it's really cool just time consuming. 

I think The Art of Mini has flower kits? 

Some very well established miniaturists cut their own petals and don't use punches at all....which amazes me, I don't have the patience or eye sight for that kind of work anymore. But you can make a rose from just a regular circular office punch.  

[WyckedWood]

For anyone making their first flowers I would highly recommend trying an Iris first. You can use colored tissue paper like the kind sold for tissue gift wrap and a tear drop punch available in craft stores. The wire isn't any special thin size and the leaves can be easily cut by hand. I'm sure there's a tutorial on aboutminiatures.com, they make up quickly and are so pretty when finished. 

[havanaholly]

I have made several roses because they are ridiculously simple, using a regular circular hole punch for the petals.  You just lap the circles as you glue them around a length of wire and by the third row (if you're using tissue paper; second row if you use copier paper) you roll the top third of the petal outward.

[Thimble Hall]

No. can't do it..I have just spent the last hour or so looking at supplies, found Mary Kinloch, tried hanky-panky but it is overwhelming. I see loads of laser cuts flowers and leaves but am not getting the concept. do I buy I set of leaves and I set of flower parts. do they not come together?? I don't need tools, I have all the ball stylus's. mini brushes etc, I also have some cake making supplies which include some paper covered wires etc which may be useful, not sure about size .

 

Usually I can take a look , pick up a selection of stuff but am not finding this easy. Can someone go a wee step further and help me out by helping me choose something . I need a flower with leaves . maybe three types and an ivy or something like that, anyway more than one type so I can practise, it has to have instructions and I don't think the laser cut sheets do . I am very much out of my depth here. My punches are too big, I am pretty sure of that after looking at the youtube video, so I need to either buy some or buy the laser cut sheets.

 

Totally lost here

[havanaholly]

I printed caladiums and painted the back of the sheet, cut them out & glued them to wires:

[Debsrand56]

12 minutes ago, Jeannine said:

do I buy I set of leaves and I set of flower parts. do they not come together??

I can't speak for HankyPanky, but I know that SDK's kits come with everything you need, including instructions and pots or vases.  Maybe I can snap a photo of  a kit at home tonight. I think I have one unmade kit left. So here's SDK's ivy.  I'm fond of geraniums (and I know they're pretty easy and fun to make), here are gerbera daisies, and what about an iris?  Three different types of flowers with different techniques.  I won't feel bad if you don't take my suggestions.   I do wish The Miniature Garden weren't on hiatus, as it would be nice for you to try a couple of different kinds of kits to see what works best for you.  She does a very pretty climbing rose.

[Guest]

@Jeannine  If you are looking for punches to do-it-yourself some flowers Punch Bunch minis seem to be the go to punches.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=punch+bunch&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xpunch+bunch+mini.TRS1&_nkw=punch+bunch+mini&_sacat=0

[WyckedWood]

When I go down in my work room later, unless someone else beats me to it, I'll take a picture of what the kits look like and what you get. The hankypanky kits are complete as well, but sdk gives you a pot too sometimes which is nice. The kits come with directions, but the laser sheets from Mary dont, unless you get Mary's from sdk then they do. Confused yet? Lol 

[Thimble Hall]

Thank you so much, and yes I am very confused Karin.. I don't to buy something that comes with a pot or birdbath. not yet I just need to get something basic to have a go at the flowers. It seems they call the laser sheets kits too although there are no instructions in them and this is were I am confused.  I need the instructions, a really good book would be useful. I very much appreciate you all taking the time to help, I am struggling with something at home right now so the forum  is distracting me and that is good . I will check out Punch Bunch too, thank you Samantha.

Hope I am not too much of a pest

[WyckedWood]

No problem I totally understand. There is a book by Freida Grey but she doesn't use punches. I think it's called Making Miniature Gardens in 1/12 scale., something like that. 

So this is what the kits look like basically. They are pretty inclusive, this one is a lilac from hankypanky. Sdk kits are the same, instructions, supplies and a photo of what the finished flower should look like. Sdk is easier to order from, you have to email hankypanky with your order. 

[shannonc60]

9 hours ago, Jeannine said:

No. can't do it..I have just spent the last hour or so looking at supplies, found Mary Kinloch, tried hanky-panky but it is overwhelming. I see loads of laser cuts flowers and leaves but am not getting the concept. do I buy I set of leaves and I set of flower parts. do they not come together?? I don't need tools, I have all the ball stylus's. mini brushes etc, I also have some cake making supplies which include some paper covered wires etc which may be useful, not sure about size .

 

Usually I can take a look , pick up a selection of stuff but am not finding this easy. Can someone go a wee step further and help me out by helping me choose something . I need a flower with leaves . maybe three types and an ivy or something like that, anyway more than one type so I can practise, it has to have instructions and I don't think the laser cut sheets do . I am very much out of my depth here. My punches are too big, I am pretty sure of that after looking at the youtube video, so I need to either buy some or buy the laser cut sheets.

 

Totally lost here

I understand you here Jeannine! The Hanky Panky punched petals/leaves are VERY confusing. She does sell books with instructions on how to use the petals to make up various flowers, but they are pretty pricey. 

I have been on the landscaping bandwagon too, trying to make some things. I just lack the patience for making flowers. I did read about someone using couscous for lilacs. I think it would also work great for wisteria, agapanthus, geraniums etc and lots of different things in the smaller scales. So you get some green wire or paint your wire green (I don't worry too much about thickness, as long as it is fine), stick one end into PVA glue then into the couscous. You might need to do this a few times to build up a decent sized couscous ball. Then when it is dry, paint the couscous whatever colour you need. I have tried this, but haven't painted them yet. As I said, I lack landscaping patience!!

[Thimble Hall]

Shannon, I spent some time looking at all the flower  kits on the SDK site and actually I found quite a few I didn't like I am a bit of a gardener and felt that although all were pretty some were not as realistc as I was expecting. Some were excellent I might add. I should add here I have a reputation in my family for being very picky and having a very keen eye, they tease me about it. My mother used to say as a child I was a perfectionist and I think she was right, I will do something over and over and over till I get it exactly as I want it. I am working on dining chair seats in petit point and have made the canvas smaller to get the detail in. I was on 22sts per inch,on silk,then tonight Iused  working on 30 sts per inch on silk but have just pulled oit out and redoing in on 40 sts pre inch tomorrow. I have been looking at my punches and some of them are very tiny after all and I do silk sugar wire, I used it for making sugar paste flower sprays and I have sizes 28 and 38 covered wire.I jave tons of papers, crepes, tissues, hand made onions kin plus many more so if I mayhave a play tomorrow. I will check out the books on amazon Tahnk you

[havanaholly]

Jeannine, check out the glue and wire mini flowers; our own Shelly N makes exquisite flowers and describes how to do it here:  http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/?app=blog&module=blogs&controller=view&id=51

[WyckedWood]

5 hours ago, Jeannine said:

Shannon, I spent some time looking at all the flower  kits on the SDK site and actually I found quite a few I didn't like I am a bit of a gardener and felt that although all were pretty some were not as realistc as I was expecting. Some were excellent I might add. I should add here I have a reputation in my family for being very picky and having a very keen eye, they tease me about it. My mother used to say as a child I was a perfectionist and I think she was right, I will do something over and over and over till I get it exactly as I want it. I am working on dining chair seats in petit point and have made the canvas smaller to get the detail in. I was on 22sts per inch,on silk,then tonight Iused  working on 30 sts per inch on silk but have just pulled oit out and redoing in on 40 sts pre inch tomorrow. I have been looking at my punches and some of them are very tiny after all and I do silk sugar wire, I used it for making sugar paste flower sprays and I have sizes 28 and 38 covered wire.I jave tons of papers, crepes, tissues, hand made onions kin plus many more so if I mayhave a play tomorrow. I will check out the books on amazon Tahnk you

I agree about the sdk flowers sometimes being off. All of the different flower kit sellers produce some things I like and some things I don't. It sounds like with your natural talent you really won't be needing a lot of kits anyway but doing at least one helps to get the process down. 

[shannonc60]

The most realistic flower kits I've seen are from Pascale Garnier, but they are hard to find. She sells through Art of Mini and Swan House Miniatures (you can google them as they both have webstores).

You could also make polymer clay ones. I have this book from years ago which was pretty good:

https://www.amazon.com/Book-Miniatures-Meyers-Florist-Shoppe/dp/B00QJ6BYO0/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1502830823&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=Miniature+florist

And there is this too (but I don't own it):

https://www.amazon.com/Springtime-Mini-Flowers-Allison-Croat-ebook/dp/B00BT0UGCC/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502830703&sr=1-11&keywords=Miniature+flowers

[Guest]

Has anyone tried the Little Goodies kits? There are some on eBay right now.. the vendor doesn't ship to Australia but if anyone has had experience with them I'll add them to a followed search and see if any others come up. 

As a side note, in a strange "the universe works in mysterious ways" twist, a package of things I bought online arrived yesterday with two freebie gift kits of daisies and delphiniums from The Miniature Garden Center.... Alas, they are 1:24.. so not trying those on the first go! Sooo teeny tiny!! 

[shannonc60]

Also another seller who sells the small punches:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Miniature-Leaf-Punch-MEDIUM-PURPLE-Tool-to-make-LEAVES-dioramas-scenery-bases/282448287649?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

There are more too.

[WyckedWood]

I haven't tried the Little Goodies kits. I do see them on eBay often. I have done the Easy Leaves brand, they're ok. I accidently bought one in 1:24 so I know what you mean about small...yikes.  Bonnie Lavish kits were nice, she stopped making them for awhile but might have returned to it. Minikitz.com was/is one source for her kits. 

[Goldenrodfarm]

I bought a kit of wisteria after looking at the price of the punches, I wanted wisteria on the bed instead of a canopy in the stump fairy house.  I haven't started it yet but looked over the instructions and decided it would take a lot of patience and a magnifying glass, but it doesn't look difficult.  I figure that after hollowing out a rock maple stump I have the patience part down!  I of course haven't got the bed made or designed yet, but when I saw the wisteria kit I knew that is what I wanted it to look like!  If I like making the flowers I may invest in some punches, I can see window boxes with lots of flowers in the windows, or maybe sone ivy growing here and there!  Lots to do before I get there anyway!  Trying to decide on a roof design for a round opening now before I cut the hinged opening.

[Debsrand56]

19 hours ago, Samusa said:

Alas, they are 1:24.. so not trying those on the first go! Sooo teeny tiny!!

Hey!  Some of us think that is normal size.  

[havanaholly]

1 hour ago, Goldenrodfarm said:

I bought a kit of wisteria after looking at the price of the punches, I wanted wisteria on the bed instead of a canopy in the stump fairy house.  I haven't started it yet but looked over the instructions and decided it would take a lot of patience and a magnifying glass, but it doesn't look difficult.  I figure that after hollowing out a rock maple stump I have the patience part down!  I of course haven't got the bed made or designed yet, but when I saw the wisteria kit I knew that is what I wanted it to look like!  If I like making the flowers I may invest in some punches, I can see window boxes with lots of flowers in the windows, or maybe sone ivy growing here and there!  Lots to do before I get there anyway!  Trying to decide on a roof design for a round opening now before I cut the hinged opening.

When I was filling flower beds and window boxes I used an awful lot of the tiny artificial flowers & leaves from the dollar & discount stores.

[KathieB]

24 minutes ago, havanaholly said:

When I was filling flower beds and window boxes I used an awful lot of the tiny artificial flowers & leaves from the dollar & discount stores.

Good idea. Some of the multi-petaled flowers can be cut apart to make hyacinths and other small flowers.

[Guest]

13 hours ago, Debsrand56 said:

Hey!  Some of us think that is normal size.  

Haha.. if your not careful you might end up with these if there is a Christmas/Easter swap...