The other day during an infrequent burst of housekeeping, I found myself poised to throw away a big handful of too-small coffee filters. Being a packrat and mixed-media artist, it kills me to toss any potential art material. Just as the filters hit the trash can, I remembered reading a fun technique for creating coffee filter flowers in Paper Crafting with Carol Duvall.

Pulling Carol’s wonderful new book from my bookshelf, I was inspired to make use of the filters and design something inspiring for my July class in one fell swoop. How I love multitasking!

Creating coffee filter flowers is an easy craft that’s perfect to do with school-age children during the long summer break. I began by putting some basket-style filters on my nonstick craft mat and spraying them with coordinating colors of Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels.   

When the filters dried, I folded them in half and in half again, then cut a wide band along the top ruffled edge and took a running stitch to the inside edge with needle and thread. I pulled the thread ends to gather into a circle and secured the thread. If you want to take the gathered flowers a step further, stitch the outer edge of the paper flower with a running stitch and gather as before. Quilters know this technique as making fabric yo-yos.

Fair warning: these little flowers are so easy and fun to make, you won’t be able to stop at one. I paired them with some patterned paper, buttons, and rickrack to transform a dollar store frame. I’ve also adorned cards and scrapbook pages with them.

                                  Photo 1 of finished projects:

                                 
Jen transformed a few craft supplies from shabby to chic. Handmade filter flowers are fun embellishments for a variety of paper arts projects.
 

                                 Photo 2 before frame and filter:

                               
Sometimes the best craft supplies are things that cost only a few pennies, like a dollar store frame and some plain basket-style coffee filters.
 

                                       Photo 3 colored filters: 

                    
Jen colored her coffee filters with a few spritzes each of Tim Holtz' Adirondack Color Wash by Ranger Inc. and Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels.

Links:

www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_paper_crafts/article/0,,hgtv_3287_3086797,00.html

www.rangerink.com

www.mytatteredangels.com/

www.getrealscrapbooking.com/