Paper Dahlias

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/226340/paper-dahlia?center=0&gallery=274777&slide=241880


You will need:

Dahlia bulbs, Swan Island Dahlias

Tissue paper (we used colored tissue paper in azalea (CT1AP), $11.95 for 480 sheets)

String or heavy thread

Ribbon

To wrap the bulb, stack two pieces of tissue paper and fold them in half side to side, then top to bottom.

Download the PDF of our dahlia template, and print onto standard printer paper. Cut out template; then lay on top of folded tissue paper, aligning straight edges of template with the two folded edges of the tissue paper. Trace lightly around the template, and then cut on the line to create a tissue-paper dahlia. Open tissue paper and rotate top sheet slightly so the petal tips are staggered.


Wrap the bulb in another layer of tissue paper, and place it in the center of the tissue-paper dahlia. Wrap the tissue-paper dahlia around the bulb, drawing the sides up and to the center; secure with string (leave ends long for now).

To make the tags, download the PDFs of both the initials tag and the planting-instructions tag.

For the initials tag, type in your first initials and wedding date. Print onto 8 1/2-by-11-inch card stock.


For the planting-instructions tag, print onto card stock.

Using a 1 1/2-inch circle craft punch, punch out each tag. (Turn the craft punch upside down, so you can see the positioning of the design in the hole of the punch.)

Place an initials tag on top of an instructions tag, and use a small hole punch to make a hole through the top center of both tags.

Thread string through the holes and tie; trim ends.

Wrap a pretty ribbon around to cover up the string, and tie.