Acknowledgements: Photography and language support provided by David Osborne.

Introduction

In this tutorial I will show you how to make a flower and introduce you to my special technique. There is more about this as well as some advanced designs in my book, available as an e-book from my website: http://www.nivescicinsain.com.

You will need

Materials 1

Materials 2

- a saw
- fine scissors
- masking tape
- two pasting brushes (one fine, one bigger)
- a length of dowel at least 3/8" (9mm) wide and 20” (500mm) long
- one modeling tool
- a permanent marker
- pliers/wire cutters
- coloured serviettes (napkins)
- wire
- table-tennis ball
- paste
- an empty plastic drinks bottle

Let's go

With a waterproof pen, draw one ring near the top and one about half way down, before the bottle begins to taper. Join the middle line to the point of each point on the moulded base.

Drawing rings

Drawing lines

Draw a line between each pair of lines already drawn and curve to the point.

Drawing in between the lines

Drawing petal shapes

Before cutting the petals out, saw off the end at a point that is big enough to cover about a third of the table-tennis ball.

Sawing

Cutting

Cut carefully along the lines which curve round to the tip, to release each petal.

Cutting round the curves

Releasing each petal

Splaying out each petal on a table

Cut wire that is about three inches (75mm) longer than the central line of each petal. Hold it in place with masking tape with about half an inch of wire (12mm) protruding at the petal tip.

Taping wire to a petal

Adding wire to each petal

Do this to each petal and cover the outside completely with masking tape. Fold the tape round the edge of the petal to the inside.

Fixing wire in place with masking tape

Taping from the outside

Taping all the wire down firmly

Covering every piece of the flower

Firming down the masking tape

Covering all the edges

Taping wire down the side of the flower

Finishing off the taping