When you mention crepe paper, most people outside of our paper flower world think of party streamers or tissue paper. If you’ve been a paper florist for any amount of time, you know that crepe paper comes in a staggering array of options that the general public is unaware of. The structure and intricacy you can coax out of crepe is incredible and truly an art form.

Crepe paper has been around since the late 19th century, and inventive crafters like ourselves have been making beautiful art from crepe for just as long. Now, our paper flower industry is growing like crazy, and it’s easier than ever to find buy crepe from around the world in many different varieties.

But with so many options, you may feel overwhelmed by which crepe to choose—but not anymore.

I’m here to share the crepe knowledge I’ve gleaned from years of being a paper florist and educator, all in one easy to read post. By the end, you’ll learn everything you need to know about...

If you’re a crafter or any kind of florist, you’ve probably encountered floral wire. Floral wire can be used for a vast array of purposes: reinforcing weak stems, securing wreaths or bows, or even manipulating the wire to be an artwork of its own. And, of course, it can be used to form and support paper flowers.

But which gauge should you use? And which form? Painted and paddle? Naked stems?

Standing in the aisle of your favorite craft store, you may have felt a little overwhelmed as you browsed the options. I remember that feeling when I first started out. 

To save you from the time and trouble of experimenting, this article will help you feel confident when choosing florist wire. You’ll learn everything you need to know about gauge and form, as well as which wires I use for my paper flower projects. With this knowledge, your paper flowers will be easier to make and turn out beautifully.

What Is Floral Wire?

 Before we dive into which...

Last month I delved into scissors, what to look for, and what I use. Beside my Kai Scissors, I LOVE Aleene’s Tacky Glue, and that’s what we’re exploring today. 

I love that Aleene’s Tacky Glue comes in so many amazing sizes and forms. You have the amazing glue pen, the very manageably sized 2 oz for better control, 3 oz, 5 oz, and even bigger amounts up from there, which are useful when you are doing large projects. I like using the glue pen to get really fine lines when I need to be precise. If I happen to be glueing lots of pieces at a time, I like to pour some of the bigger bottles into a small bowl and use a stick or a thick wire to dab a bit at a time on the ends of petals. Using this method, it makes the glue even more tacky and the drying time is shortened quite a bit so that you can work faster.

Here are some tips for when you are using Aleene’s Tacky Glue in your paper flower projects.

Close It Up

When not in use, keep your glue tip...

When crafting paper flowers, you want to create the best bloom possible. That’s hard to do if your scissors won’t make the kind of cuts you need. That turns calm, creative paper florists into big balls of frustrated stress faster than anything! Especially when your scissors are dull and you make that cut and the scissors do not cut all the way through the paper but stretch it out! For those that understand this frustration - you know know what I am talking about! If your scissors aren’t cutting it (ha!), then you’re in luck. Here’s everything you need to know about buying the right scissors for your paper flowers.

These are Pink and Posey's go to scissors:

The Workhorse: 8" Kai 5210

My everyday, go-to scissor is the 8” Kai 5210. These cut beautifully through 180g Italian crepe paper, and even German doublette. They tick off all of the boxes for me: made of stainless steel, a perfect length for general cutting, and a soft handle. 

The Fringe...