Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Decorative Toilet Paper Hydrangeas DIY

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Yes, you read the title correctly! Can you believe these are hydrangeas made of toilet paper! And the best part - they're created in just a few easy, but messy steps, lol!

But first, it's that time again for our monthly Creative Craft Hop!  WELCOME!  The hop is co-hosted by Sara @Birdz of a Feather  and Donna @Modern on  Monticello who take turns every other month! The lovely, talented and very creative Sara is our host for this month! I'm so glad you're here checking out our creative projects for the month of July!
 

If you started at the top of the list for these amazing projects, Carol from Bluesky @ Home is first! Wasn't her decoupaged tissue box cover fabulous?    
And be sure to check out all of our creative crafters sharing their awesome projects this month! You'll find the list below, just after my project!

Getting back to my toilet paper hydrangeas! As crafters, we are always looking for budget and eco-friendly ways to create something awesome! And what better item than toilet paper which is certainly an everyday household and personal item to use in a creative project?  So let's begin with the materials you'll need to make the hydrangeas!

Materials:
Toilet paper
Water
Parchment paper
Scissors
Craft wire (22gauge)
Hot glue gun/glue sticks

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, this post may contain links. I may receive a very small commission at no cost to you! Plus Google Adsense provides a platform for me to monetize my content by hosting ads from Google's network of advertisers. The money I earn helps pay my crafting expenses. Thanks so much for your support!

How To:
I started with a roll of Charmin toilet paper from this bunch and .  .  .

initially tore three sheets from the roll. You can see that this toilet paper has wavy edges at the tears instead of straight edges.

I put the sheets on top of one another and folded the three together to see how the wavy edges came together - and they didn't match. But that wasn't a problem.
I put down a large sheet of parchment paper on my work surface and tore off  strips of toilet paper in groups of three and placed them on the parchment paper. Then I started spray painting the paper with purple stain ink that I diluted with a bit of water. Spraying first one side and then the other, and let dry. Be very careful with this step. The spray ink can get over everything including your hands and work surface and the surrounding area, lol!
The toilet paper took what I thought forever to dry but after an overnight wait they were dry. Then I folded the groups of three together and .  .  .
cut mostly four strips about half way down - and a few with five strips.
Once the strips were cut, it was time to shape the ends into round petals. First one side and then flipping the folded toilet paper sheets over to.  .  .

cut and shape the other side. Take care since this toilet paper is very delicate!

Once satisfied with the round edges (petals), twist each group of petals once. 



Then gently open or unravel the petals and folded toilet paper and .  .  . 
separate the sheets .  .  .
laying the open three twisted toilet paper sheets on top of each other.                            
Then begin gathering the sheets together in the middle.

Once the toilet paper sheets are grouped together, use about six inches of wire to hold them together in the middle. 
Then add a dab of hot glue to the center of the toilet paper where the wire is twisted, folding and pressing the petals together creating one group of petals.  

Tie wire around the three remaining groups of the three gathered petal shaped toilet papers, one at a time, as before, adding hot glue and . . .

securing the petals and wire to each other until .  .  .

all four groups are glued and wired together as one hydrangea. Then make sure all the wire ends are twisted together as one.
Next, take the end of a green tubular hollow stem and insert the twisted wires into it.
Add glue to the wire base (at the bottom of the petals) and push the stem all the way up over the wire and to the base of the petals where the glue is . . .  

to secure. Be sure to fluff and adjust all the petals!
Doesn't this look adorable! I made two more hydrangeas for a total of three.
It's amazing how light and the area affects the color of the toilet paper hydrangeas in this shot. Oh so purple!!!!
And you're all set to admire your decorative toilet paper hydrangeas!
Just perfect for home decor and other projects, too!

Can you believe that these hydrangeas are made from a household necessity into a beautiful floral statement!

 Up next is Cecilia @ My Thrift Store Addiction sharing what was gathered from the garden botanical lanterns! How cool is that!!!

And be sure to check out all of the amazing projects listed below:

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Hibiscus Paper Napkin Foam Flowers

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I'm always on the lookout for different types of fancy paper napkins. They can look very impressive on your dining table settings  - but I'm more concern with what I can do with them after dinner or entertaining. I came across paper napkins in the shape of a hibiscus flower. Can you image a beautiful hibiscus flower paper napkin laying in the center of your plate in a tablescape setting? I can! 

But in addition to that, can you imagine a hibiscus flower paper napkin turned into a 3D decoupage flower affixed to something like a clear container or other types of vessels like jars, bottles, vases or planters, etc.? A hibiscus flower is perfect for this technique because its large, dramatic petals and prominent central stamen naturally lend themselves to bold, 3D shaping.

But before we get to my step-by-step how-to, WELCOME to our Creative Craft Hop co-hosted by Sara @Birdz of a Feather  and Donna @Modern on  Monticello who take turns every other month! The lovely and very creative Donna is our host for this month! You probably just finished reading about Donna's wonderful project! Wasn't her Patriotic Boutique Bow gorgeous! It's the perfect accessory for any patriotic theme!  And be sure to check out all of our creative crafters sharing their awesome creations this month! You'll find the list below, just after my project!


Getting back to my hibiscus paper napkin foam flowers, the process involves applying a paper napkin flower design to a foam sheet using a decoupage glue like Mod Podge. Then heat it, emboss it and layer the flower design into 3D shapes with a raised effect! It's an exciting way to add dimension, depth and texture to just about any type of container and other items. Sounds exciting and fun, doesn't it? Let me show you how!

Materials:

·       Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, this post may contain links. I may receive a very small commission at no cost to you! Plus Google Adsense provides a platform for me to monetize my content by hosting ads from Google's network of advertisers. The money I earn helps pay my crafting expenses. Thanks so much for your support!

Step-by-Step Instructions:
A classic hibiscus flower features a five-petal base and a long, dramatic central column (the stamen) like you see in this napkin.
 First, prep the napkin by carefully peeling away the unprinted, white backing layers from the decorative hibiscus napkin. You only want to use the top flowered layer. Do this by lightly dipping your forefinger in Mod Podge and tapping your thumb and forefingers together to get them sticky. Then tap the edge of the napkin with your fingers until .  .  .
                        
the layers easily separate.                     
Apply a layer of Mod Podge to the top of the plastic container .  .  .          
creating the background for the top of the container by cutting out two full 5-petal flower shapes and gluing them onto the top to serve as the background flower base. Be sure to cover with parchment paper to smooth out any wrinkles, etc.
Next, brush a thin, even layer of decoupage glue (like Mod Podge) onto a flat white 3mm foam sheet.

Gently lay the napkin flowers onto the glue.
To smooth out air bubbles and wrinkles without tearing the fragile paper, place a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap over the flower napkin and gently rub with your fingers, working from the center outward. Let it dry completely. 


Once the glued napkin is dry, carefully cut out the flower shapes from the foam sheet. This will serve as the thick, sturdy base for your 3D design. 


Here I'm matching up the foam backed hibiscus with the plain ones first glued down on the container.
For better 3D dimension, make cuts along the individual petals towards the center. 

Then lay the cutout foam petals directly against a hot (placed at the lowest setting) flat plate or an iron just for a few seconds. They will pop away from the hot surface on its own. I'm using a hot griddle instead of an iron since there was a recall on my craft iron and I didn't want to use my regular clothes iron for this. 
Place the warm foam face down onto a piece of foam padding and press the embossing ball tool into the center to give the flower a round, deep cup shape.
After a few seconds, the foam cools down and the shape is locked in. You can then add glue to the center and .  .  .

align it over the base flower on the container to secure.  

Create multiple cut-out parts of the flower, using a ball stylus to shape and curl the petals on foam padding.  .  .
adding a bit of glue and .  .  .
gluing the cut-out flower pieces together on top of the foam flowers.

The most recognizable feature of a hibiscus is the long stamen column extending from the center. I used faux stamens wrapped around in leftover napkin paper and glued them to the centers of the flowers.


Now the container is quite pretty and perfect to store my paper napkins!
Next on the hop is Cecilia, sharing her awesome tutorial on how to crochet trim to elevate plain hanging baskets! We love ways to elevate those plain hanging baskets, don't we!!!!

And please make sure to check out all of our super talented bloggers and their amazing creations listed below:

Sara -  DIY Bag Charm