Celebrate - Red, White & Blue!

This month's theme for the Designer Crafts Connection blog hop is Celebrations!  

If you're a Facebook friend, you probably already know that my internet has been down since last Wednesday, so I've been visiting my daughter to use her internet to try and keep up as best I can.  It's scary how dependent we've become on our Smart phones and the internet.  OMG - if it doesn't get fixed tomorrow, I won't be able to pay bills!!!

Not wanting to overstay my welcome, you'll have to excuse me if I re-post a project from 2011.  It's a cute table decoration the grand kids and I made and will no doubt be making again this week.  Not only is this project a great accent piece or a table decoration, but the technique is all about creating a "Rosette".  Once you get the hang of this you can make rosettes in any color for any occasion.  Add to banners, garlands, gift bags and more!

1.  Cut two, 2" wide strips of blue paper and two, 1 1/2" strips of red & white striped paper.  These can be either 11" long, or 12" depending on what size sheet of paper you have.

2.  Score each strip at 1/2" intervals.  TIP:  I cut one, 4" wide strip, scored it then cut it into two, 2" strips.  This way I only have to score one strip, instead of two......

3.  Accordion fold each strip.

 

4.  Overlap the ends then glue the two blue strips together, then overlap and glue the opposite ends to create a circle. 

5.  Create a red & white circle in the same manner.

6.  Folded circles have a tendency to pop up, making it a little tricky to hold the centers together to make the rosette.  You can either enlist the help of a crafty friend to squish and hold the folds down while you glue a punched circle over the center, or drum roll please

You can hold them together by placing inside a circle cookie cutter!! I bought a set of four just for making rosettes...... EZ PZ...... 

7.  Punch a circle from cardstock then glue it over the center at the front of the red & white rosette.  Let dry.

 8.  Glue a circle to the back of the blue rosette.  When both are completely dry (depending on what type of glue you use) set the smaller rosette on top of the larger one.  With a little coaxing, the folds should nestle into the folds of the blue rosette quite nicely.

9.  I glued my rosette to the end of a dowel which I had glued inside a wooden spool base.  I decorated the spool with strips of paper, then added a star to the front and tails to the rosette.  I also covered a second red circle with glitter then glued it over the front of the rosette.  Gotta have some sparkle for the 4th!

Rosettes are fun embellishments and now you know how easy they are to make.  Enjoy!  Y'all come back now.............

Please Note:  If you would like to know more about becoming a CHA Designer, or just more about the Arts & Crafts Industry please feel free to join the #CHADesigners, for a twitter chat this Wednesday evening at 6pm PST https://www.facebook.com/events/369074133214273/
I sign in thru tweetchat.com.  Enter  #CHADesigners to join the conversation.

Yours truly,
Julie :)

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!