The Art of Paper Flowers: Creating Realistic Blossoms from Ordinary Papers

Broadway costume designer Pearce has serious bona fides in the design and DIY worlds, and his book on making paper flowers goes beyond instruction to explore his personal connection to the craft. In the introduction he discusses the way his grandmother made craft flowers with materials that are no longer available. Pearce's patterns are all based his grandmother's but substitute easy-to-find materials. The instructions are straightforward but require the reader to master some tricky folds. From relatively simple daisies and sunflowers to intricate orchids, irises, and birds of paradise, the patterns will please any flower lover. Gorgeous pictures make it immediately clear why one would want to devote time to making paper flowers rather than buying silk flora at the craft store, and the range of flowers adds to the book's appeal. This is a fantastic mix of inspiration and real care in pattern making. (Aug.)