DIY Flower Crafts Archives

Mother’s Day DIY Gift: Personalized Wine Bottle

Mom is one busy lady. Have you seen her lately? She makes Superwoman look lazy. She’s a teacher, cook, homemaker, and everything in between. That’s why, this Mother’s Day, get her something she actually wants (and deserves)…wine!

For the ‘half glass full’ mom

Getting together with my mom and sister for a casual glass of wine is one of my greatest pleasures in life. So, this year, I’m surprising my mom with an in-person happy hour with her favorite bottle of rosé. For the perfect Mother’s Day DIY gift — and for an added layer of surprise and personalization — I turned the rosé bottle into a keepsake we can drink from and then repurpose.

Mothers Day DIY Gifts personalized wine label

Creating your own DIY Mother’s Day wine bottle

I created a custom rosé bottle label for her in Adobe Photoshop and replaced it with the label on the bottle. If you don’t have Adobe Photoshop (or aren’t confident in your Photoshop skills), you can always order a personalized wine label online. Many styles and designs are available!

If you go the DIY route, all you need is sticker paper to turn a simple wine bottle into a personalized gift for mom.

Here’s how I did it.

Make it personal to make it special

I used a photo of the two of us to really make it personal. For an inspirational touch, I asked my mom to share her favorite quotes from women that inspire her and included those on the bottle as well.

I wanted this gift to be something special that we could use (aka drink) together, but I also wanted my mom to be able to keep it after and repurpose it as a vase. If you’re looking for something personalized and creative to share with a special person in your life, I highly recommend this Mother’s Day DIY gift.

Supplies you’ll need for DIY Mother’s Day wine bottle

Wine bottle of your choice (or another type of alcohol or non-alcoholic bottle that mom loves)
Large bowl or vase
Sticker paper
Scissors
Computer, plus a printer

Mothers Day DIY Gifts mom with wine and dog

Steps to create your personalized wine bottle

Soak the bottle in a vase full of water. Then, remove the label. (Tip: Soak the bottle overnight for easier removal. You should be able to just peel it off.)
Create your custom bottle label on the computer or by hand (just make sure to do it on sticker paper), or order one online.
Print your custom label onto sticker paper and cut it out.
Measure your cut-out label and decide where you want it to go on the bottle.
Peel the back part of your label off and stick your personalized label onto your bottle.

Additional gift ideas to go with the personalized wine bottle

You’ve given Mom her favorite wine with a sweet personalized label, and that’s pretty special. But even after the wine is gone, this gift keeps on giving! Mom can use the keepsake wine bottle as part of her entertaining décor, a unique wine bottle vase, or a unique “pitcher” for water.

Does Mom love her personalized wine bottle? Check out these other accompaniment DIY gift ideas.

Make personalized DIY wine glasses
Buy a personalized wine glass with a customized message just for her.
Chocolate covered strawberries or another of Mom’s favorite desserts to pair with the wine.
Set up a Mother’s Day wine tasting with different wines mom loves (or you think she would love).
Charcuterie boards to go with mom’s personalized wine…to make her feel like she is at her very own vineyard!
Plan a special meal, whether you cook it or bring it in.

How to Make a DIY Christmas Centerpiece

christmas centerpiece ideas with christmas centerpiece floral craft

When Christmastime comes around, it’s easy to get into the holiday spirit. From Christmas decorations to the gleeful melodies of Christmas music and carols to the festive holiday foods, there’s so much to love about the season.

And to make your Christmas even more special, we’ve created an easy-to-follow guide to making your very own floral DIY Christmas centerpiece in just a few easy steps. Your handmade Christmas centerpiece will not only impress guests but will look amazing next to Christmas dinner!

Before you start, we should point out that you can make the centerpiece without the flowers first to make it last longer. Then, when Christmas nears, add the flowers a day or two before to have your floral centerpiece extra fresh for the holiday!

Materials for DIY Christmas centerpiece

Floral tray (We used a round floral tray, but you can use anything that mimics that shape…even a round soup bowl!)
Floral foam
Water
Tapered candle (We used a 15-inch red candle.)
Knife or clippers
Floral wires
Floral sticks
Millimeter balls clusters
Pine cones
Holiday greens (We used cedar, variegated holly, balsam, white pine, and sugar pine. You may be able to find some of these on nearby trees.)
Flowers (We used white cushion pom poms and red mini carnations.)

Instructions for DIY Christmas centerpiece

Cut the floral foam to fit the shape of your tray.
Set the cut piece of foam in water for about five minutes, until it is completely saturated. If your floral foam has holes, which is actually preferred, place the foam in the water holes side down. The trick is to let the foam sink to the bottom, to allow it to absorb the most water possible.

Christmas centerpiece ideas with floral foam in water

Place the soaked foam snugly into your floral tray.
Add the candle to the center of the foam. You can use a candleholder or not.

Christmas centerpiece ideas with adding greens to foam

Now, add your greens to the floral foam. A helpful tip: Look at the centerpiece as an extension of the table. Start low so the greens just about hit the table, and then work your way up to build the arrangement. With how long the needles of the white pine (aka sugar pine) are, we thought this was a good green to start with. After filling the base with sugar pine, we added the rest of the greens: balsam, cedar, and then variegated holly.

Christmas centerpiece ideas with adding pine cones and millimeter balls

Next, add the pine cones and millimeter balls. So these elements can stand out in the arrangement, place them on sticks, securing them with wire. Do this by wrapping the wire around the pine cone and then wrapping the same wire around a stick, until the pine cone is secure. Then, do the same with the millimeter balls. (In all, we created six pine cones and six millimeter ball clusters on sticks.) Add the pine cones and millimeter balls on sticks to the arrangement, making sure you spread them out to achieve a good balance.

Christmas centerpiece ideas with placing flowers

Now it’s time to add the flowers. Do this in whatever order you prefer. We started with the white cushion pom poms and then added red mini carnations, making sure to create a nice balance of red and white alongside the greens for an extra festive look.
Inspect your centerpiece for any “bald” spots or areas that are lacking. Add your leftover greens, flowers, or decorations as you see fit to fill these empty spaces and create the fullest centerpiece possible.
Once you’re happy with your Christmas centerpiece, place it on the table and admire it!

Very Merry Modern Christmas Centerpiece

Here’s another Christmas centerpiece idea. It’s called the Very Merry Modern Christmas Centerpiece, and it uses noble fir, cedar, and white pine for greenery; green hydrangea, and red and white spray roses for flowers; and pine cones, hypericum, and ornaments for accents. The materials are pretty much the same as above, only instead of a long tapered candle, it features a glass cube vase in the middle with a tea light candle or flameless candle inside.

Watch the video below to learn how to make this Christmas centerpiece that will wow your guests!

How to Paint a Flower

Do you want to learn to be a better painter? One of the best subjects to practice with is a flower. Flowers are composed of easy shapes and pretty colors, points out Wendy Anderson, an artist and Paint Nite instructor. “You can be more playful with contrast and color, versus trying to draw a really complicated shape,” she says.

Don’t insist that your creation has to look exactly like the sample; just enjoy the process.

Wendy anderson

Artist and Paint Nite instructor

Painting is a fun and relaxing activity, and it can even improve your mood. The human brain reacts positively to the aesthetics of a painting, which research suggests is a biological and neuroanatomical response dating back to prehistoric times.

And speaking of objects that make us happy, sunflowers are probably the cheeriest blooms around — and they’re easy to paint as well. Below is a step-by-step tutorial from Anderson on how to paint a large sunflower with lots of appealing highlights and shadows, using acrylic paints and a few brushes. It may look difficult, but it’s not! Assemble your materials and follow these instructions.

Materials

12×16 stretched canvas
Acrylic paint: black, blue, red, yellow, white, green (blue + yellow), orange (red + yellow)
Brushes: (1) large square; (1) medium, either square or round; (1) small round
Pencil
Water
Palette or mixing plate (plastic or glass)

Instructions

Step 1

Start by sketching your flower and leaves; keep it very loose and basic. Be bold and use a generous part of your canvas, as shown.

Step 2

For the background: Using a large square brush, paint the background light blue. Use white and blue mixed, then add yellow to lean toward teal blue or red for more of a cool baby blue. Add lighter colors toward the top and right side, and use a little added red in the blue to cool and darken the left side of the shape. Clean your brush in between each color application and let dry. (A little dampness is OK.)

Step 3

For the center and shadowing: Use the medium round brush to mix some red and yellow, and add black until you see a dark brown. You can use any dark colors, such as dark purple (mix your red and blue together to make purple; for a darker shade, add a small amount of black if needed) or pure black, for this part. Add the dark shadows to the center and the stem and leaves. Fill the shadow for the center all the way in, even making your way into the edges and base of the petal shapes. The shadow for the stem will fall on the left side and for the leaves on the bottom. Let the layers dry.

Step 4

For the leaves and stem: Use a clean, dry, medium round brush to paint in your medium green shades, using yellow and blue. Go from darker to lighter as you move up on your leaves and to the right on your stem. For a lighter shade of green, simply add more yellow.

Step 5

For the petals: Clean the brush and add yellow mixed with a little white for your petal base color. Petals should be thicker at the base and come to a point at the tip. You can add some personality here by curving them this way or that and making them various sizes (not all petals are exactly the same). Using a slightly darker shade of yellow, which you can achieve by mixing a little red and yellow, add some strokes feathering from the bottom of the petals out and around the edges.

Step 6

For some layering: Create an even darker shade, mixing red into the yellow and adding a tiny amount of blue to make burgundy. Pull this shade from the edges of the center and out into the petals for some medium shadow colors. Next, use some pink (red mixed with white) or orange (red mixed with yellow) to stipple (dab) the center of the flower. Brush this lighter color onto the centers or edges of the petals, being careful not to cover them completely.

Step 7

For highlights: Using the small round brush and white paint (or very light pink or yellow), tap and stipple toward the top of the center of the flower, adding strokes toward the top of the leaves and the far right of the stem. You can also add highlights to the tips of the petals. Make any finishing touches you wish. And don’t forget to sign your creation!

Wendy’s 3 tips for becoming a better painter

Adjust your mindset. You are an artist and must call yourself an artist before you start. Don’t insist that your creation has to look exactly like the sample; just enjoy the process.
Many people are afraid to take up space on the canvas; you actually want to take up space. Use enough paint, let it go on, spread it out, and don’t be afraid to mess up. Composition is affected by the size.
Check your colors, and make sure you always mix three different shades for each element. For example, the petals would have three different shades of yellow, ranging from light to medium to dark. Try to make each shade very distinct from the others.

2 Ways to Entertain with Waxed Roses

Fresh cut roses are the perfect flower to transform your entertaining space this summer season.

From lush creations, such as this fresh floral wreath surrounding an ice bowl keeping your favorite rosés chilled to perfection and ready for serving…

photo of waxed roses with two glasses of frosé

…to these glasses of delicious frozen rosé — also known as frosé — served on a golden tray decorated with a simple, sweet, single rose.

There are so many ways to use a single rose to add unexpected pops of beauty when entertaining. And there is an easy way to preserve fresh cut roses so that they will last for weeks, allowing you to use them multiple times in many different ways: preserving them in wax! And, yes, I did say easy, but did I also say how much fun it is?!

Here are two ideas for using waxed roses.

photo of waxed roses with a waxed rose in a table setting and a bottle of rosé

As if this combination of vintage china, pink depression glass, and gold accents wasn’t pretty enough, a waxed rose greeting each guest as they take their seat for lunch takes it to the next level.

photo of waxed roses with a waxed rose in a table setting with a chocolate covered strawberry sitting on it

But wait, there’s more! Gently place a single chocolate-covered strawberry into the waxed rose and start your celebration off with a little something sweet. Or package it up and send your guests off with the best take-home gift ever!

If you’ve never preserved flowers in wax, check out my step-by-step guide for how to do it. I even made a video to go along with it! These instructions apply to all flowers, not just roses.

Preserving flowers in wax, admittedly, takes a little practice, but it is so fun and relaxing to do. And the best part is that you get to enjoy your flowers as fresh cuts first. You can wait until your flowers are fully bloomed and just about to pass their prime to preserve them using the waxing method.

Rosé Sangria and Other Ways to Enjoy Roses During Summer

What are the first two things that come to mind when you think of summer? A lot of folks might say “sun and surf” or “grill and chill,” but if you ask me, it’s roses and rosé! And I’m not talking about Lauren Zima’s recap show for Bachelor Nation.

For me, summer is about celebrations and relaxation. Flirty and frivolous, rosé is the perfect beverage to enjoy on a sun-kissed balcony, at a bustling beachside bar, or while dining al fresco on a warm summer evening. Add the overwhelming fragrance and stunning beauty of rambling roses and you have the perfect storm of summer perfection!

Here are three ways to enjoy roses and rosé this season.

Rosé sangria mojito cocktail

Rosé is extremely versatile and can function as a base for your favorite cocktail, adding lovely flavors like strawberry, raspberry, and citrus. I wanted to create a summer cocktail that was light, with layered flavors, but not sweet. What I came up with is a cross between sangria and a mojito.

This rosé sangria mojito is a more grown-up cocktail. If you prefer your drinks on the sweeter side, you can add some simple syrup to the mix or use a sweetened cranberry juice instead of the flavored seltzer.

This drink pairs perfectly with the chocolate strawberry bubbly bar or dark chocolate sparkling rosé cordials that come with the Girls Night In Rosé Gift Basket. Just mix it up, pour it into the “Rosé All Day” stemless wine glass, and you’re ready for any celebratory occasion!

Print Pin

Rosé Sangria Mojito Cocktail

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Chill time 1

Total Time 1 15

Ingredients:

1 bottle rosé
1 can cranberry seltzer
2 cups rum
½ cup strawberries, plus more for garnish
½ cup raspberries
½ cup blueberries
Fresh mint

Instructions:

Wash all the berries. Remove the tops of the strawberries and cut into slices.
Add all the fruit to the pitcher, along with a few sprigs of fresh mint.
Add two cups of rum, the bottle of rosé, and a can of cranberry seltzer.
Stir to mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate for about an hour.
When ready to serve, pour in a glass over ice and garnish with a strawberry slice.

DIY roses and rosé wreath

This summer, everything is coming up pink! And that means lots of fabulous party décor in that trendiest of colors. This roses and rosé wreath is a particularly pretty — and pink — way to display your wine while keeping it chilled at the same time.

If you don’t feel like going all out, there’s a version of this you can make with a faux rose wreath. Or, meet in the middle and do a little of both.

Flower-Flavored Dessert: Homemade Rose Water Ice Cream

Rose water may sound like something you might find in your grandma’s perfume collection, but this fragrant liquid has been used for thousands of years for its medicinal purposes. Today it is found in beauty products and used for cooking, adding a burst of flavor to everything to which it’s added, including ice cream — and we owe it all to the Persian Empire.

History distilled

Rose water, a clean and delicate floral distillate of roses, has its roots in antiquity. From as far back as the 6th century, rose water was traded throughout the Middle East, Asia, and Europe along the Silk Road. This network of trade routes, which originated in China and wended across 4,000 miles, connected goods, culture, and religious and political ideas from the Far East to the Roman Empire in the West. Historians credit Avicenna, a 10th-century Persian scientist and pilosopher, with elevating the rose water distillation process from a crude soaking-and-boiling method to one that involves steaming to capture the potent essence of roses — a process that is still used today.

a photo of rose water ice cream with rose water in a glass

Rosewater in cooking

We owe the use of rose water in Middle Eastern and European cooking to the Persian Empire. Before the Arab conquest of Persia in the 7th century, the Persians had been adding rose water to desserts. Ancient recipes for faloodeh (a frozen dessert with rice noodles, rose water, and lime juice) and saffron- and rosewater-scented halvah (a soft, sweet paste of flour, butter, and sugar) are still a part of modern-day Persian cuisine. The use of rose water in confections spread throughout Europe, the Middle East, and, later, America. Recipes for puddings, cakes, and custards from the late 18th and early 19th century call for the use of rose water.

However, rose water fell out of favor with home cooks in the early 20th century when advances in the cultivation and distillation of vanilla beans allowed for the mass production of vanilla extract. But today, thanks to the rising popularity of Middle Eastern and Persian cuisines, rose water, along with other Middle Eastern staples such as pomegranate molasses and orange blossom water, has once again become a pantry favorite. You’ll find rose water used in savory Persian dishes as a floral counterpoint to more pungent spices like citrusy saffron and earthy turmeric, but it is most widely known as an integral ingredient in Middle Eastern and Persian sweets — particularly rose water ice cream.

Persian rose water ice cream

In traditional Persian ice cream, called bastani, rosewater, saffron, and pistachio are added to a rich custard base with a chewy, deeply satisfying texture. The addition of salep, a cornstarch-like powder derived from the tubers of orchids, accounts for Persian rose water ice cream’s stretchy, satisfying mouthfeel.

Although salep is not as readily accessible in the United States, you can find rosewater virtually anywhere Middle Eastern groceries are sold, as well as in specialty stores and online. This summer, you can capture the intoxicating essence of Persian rose water ice cream at home in this version of the delicius, ultra-creamy dessert. Along with rose water, the addition of pistachi os offers this ice cream a slightly crunchy and salty counterpoint to the sweet cream and floral notes.

Print Pin

Rose Water Ice Cream

Ingredients:

3 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
½–¾ cup sugar
3 egg yolks
2-3 saffron threads, ground into a powder with a mortar and pestle (optional)
2-3 tablespoons rose water
½ cup salted pistachios, chopped

Instructions:

Combine the cream, milk, and sugar in a medium saucepan and place it over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot. (Do not boil.)
Remove from the heat. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl and slowly stir in a cup of the hot cream mixture to temper it (this keeps the eggs from curdling). Stir the egg-cream mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the cream and return the pan to the heat.
Stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. (It will not be as thick as a pudding; it's more like a crème anglaise — a French custard sauce.) Remove from the heat (if using the saffron threads, dissolve them in the rose water before adding), and stir in the rose water and taste. Add a little at a time until it has the desired flavor.
Freezing modifies the flavor of ice cream — once it's frozen, it will not taste as sweet — so if you like a sweeter ice cream, use the greater amount of sugar; if you prefer the flavor of rose water, add a little more of that ingredient.
Strain the custard into a bowl to get a nice smooth consistency. Chill the custard (if you are in a hurry, place the bowl of custard over an ice bath and stir it until it's cold; if you have more time, just put the bowl in the refrigerator). Once the custard is cold, process it according to the instructions on your ice cream maker.
Garnish with sprinkles of pistachio before serving.

Father’s Day Craft Ideas: How to Make a Photo Plant for Dad

Dad works hard, and while he’s putting in long hours at the office, he could always use a reminder of his loved ones back home (or in the next room, in the case of a home office). Give him something to add some flair to his workspace with a Father’s Day photo plant.

For this project, I used a ready-made cactus dish garden, but you may choose to build your own dish garden or terrarium from scratch. Likewise, I also used clear adhesive mailing labels, but any type of clear adhesive paper, such as contact paper, will do.

The photo picks took about 10 minutes to create from start to finish. You can use photos of the kids, the dog, or the whole family! If Dad is a sports fan, why not throw a baseball or soccer ball into the mix? Get creative and wow him with a Father’s Day craft idea that blends both his loving family and his unique personality.

Supplies for a Father’s Day photo plant

Terrarium or dish garden
Photos
Photo editing software
Photo paper
Clear adhesive paper
Scissors
Wooden skewers

How to make a Father’s Day photo plant

Open the photos in your photo editing software. Since I used pre-sized clear labels, I resized and cropped my photos to fit (mine were 2 inches by 4 inches). Choose a size that will work well with your terrarium. When you have your photos cropped and ready, print them out on photo paper.

a photo of father's day craft ideas with photo cutouts

Carefully cut your photos out.

a photo of father's day craft idea with laminated photos

To make the “laminated” photo picks, take a piece of clear adhesive paper and lay it down on the table. Take one of your photos and carefully place it backside up. Put a bamboo skewer in the bottom center of the photo. Now, add another piece of clear adhesive paper to seal the photo. Use your nail to rub out any air bubbles. Then, use scissors to cut off the extra clear adhesive paper.

a photo of father's day craft ideas with all photos laminated

Use this method for all of your photos until you are left with a few “laminated” photo picks.

a photo of father's day craft ideas with a completed terrarium

Now, simply stick the picks into your photo terrarium. You are now ready to wow Dad with this creative Father’s Day craft idea!

Father’s Day Crafts: DIY Gift Bags for Dad

Father’s Day is a holiday when Dad finally gets to sit back, spend quality time with his family, and be pampered like the king he is. And no one is more excited to shower their reigning hero with gifts more than his children!

These adorable and easy-to-make DIY gift bags look like Pop’s favorite button-down shirt and necktie — and inside they hold the most delicious Father’s Day snacks. Best of all, with just a little help from you, your kids can make them.

What you need to make Father’s Day DIY gift bags

Paper lunch bags or candy bags
Patterned cardstock or scrapbook paper
Black construction paper
Father’s Day tie and bowtie template
Scissors
Ruler
Pen or pencil
Double-sided tape
Glue stick
Dad’s favorite snacks

How to make Father’s Day DIY gift bags

A photo of diy gift bags with Brown Paper Lunch Bags and White Paper Candy Bags

Find the perfect-sized paper bag to hold your Father’s Day treats. Brown paper bags or mini candy bags in any color work just fine, and you can never go wrong when you pick the color of Dad’s favorite button-down shirt! Standard white is a good option, too.

A photo of diy gift bags with Folded Paper Bag to Create a Collared Shirt

Lay a bag flat on the table, with the opening of the bag at the top. Fold the mouth of the bag down about 3 or 4 inches, depending on how big you’d like the collar of the shirt to be.

A photo of diy gift bags with Traced Lines on a Paper Bag to Create a Collared Shirt

Using a ruler and a pen, draw a diagonal line from the bottom-left corner of the bag’s flap to the center of the top of the flap. Draw another diagonal line from the bottom-right corner of the flap to the same top center point. Once you’re done, the lines will make the shape of an inverted “V” on the flap.

A photo of diy gift bags with Trimmed Paper Bag to Create a Collared Shirt

To cut out the triangle shape in the center, take a pair of scissors and follow the lines on the flap.

Print this Father’s Day tie and bowtie template onto a piece of patterned cardstock or scrapbook paper. Pick Dad’s favorite tie shape and carefully cut out the shape from the cardstock. (To make sure the tie fits on your paper bag, we gave you two sizes of ties in our template: large ties for lunch bags and small ties for candy bags.) To create the buttons for the shirt, cut out tiny circles from black construction paper.

Open the paper bag and fill it with some of Dad’s favorite snacks, such as gourmet cookies, pretzels, mixed nuts, candy, or popcorn. Fold the collar back down and seal it by placing two pieces of double-sided tape on the inside of the collar and attaching it to the face of the bag.

A photo of diy gift bags with Gift Bags Decorated With Paper Ties and Buttons

Place a piece of double-sided tape on the back of the cardstock tie cutout and attach it to the bag, right at the top of the collar. Then, using a glue stick, glue the black construction paper buttons in a line going down the center of the bag, right below the tie.

And, finito! Faux formalwear stuffed with Dad’s favorite foods. It’ll be a Father’s Day to remember for Pops!

DIY Father’s Day Card for Kids

Store-bought cards are fine, but to show Dad how much you truly care, make him a DIY card for Father’s Day. All you need are paper, glue, and markers to compete this kid-friendly craft that is sure to put a smile on Dad’s face.

Pair this creative card with a delicious homemade brunch or slip it into the amazing Father’s Day gifts you prepared for him. He’ll really appreciate this simple yet sweet statement and will love showing it off to friends and coworkers!

Supplies for DIY Father’s Day card

Cardstock or similar weight paper; 2 sheets in one color and 1 sheet in a second color/pattern
Glue or tape
Pencil
Markers
Scissors

Directions for DIY Father’s Day card

A photo of diy father’s day card with tracing a hand

Start by tracing your hand on the paper using a pencil. Use the scissors to cut out the shape. Do this for the second sheet of paper as well.

A photo of diy father’s day card with writing an I Love You message

Use a marker to write “I love you” in pencil on one of the paper hands. Then, trace the text with marker and erase any stray pencil lines.

A photo of diy father’s day card with the message inside the card

Now it’s time to create the inside of the card. First, cut a long strip out of the third sheet of paper. Then, fold the strip accordion style. Use a thick marker to write the words “This Much” on the accordion-folded strip.

Using glue or tape, add the adhesive to each end of the accordion strip. Attach the hands to the strip, making sure both hands are facing the same way. Now your card is ready to give to Dad!