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DIY Wedding

DIY Wedding

Pretty Up a Party with Paper

comments (11) October 26th, 2012     

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Jeff_Rudell Jeffery Rudell, contributor
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Wildflowers cut from a 24x7-inch piece of white paper transform an ordinary layer cake into an extraordinary confection. Fasten the ends together with white glue or double-sided tape.
Start with a 36 x 12 inch piece of white paper. In order to give your design some visual heft, I recommend against cutting out too much detail; keep it graphic and bold and the results will have more impact.
These coral napkin rings will add drama to your table, a sense of whimsy to your meal, and will give your guests something charming to take home with them.
Wildflowers cut from a 24x7-inch piece of white paper transform an ordinary layer cake into an extraordinary confection. Fasten the ends together with white glue or double-sided tape.

Wildflowers cut from a 24x7-inch piece of white paper transform an ordinary layer cake into an extraordinary confection. Fasten the ends together with white glue or double-sided tape.

Photo: Jeffery Rudell
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As a boy, I remember seeing a television show about Paris that featured, for a fleeting moment or two, a street artist doing hand-cut silhouette portraits of Parisian ladies in the gardens of the Tuileries. Using only a penny's worth of paper and small scissors, he created a beautiful picture in a matter of minutes (which he then sold for a few francs-not a bad mark up at the time). I immediately set to work trying to mimic his artistry only to discover that there was considerable skill involved in capturing a likeness of another person using only a cuticle scissor held tightly in my 10-year-old hand.

Nevertheless, once I started I never gave up cutting silhouettes. In the Midwest (where I grew up), Parisian ladies were difficult to come by, so I turned to my surroundings for inspiration. I thank all of my friends and relatives who, over the years, graciously accepted countless cut outs of cows, chickens, and flowers from me. While my skills may have improved (somewhat) since then, I still frequently return to nature as my subject.

As you'll see, I try to get my work out of the frames and off of the walls as often as possible. Take a look, and let me know what you think.

Tarting Up a Cake

To celebrate a friend's birthday, I recently baked her a cake and decorated it a ribbon of white paper wild flowers.

The party was a hit ,and the cake got photographed more than the guest of honor. The comment most often heard was, "How could you put so much work into something that's just going to get frosting on it and be ruined?" My answer was that only the back side got frosting on it (and even then, nothing that couldn't be wiped off) and the effect-the smiles from all who saw it-was worth an hour of my time.

  A detail of the cut flower cake wrapper pictured above. White is such a beautiful color against the chocolate frosting but don't be afraid to try colored or patterned papers for your projects.

Nothing's as Lovely as Fresh Cut Flowers

To carry the flower theme throughout the party, I also cut a slightly larger stand of flowers, which I then highlighted with watercolors. Be sure to notice that the flowers and stems abut, criss-cross, and overlap at regular intervals which lends strength to the piece and keeps the petals from flopping over, or "wilting on their stems." Keeping elements of your design connected to one another in this way also allows you to cut more slender and delicate looking stems.

  Start with a 36 x 12 inch piece of white paper. In order to give your design some visual heft, I recommend against cutting out too much detail; keep it graphic and bold and the results will have more impact.

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posted in: flower, napkin rings, party favors, cake decoration, hand cut flowers
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Comments (11)

Nodan writes: I think it is really very hard to cut out the flowers just with scissors. It's perfect.
Posted: 4:33 am on February 5th
sandysewin writes: Something about the simplicity of the dark on light along with the delicate designs make this stunning.

You inspire us all. We don't need complex materials, just the basics and an artist's eye (and a steady hand) can make the most wondrous of creations.
Posted: 5:55 pm on October 30th
Luvbird writes: I think this is just so beautiful & i know just the lady to show this to,{we call her Cake Queen}!!She decorates cakes for people in her Church,& family members for Weddings & such!She`ll Love this pattern so much,Thank you :)
Posted: 6:36 pm on October 26th
marksc33 writes: Every single paper project Jeffery does is better than the next!!! He definitely needs to publish a book....
Posted: 7:01 am on June 30th
ErinMichelle writes: i cannot deal with how great this is.
Posted: 11:12 pm on August 1st
LAURAMCHUGH writes: JEFFERY YOUR WORK IS FABULOUS. YOU INSPIRE ME TO DO MORE WITH PAPER CRAFTS, AS A MIDDLE SCHOOL ART TEACHER I WILL PASS ON SOME OF YOUR DESIGN IDEAS TO MY STUDENTS. THANKS. KEEP UP THE WONDERFUL CREATATIVE WORK. YOU ARE A PAPER MASTER.
Posted: 4:34 pm on July 10th
Learnernc writes: Just elegant!! Thanks for the two links in the article,too. What style!
Posted: 2:37 pm on July 3rd
paperrain writes: This is one of the best ideas I've ever seen! And I'm about to have a party, so I'm using it.
Posted: 1:10 pm on July 3rd
Softflexgirl writes: Love this!
Posted: 12:44 pm on July 3rd
memaw writes: I'm going out to buy an exacto knife! Your work is gorgeous!
Posted: 11:01 am on June 30th
MichaelaMurphy writes: Wow, this is absolutely beautiful!
Posted: 12:30 pm on June 19th
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