DIY Instructions Dried Flower Petal Paper for Weddings

With sustainability, recycling, and being frugal at the forefront of society today, incorporating the theme into your wedding makes complete sense. And not only that but putting a part of yourself in the form of DIY dried flower petal paper into the day’s festivities is fun, too.

Edinburgh, with its historic Arthur’s Seat, beautiful hilly ranges, and absolutely majestic Edinburgh Castle, is a city that is popular for incredible weddings! Wedding venues in Edinburgh, whether in an enchanted garden or a centuries-old hall, will come to life with a bevy of flowers in the mix.

Details for Using Dried Flower Petal Paper

Fresh blooms have long been the go-to choice for weddings, but every now and then it's a wonderful idea to explore other options. In particular, dried flower petal papers create the most stunning and lush arrangements for various aspects of the big day. Paper flowers are also great additions to your nuptials because of their playfulness, flexibility, and availability.

Paper blooms are more accessible compared to natural blooms, which are often seasonal, and you can customise them to match your wedding colours. Dried flowers are also favourable wedding decoration choices because they give you the flexibility to come up with elaborate floral displays that are perhaps difficult to achieve with fresh flowers. Think along the lines of decking out an expansive wedding venue with faux floral vines and using gigantic paper blooms as ceremony aisle markers.

Also, to be quite frank, wedding flowers cost a pretty penny and it's more economical to incorporate some paper blooms into the mix. Overall, paper flowers elevate your big day's aesthetic while adding texture as well as pops of color all around the venue.

Ceremony Decor with Dried Flower Petal Paper

Whether you are having an outdoor wedding ceremony or hosting that part of the day inside; there are plenty of creative ways to use dried flower petal paper designs as part of your ceremony decor. Scattered petals are no longer exclusively confined to the flower girls' baskets or left for the traditional exit toss. They double up as wonderful ceremony decor options, particularly when they are creatively scattered down the aisle.

They are also ideal choices for creating flower petal carpets/ runners at the vows exchange site or other strategic points around the venue. Dried flower petal paper allows you to come up with innovative and fun floral motifs for the wedding arbour and aisle. If you are saying "I do" by the poolside, adorn the water body with selections of the luxe paper blooms.

You can also incorporate them around the ceremony venue in the form of specially designed flower wreaths, dramatic flower backdrops, and hanging floral centrepieces. They equally make beautiful ceremony chair accessories.

Reception Decor with Dried Flower Petal Paper

The reception venue is where you can truly bring out the ambience of your big day. That's also the best place to concentrate the dried flower petal paper arrangements. Worth mentioning, we are referring to the 3D paper flowers that could easily be mistaken for the real thing. The little details also count, and sprinkling dried flower petal papers around the venue further enhances the romantic nature of the occasion.

A crepe paper flower wall is a stunning wedding decoration that should undoubtedly feature at your reception. You also have more leeway to fully embrace the mixed and matched look when working with dried flower petal paper creations. Suspended crepe paper posies intertwined with string lights jazz up the reception venue while also playing up the love-filled atmosphere.

The other wonderful aspect about using paper flower wedding decor is the fact that they can be set up in advance. There's minimal worry about them wilting and they can also be repurposed for other functions after the big day.

Bouquets & Boutonnieres Using Dried Flower Petal Paper

When pulling together wedding bouquets and boutonnieres, the main reason you'd want to consider crepe wedding flowers is simply because of the flexibility they provide. Dried flower petal arrangements can include selections of seasonal blooms and exotic plants that are usually not available round the year in their natural forms

Large petal bouquets are bold, fun, and whimsical. Again, it's not always practical or even possible to put together such a floral arrangement using natural blooms. For instance, if you want a single, enormous flower bouquet, paper blooms are the way to go. Juxtaposing the real deal with dried paper flower petals also helps create voluminous posies that also serve as statement pieces.

A go-between is creating crepe paper bouquets for the bridesmaids and flower girls while keeping the fresh blooms for the bridal posies. Yet another option is to settle for posies entirely made up of crepe paper flowers intertwined with fresh foliage. Paper flowers also create some of the most handsomely festive boutonnieres that hold up well for the duration of the wedding and beyond.

Table Setting Style Using Dried Flower Petal Paper

The tablescape presents yet another opportunity to adorn your wedding with dried flower petal paper arrangements. For starters, they create striking cascading centrepieces, reception chair accessories, and place setting holders. Executed perfectly, there's nothing as visually stunning as a crepe paper flower runner which also adds texture to the table setting.

You can also fashion eye-catching table backdrops using paper flowers, and in particular, colourful floral fans add a much-needed dose of drama to any space. For the love of oversized posies, you'll want to settle for gigantic paper roses and carnations if you choose to go with this aesthetic. The tablescape could also use a delicate and intimate touch brought about by crepe paper flower garlands.

Paper flower escort cards are equally befitting for an event that makes use of alternative blooms. The vases topping the tables should also be filled with selections of paper blooms. Include some candles, safely encased in glass holders, for a gleaming effect.

Portrait Props Using Dried Flower Petal Paper

Beyond just creating stunning centrepieces and bouquets, dried flower petal paper arrangements double up as great portrait props for wedding photos. It's also worth mentioning that smaller paper flowers tend to look more natural. However, oversized paper blooms are equally as beautiful and they primarily serve as statement pieces, which in turn makes them perfect portrait props.

Paper flower crowns create beautiful headpieces for candid portraits. Hanging chandeliers or mobiles made using crepe paper flowers also function as wonderful photo backdrops. If you plan on having a photo booth set up for the day, line up its walls with striking paper floral displays.

DIY: Flower Petal Paper

If you didn’t catch yesterday’s nostalgic and romantic ‘love letters from WWI’ editorial shoot by Claire Marika Photography – you should (see it here) because remember the gorgeous flower petal paper that all those love letters were written on? Today I have the DIY instructions from Valen Hunter of Flower Afternoon & Remnant Paper so that you can make some of your own!

From Flower Afternoon & Remnant Paper – “I began making paper recently as a way to recycle the materials I use as a florist. Some of us florists will fuss about how wasteful being a wedding florist can be! It’s a catch 22 because I am very passionate about designing flowers for weddings, but I also care for the environment.

These materials are the remnants after a wedding has come and gone. Hence the name ‘Remnant Paper’ which will debut soon! It’s fun to see these weddings carry on as a weathered and delicate piece of paper.”

“I hang leftover flowers by some twine from my windows. It makes for pretty decor and then I pick from the dried flower bunches when I’m making paper.

I love the authenticity of homemade paper. The worn edges and texture give a quality that is timeless and classic. The best part is that it is so easy to make at home and you may already have most of the materials you need lying around!”

“I’ve created a DIY that will teach you how to make your own worn and weathered paper. It is perfect for journal pages, handwritten notes or even mounted in a frame with your favourite photos or art. Though this paper can be used for many things, this specific DIY is not recommended for calligraphy or watercolour.”

What you’ll need:

-1 cup of shredded paper. You can recycle mail, paper grocery bags or any other scraps. Preferably nothing with a glossy surface as it doesn’t absorb water as easily.

-2 cups of water (1:2 paper to water ratio recommended).

-Deckle & Mould. This wooden frame is used to catch the paper slurry in the shape you want. I use an 8x10in most often. This is so easy to make on your own. You just need mesh like in a screen door, staples and wood. Here is a link to a clip on how making your own!

-Sponge

-Wallpaper rolling-pin

-Blender (it is advised that you don’t use this blender for food, I found one used for $10).

-Dried flowers

-Ply board or plexiglass

-1 tablespoon liquid starch per quart. I use Niagra, which contains natural ingredients. The starch will toughen up your paper so that it is easier to write on.

-Storage Tub. The tub should be close to the same size as your Deckle. A Rubbermaid bin is an easy and portable option and you can store all of your supplies in it when you are not making paper.

Step One: Shred your paper into a blender. Pour in water, let sit and soften until it pulls apart easily and without much force. At least 35 minutes to an hour. Pulse blender off and off to start and then gradually move to purée. Blend to your texture preference. The longer you blend, the more smooth your paper will be. Toss in dried flower petals or mica towards the end for colour and texture!

Step Two: Fill your storage tub 1/4 full of water. Add your fabric starch. Pour in your paper slurry you just made.  Once you have poured in the slurry use a stir stick and mix it into the water to distribute it around the tub.

Step Three: Take your decal and mould, holding with both hands and immerse the frame into the basin. You’ll find a rhythm that is best for catching the slurry by moving the deck beneath the water, back and forth and in a slightly circular motion. Catch the slurry on top of the mesh and if it appears to be distributed evenly, lift the decal & mould up slowly and let the water drain off. You can now remove the mould from the deck.

Step Four: On the non slurry side of the mesh, wipe and gently press your sponge to absorb excess water (do not sponge the side of the mesh with the slurry!). Depending on how patient you are feeling, you can let it sit and air dry for a 10-20 minutes, or go ahead and press the paper onto your drying board. Putting the paper immediately onto the board will give the edges a naturally worn appearance. Waiting for the press will give the paper defined edges.

Step Five: Press your paper. I press my paper onto wood because it absorbs the water and dries quickly, but you can use glass or plexiglass too. This method will also help your paper to dry more flat. If you want a more wrinkled paper you can use the fabric.

With the slurry side facing the board, press the deck and hold in place. Grab your wallpaper rolling-pin and press the mesh into the board so that the slurry catches onto the board. You can use your hands too. I like to use my nail to press or “cut” around the edges so that the decal releases easier. Once you are confident that the slurry is pressed onto the board, lightly lift the decal starting with one end. Use your finger to lightly press any lifted edges back onto the board. You will see bubbles in the paper, but don’t worry about that just yet. You may rip the paper if you try removing them just yet.

Step Six: Once your paper has dried for a bit, but still has some dampness, take your rolling-pin and gently flatten the paper and any bubbles that are in it.

Step Seven: You’ll know your paper is dry when it is a lighter colour and no longer cool to the touch. Peel your paper off gently and slowly, trying not to tear! Press under a book if the paper has a curl in it.

Credits: Photography: Claire Marika Photography // DIY Paper: Valen Hunter of Flower Afternoon and Remnant Paper.