Autumn Leaves

September is here.  Labor Day has passed.  I am sad that summer is officially over.

Then I saw these colors that remind me so much of the gorgeous leaves in New England in the fall.  The reds, oranges, yellows, and yes, even the browns.  Halloween and Thanksgiving will be upon us before we know it.  Time to bring out the sweaters and the hot cocoa!

Christmas Kusudama Ball Ornaments

It's a little early to be thinking about Christmas, but with summer coming to an end and autumn just around the corner, I felt an urge to get a jump on holiday decorating. 

When I found these pretty red and green patterned paper, I couldn't resist making some Christmas ornaments.  These flower balls are called Kusudama (medicine) balls, traditionally made in Japan.  They were made with herbs and hung in rooms to prevent illness.  Today, these balls are made from 12 individual origami flowers, attached to each other to create this beautiful ornament.

Close up shots....

 

 

 

www.KatherinaKrafts.etsy.com

Musical Jasmine?!!

Look what popped up in my jasmine bush!

Must be why the birds were sounding so good these days!

Here is a close up...

These flowers may just have to make an appearance at our next garden party!

Victoria's Secret Upcycled Flowers

I was cleaning out my closets and came upon these Victoria's Secret bags, and was suddenly curious to see how they would look as upcycled origami flowers.  I loved the bright pink colors and the stripes looked like they would add a fun pattern to the flowers. 

So I set about carefully taking apart the bags.  After removing the handles and cutting the bags into little square sheets, I folded each petal and assembled them into flowers.  Here are the results of my recycled paper bag project!



These make a lovely bunch of Victoria's Secret origami flowers!

Stars and Stripes - Fourth of July Decorations

July 4th is coming up soon!  With picnics and barbeques and fireworks around the corner, it's time to celebrate with red, white and blue! 

Here are some stars ...

and some stripes!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Baby Boy Flowers

Right after I made the pink baby girl flowers, I've been wanting to make blue baby boy flowers. And finally, here they are!

I was able to find some pretty blue paper as well as a cute blue and brown stripe paper. The combination of blue with a bit of brown is sweet, yet not too saccharine.  And when the baby boy is not so "baby" anymore, the "It's a Boy!" flowers can easily be removed, and the remainder of the bouquet would brighten up any room in the house.  Feels kind of beachy, too.

I also took pictures of the flowers before I added the rhinestone centers.  Can't decide which one I like better...

If you would like to send these flowers to proud new parents of a baby boy, please visit my shop:
www.KatherinaKrafts.etsy.com

Recycled Gift Bag Flowers

The minute I laid eyes on this beautiful red, green, blue and silver striped paper bag from Paper Source, I knew I would never be able to bring myself to throw it into the recycle bin.

Instead, I cut the paper into small squares, and hand folded each square into a petal.  After I assembled them into flowers, I found a cute blue glass vase which was perfect for these adorable paper flowers.

I would never have thought to put these colors together, but the color combination turned out quite nice!