I am very fond of my pinking shears - and when Nadia asked to borrow them for her craft last week, she was surprised when I asked "For paper or fabric?" - they are impossible to sharpen, so when I inherited my Mum's I immediately designated their specific use.
I needed my [paper] pinking shears this week to make some carnations [red ones]
- These are really quick to put together, and look surprisingly effective.
- One 33cm 2-ply napkin makes 2 blooms.
- You don't have to bind the stalks with stem tape - especially if you are putting them into an arrangement, but it does give a neater finish.
- Green garden wire will work, at a pinch, or a pipecleaner
- And if you haven't got pinking shears, you can still make the flowers with 'clean cut' edges. But they won't be 'proper' pinks
- for larger blooms, you can use the same method, but firmer paper like tissue or crepe will work better.
I've put a photo tutorial together - click on it to enlarge
Ahhhaaaa!!!! Our 5minute slot at church on Sunday was making these. Except there weren't any kids so I ended up being a volunteer to make one-Sue had them all ready, all we had to do was open them out. The difference was that hers had a black layer in the middle to make poppies. We made a crown of them for the Cross.
ReplyDeleteThat's a very clever idea, to make red poppies with a black centre- I shall remember that one!Thanks Kezzie
DeleteThose are beautiful; they look almost real! And thanks for the background of that word! How interesting! I also have a very old pair of pinking shears and I do guard them just for fabric. They are quite heavy.
ReplyDeleteI did find a man in Hull who sharpened my pinking shears, and I will only use them for fabric. Although they hardly get used as I'm not much of a needlewoman. My mother used to cut a piece of sandpaper occasionally with hers.
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