I have had many requests for a step by step tutorial on how I make my poinsettias. They are not complicated at all but there are several simple steps to make them appear lifelike. No flower or leaf in nature is flat or without texture and dimension. With my technique I work to recreate the veins in the petals and the leaves. I used the largest to the smallest dies to create a large flower to better view the steps. I hope this tutorial will help you create your own beautiful poinsettias for your holiday cards and gifts. Just so you know these flowers will not fit well into an envelope so you may want to create small gift boxes to enclose them in.
Supplies: Spellbinder Poinsettia dies, stylus, mouse pad or piercing mat, adhesive (I think a liquid adhesive is best), paper piercer, sponges, ink, cardstock, Martha Stewart Pine Branch Punch,
1. Carefully remove your flower from the die using a piercer or other sharp object. Pay close attention to pushing at the center so you don’t tear off your petal. Don’t worry if you do…you can glue it back on but it shortens the leaf a little bit.
2. Lay your flower face down on the mat and scrunch the leaves down into the mat using your stylus. Stay clear of the delicate flower center when pushing so you don’t tear off your leaves. I use a larger stylus for the larger leaves and a smaller one for smaller leaves.
When you are finished your flower should look like this. You can choose not to distress it as much as I do so your flower will lay a little flatter.
3. Lay your flower top side up on the mat and push lightly down in the center to create the little natural well in the center and to raise your leaves up.
Notice I am using the smaller stylus on the smaller flowers.
4. Hold the flower in the center and lightly sponge ink on each flower petal to highlight the texture created with the stylus. This step provides depth of color on the ridges and allows the flower petal to maintain some of the original color of the cardstock. I hope that made sense!! LOL!!!
This photo shows the difference between petals that have been sponged and ones that have not. You can see how much more lifelike the petals looks with the addition of ink. This photo makes the ink look much darker than it really is but I edited it that way so you could see the contrast.
5. I heat dry all the petals to make sure the ink is dry. The adhesive doesn’t like to stick very well to damp ink.
6. As you can see I use the largest flower petal for not only the colorful flower but for the foliage as well. Apply adhesive to the center of your largest flower and attach your next smallest flower. Push down on the center with the paper piercer to hold it in place. Maneuver the top flower petals to be offset from the base to create the natural appearance of the flower. You do not want your petals to be stacked right on top of each other.
Repeat the steps until you have added all the layers.
I added one more layer of green foliage to create a fuller base. I lightly manipulated the different layers of leaves to make sure they were offset and natural looking. I added three little white pearls for the flower center.
6. I am going to show the additional steps that I take to create a card front that will definitely put the flower on center stage.
I created a frame using a square Fleur De Lis die and a regular square Nestabilities die. Check out my matted frame tutorial if you would like to see how I make my frames.
7. I attached thin cut strips of mounting tape to the back of the frame and attach the frame to the card base.
8. Apply plenty of liquid adhesive to the back of the flower and attach in the center of the frame. Push the flower down with your paper piercer in several spots to secure it to the base.
9. I like to add a bit of punched foliage under the leaves all around the flower to add a soft and natural touch.
Apply a drop of adhesive to the lowest point of the pine. Lift up the leaf with your paper piercer and scoot the pine under. Push down on the pine with your paper piercer to attach. This step will also make the top of the pine pop up a little so it doesn’t lay flat and will look more natural. Add as much or as little as you like.
I hope this has been a help to you. I have sure become addicted to making paper flowers so be careful….it may happen to you as well.
Thanks Kittie! I was hoping you would do this. Your cards are absolutely beautiful!
Thanks so much for this fabulous tutorial! Although I don’t have the dies, I do have lots of medallion type poinsettias that will work well with this process.
Thanks so much for the instruction, Kittie. My dies arrived in the mail today, and I am so happy to be able to follow your instructions. I’ve bookmarked this post so I can find it easily.
So beautiful. Thanks so much!I have a stamp, not a die, but I’ll work something out. 🙂
Just lovely Kittie! thanks for sharing how to!!
Beautiful flower, frame and card. Great tutorial. tfs
Ah, stunning work again Kittie beautifully described, pictured step by step, it must take you ages! thanks so much! Shaz in oz.x
Kittie this is amazing and so beautiful! Thank you so much for showing how you do these, and for the link to the frame tutorial too! xoxo Cindy
Thank you once again for your lovely tutorial. Our lives have again been enriched by your talents. Bless you
Love all your cards. You do such an
amazing job.
Thanks for the tutorial. Could you tell
me where I might find the stylus like
the ones you use. I have the small sizes
but none the size you called small in the
tutorial.
Gladys R.
thanks you so much Kittie, well done..thanks for sharing your beautiful art.
Kittie, this is another amazing tutorial, you make every one look simple and easy. I love all your cards and aspire to be in your class some day.
Stunning!!!!!!! Thank you so much for the step-by-step tutorial, Kittie. Now if I can just find these poinsettia dies, I’d be in paper heaven. (Mom got ’em but she’s not sharing…. hmmmmm…..)
Thank you so much for the tutorial
Absolutely Gorgeous, thanks so much for sharing your how to’s!!
This is so beautiful Kittie! Thank you for taking the time to do the tutorial and share it. Where do the diess come from?
Thanks so much Kittie – my dies should be arriving tomorrow – can’t wait to try this. I have been on a mission to find the dies since I saw your first post that used them. You are SUCH an inspiration!! Maybe someday my cards will start looking like yours – here’s hoping.
Thanks for a great tutorial! I have this poinsettia diecut — now to see if I can duplicate your technique.
Thank you for this great tutorial. I have this poinsettia die and will have to see if I can duplicate your technique.
thank you Kittie, for your tutorial. MY biggest problem, is finding the Martha Stewart pine punch. the co. has stopped making it. Where could I purchase one. I have the die for the flower, and the spellbinders foliage leaves, but sure would love to have the punch. I love this flower. And love your creations with it. Thanks so much for your help, and wonderful sharing and teaching.
Thanks so much for the wonderful tutorial. You do amazing work!
The poinsettia card is gorgeous, and thanks so much for the tutorial. My internet connection is too slow for uTube, and my sound card is defective, so I really appreciate your step by step tutorials!
A wonderful tutorial as usual.thanks so much for sharing and making it look so easy.God Bless.
Thanks for the tutorial, Kittie!
This week I have bought the Poinsettia die, Grand Madison window die and the MS Pine bough punch – you enabler, you! 😉
Your cards are gorgeous. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks for sharing that lovely tutorial, but I guess you do have a video tutorial copy of that right?