No Florist Required Valentine Flowers

(Image via Married to Craft)

When you think Valentine’s Day, what comes to mind? Hearts, yes. Chocolates? Perhaps. Flowers? Definitely. This is no doubt the Valentine trifecta and rarely does a Valentine gift NOT contain at least one of the three. And while live flowers are a very kind gesture, they cost a lot of cash, and then make a mad dash to the trash. Queue the sad trombone sound—wah wah.

Instead of grabbing that bouquet of red roses this year, consider a slightly longer-lasting bloom—one that won’t drop petals, that doesn’t require water, and that will impress your sweetheart, mom, or friend for years to come.

(Image via Sweet Paul)

Rebecca Thuss and husband Patrick Farrell wrote, crafted, styled, and photographed one of the most gorgeous and aspirational craft books, Paper to Petal. The projects teach crafters how to do just that—turn paper into petals.

Yahoo DIY was lucky enough to get Thuss’ opinion on why people should take the time to make and gift paper flowers over the real deal on Valentine’s Day. “Receiving fresh flowers is of course always special and wonderful, but there is something so deeply touching about a gift that is handmade—something that was literally crafted with love,” says Thuss. “A paper-flower Valentine is so very sentimental and truly lasts. So it is not only symbolic of enduring love but it will continue to bring joy long after a bouquet of fresh flowers would fade.” (Our thoughts exactly.)

(Image via Married to Craft)

Another key characteristic of a homemade Valentine is the personalization aspect. If you are going to spend the time to hand-craft a bouquet of flowers, you can crank it up a notch by adding some small details that will make it feel that much more unique.

(image via Plenty of Colour)

"First, when deciding on a type of flower to craft, choose blooms that are favorites [of the giftee] and craft them in a color palette that you know they’ll absolutely love," says Thuss. "You can write on paper leaf shapes and wire them onto your stems, or perhaps paint a monogram or message on the petals. Markers work well on thick double-sided crepe paper."

Thuss also offered this clever tidbit: if the lucky recipient of this gift has a favorite movie that has a memorable flower scene or element, try to mimic that bouquet or motif in your crafted blooms. Or, perhaps she loves vintage jewelry. Take a trip to a flea market and use a costume earring or broach as the center of a flower or pinned around the stems.

If you want to take a stab at the art of flower making, here is a tulip tutorial by Thuss and Farrell from The Knot. If you find that you have a knack for this art, then it’s probably wise to just get the book which is organized by skill level. (Remember, Valentine’s Day is February 14th.)

"As with all crafts there is always a learning curve," says Thuss. "And with each piece you make, you increase your skills and knowledge and confidence. Try techniques on paper scraps first, as it is helpful to gain experience and build your skills before crafting actual flowers."

So how does your garden grow? Out of paper, perhaps?