Thermocol Flowers Tutorial

Thermocol Flowers

I am quite recycle crazy at times and try to make things from some crazy materials! I can never bring myself to throw away the dainty thermocol trays and bowls which are so popular packaging materials in our modern world and when the "junk" heap becomes too big I am forced to think up ways to " make them useful"!

Thermocol is a fantastic medium to craft with.If you like to carve you are going to love this!

What you need for thermocol craft

Thermocol Flowers Tutorial

Craft Knife- Use a  a sharp blade and a blade length longer than you would use to cut paper as thermocol is thicker and its much easier if you work with a longer blade.

Adhesive- white glue, glue dots or a glue gun.

Thermocol trays or bowls or plates.We used a variety of thermocol objects in our hoard [ both myself and daughter are big hoarders of all sorts of crazy stuff !] If you have egg cartons made out of thermocol then you can make the most fascinating flowers and objects!

How to make thermocol Flowers

1. Cut petals of whatever shape and size that you fancy 
2. Glue them with your glue gun or adhesive of choice.

The first time my daughter and I tried this craft I almost gave up as the petals just wouldn't stick with white glue! Imagine my surprise when where I had failed my 5 year old had succeeded! She just made an additional base to stick the petals !

I recently bought a glue gun from the local market [Yes its available in India!] and using the glue gun making these flowers is a breeze!

If you are using white glue you need to be really patient .

We made a variety of 3 petal, 4 petal and 5 petal simple flowers.

Thermocol Flowers Tutorial

If you are using a glue gun ,just add some glue to the tips and stick the petals together

Thermocol Flowers

How to make Thermocol Roses

I thought making a thermocol rose was going to be tough but I was pleasantly surprised that I could whip up a lovely  7 cm sized thermocol rose in under 15 mins![With a glue gun of course]

• Cut petals from the sloping part of the tray or bowl and with the tapering part of the petal positioned on the flat part of the bowl or tray - this will give you a petal that stands up so naturally!

  

  Thermocol Flowers Tutorial

• Carve out your large petals from the corners of your thermocol tray. If you are working with a bowl then its even better!The corners give such  natural  shaped petals. 

  

  Thermocol Flowers Tutorial

  You don't need to mark on the thermocol to help you cut as you don't have to be accurate and it looks more natural if your petals are of different shapes and sizes.  

  

  Thermocol Flowers Tutorial

• Cut petals of slightly smaller size for the inner layer of the thermocol rose.
• Make the central bud of your thermocol rose :Cut diamond tipped petals centered on the junction of the sloping and flat part- this will give you a lovely curved shape. 

  

  Thermocol Flowers Tutorial

  You need 3 or 4 of these petals to make your bud.

  

  Thermocol Flowers Tutorial

  Stick the edges together to make your rosebud 

  

  Thermocol Flowers Tutorial

  Cut off the excess length
  

  

  Thermocol Flowers Tutorial

• Apply glue to the upper surface of the tip of your inner petals and stick them around your central rose bud. 
• You can fit in around 3 petals around your rose bud depending on your petal size

Thermocol Flowers Tutorial

• Keep gluing outer petals to get  a rose of your desired shape and size.

  

  Thermocol Flowers Tutorial

  Here is the closeup of another Thermocol Rose- The fun is no two roses look alike!
  

  

  Thermocol Flowers

  We made a bouquet of thermocol roses. I first tried wire stems then felt it was too flimsy and added a skewer stick [ again recycled!]. You can make your own leaves or use store bought fabric leaves which you can wind around the stem as shown here

I stuck the wire into the base of the rose and secured it with glue.

The wooden skewers just add some weight and strength to your rose blooms

Thermocol Flowers

Wrap some green floral tape or ribbon around your stem and you have  beautiful rose stems.

We arranged our thermocol roses in a clay pot my daughter had made in summer camp

Thermocol Flowers

Lots of other ideas for thermocol -  make frames, wall hangings, flower vases,swans, butterflies! Here is a link to some of the projects in which I have used thermocol: Thermocol Crafts.

Have fun and do let me know how you like this recycling craft.

Edited:This recycling project won at Crafty JCChallenge

This tutorial was featured at Craft Gossip

I have made flowers from some crazy materials .Here are links to some "non paper" handmade flower tutorials.

Handmade Foam Flower Tutorials

Foam Rose tutorial

Foam cala lily tutorial

Foam Rose tutorial

Handmade Rose tutorial -Clay/playdough,Aluminium foil,Marzipan,Mseal

Playdough Rose tutorial

Easy Ribbon Rose

Edible rose tutorial

Mseal Rose tutorial

Handmade Flower tutorials - Crystal flowers,Easy Beaded flowers, Sponge roses

Crystal Flower tutorial

Beaded flower tutorial

Spoon flower tutorial

Sponge flower tutorial