Birch Ply Flowers

For this flower you will need:

• A sheet of birch single ply
• Wood shavings
• Hot glue gun
• Sticks
• Cup of water
• Clothes Pins
• Scissors

Cut the ply into small rectangles (the size you want the petals).  Then round the bottom and top edges and cut a little curve into the top.  Dunk the petals into a glass of water for a few hours.

Drain the water and blot the petals dry on a towel.  You will need 6 petals for each flower. Gently curve the tops of 3 petals backwards.  These can snap easily so work slowly.  I had to bend the petals diagonally a little to soften the grain.  Gently fold the other 3 petals (one at a time) and use a clothes pin or chip clip to hold it.  Allow to dry.

After they dry, use hot glue to glue the bottom three pieces together (the pieces that are curved backwards).  Then glue on the folded petals, placing each petal in between the bottom petals.

Then, I used the curly wood shavings that I hand planed off of a walnut table top.  Handplaners can be found at your hardware store for between $10 and $20. You can find scraps of walnut at your local saw mill or you can purchase them at you a hardware store.  Add a dab of hot clue and stick the end of the shavings in.  I used a sticks from my yard as the stems (which are also, you guessed it, hot glued to the back).