Tutorial: Coffee Filter Blossoms

These coffee filter flowers are super easy and a great way to add dimension to your mixed media art work and scrapbooking pages. I originally saw this idea on Paper Bakery, where they used regular tissue paper and staples. I don't have a small stapler, and wanted a coloured centre part, so I had to adapt the idea. I also have a large amount of coffee filters from a previous art project (our coffee filter has a reusable 'nest' filter, so I can't even use these for coffee). I also 'alter' mine a little after.

Materials:

• Coffee filters
• Scissors
• Glue / Gel Medium
• Ink pads
• Markers (I use Faber-Castell Pitt big brush pens, and Letraset Aqua Markers)

Cut out your circles. I folded three coffee filters over to give six circles. The larger
your blossom the more layers you will need to give it good 'fluff'. Mine are a little smaller
than quarters.

I use Gel Medium to bond my layers, but you can use anything. This was
just on my desk on hand.

I use the end of a paint brush to dab some gel medium in the centre of the first layer

I place the next layer on top, add another dab of gel medium and continue to build
up until I have my six layers. I let this dry, doesn't take too long.

I crumble each layer, individually, into the center.  The more
imperfect, the better. 

Now that it's all crumbled up, I will uncrumble, and fluff. You might
have to play with this a little to get the blossom you like best. 

Once all unfluffed, I use an ink pad to define the edges.

For this particular blossom, I'm using another colour of ink pad to give more
interest

I draw in the center with my markers, and it's all set to be attached to
my artwork!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! You can do this with any sort of tissue papers.