Tutorial: Distressed Flowers

Here is a very simple way to make some beautiful embellishments with just a few simple things.

First, freehand cut three (or more) circles out of patterned paper. Make them large, medium and small, depending on the size of the flower you want to end up with. Don't worry about your circles being perfect, they actually look better if they are uneven.


Next, take some dark ink, such as a dark brown craft ink and distress (ink) the edges. You can use the ink pad directly on the paper, or use a brush or piece of foam to apply it. Play around with some different colors to see what you like.

Another thought is to take a distressing tool and run the edges through it to fray them.

Now, pretend you are making a ball out of the paper. Squish it between your fingers - the more you wad it up, the better. You want it to look all crumbled up with lots of folds.

Then, open them up, but don't flatten them. You want to keep them three dimensional. Take your ink pad you used earlier (or applicator) and rub the ink across the surface. All of those folds stick up and will catch the ink, and when you are done, it should really looked distressed.

Layer all three circles with the largest on the bottom, and hold together with a brad. You can use any color or size. Play with some different ones and see what you like.


Add a few leaves behind your flower, such as these from Prima, or make your own, as a finishing touch. Voila - you have created your very own distressed flower embellishment!

I have included an example from a project I am working on to show you what it might look like on a completed page. I've been having a lot of fun playing with cardboard and other found objects to create this project.

Enjoy making your own distressed flowers!