Coffee Filter Rose

Supplies:
coffee filters, wire, green floral tape, alcohol, colour gel, if desired, scissors, white glue, small brush to apply glue, styrofoam square (to place your flower as you work), pencil, circle cutters…small, medium & large. I like to have a little white glue in a small glass dish. I keep my glue thick, it’s easier to apply, and petals stick better. Although using a brush to apply the glue, it’s a good idea to keep a damp cloth on hand to wipe any glue that does get on your fingers.

1. Fold your coffee filter in half, then in half again, and then again. So paper is folded 4 x’s …as in picture. Place your smallest circle cutter on the folded paper and using your pencil draw a circle. Cut through all layers of paper beyond the circle mark. You don’t want the pencil marks to show on the finished flower. You should have 8 small circles of paper. These are the starter petals.

Before I start for my convenience, I wrap my wire with green floral tape, but you can do afterwards, it’s entirely up to you.

2. Cut a tiny round of paper from leftover paper, dip in glue and wrap on the top of your wire. Just a precaution so wire doesn’t show through your petals. Usually mine doesn’t, but my last one did, so I now add this step.

3. As with making a rose from gumpaste, you wrap your first petal around on a angle to represent a unfurling petal. Then just keep adding the small petals, around and around in layers to achieve the look you want.

TIP: I’m not the most patient person….did I see smiles of agreement??? After making several coffee filter flowers, I happened on what I think is a novel idea. Based on drying gumpaste under the oven light. I put my toaster oven on the oven setting as low as it will go. Mine is 120 d F. After adding each petal, obviously, there has to be drying time. Annoying and time consuming. I pop the wire with the petals in the oven for maybe 1-2 mins., max, take out….wa la, dry, ready for the next petal/petals.

This is the rose with first 8 small petals attached.

This is the rose with 2nd row of 8 small petals attached. Now onto rows of medium sized petals. Fold coffee filter as stated before and using the medium round cutter draw a circle with pencil and cut out 16 medium petals and attach.
You can play with the petals as you attach to get the symmetry and look you want.

This is the rose with the small and 16 medium petals attached. Now fold your coffee filter into four, and using the next largest size circle cutter and pencil, cut out 8 large petals. Attach.

This is the finished rose, plain as is.

This is the rose embellished with gold piping gel on the petal edges. A little prettier.

TIP: To make a coloured rose, mix whatever gel colour you like with a bit of alcohol in a bowl. The darker the alcohol/gel, the darker colour you will achieve. Using a large brush, paint the colour on your coffee filter paper. I have immersed my filter paper in the coloured solution, but it is as messy. I lay the filter paper on a piece of paper towel, place in the micro for 10 seconds to dry. If you want the paper darker, paint on more colour, dry in micro…continue until you get the paper the colour you want. Then proceed making the rose as instructed

I hope my tutorial is understandable and will be helpful in you having fun creating your own coffee filter rose. 🌹 🌹. You can use the same basic principles with the coffee filter paper to make other flowers as well, like a poppy or a peony. Experiment and have fun…. 🌺
NOTE: I didn’t take pictures of actually “attaching” the petals. There’s no right or wrong way. Attach and form the shape you like best.