Recycled paper flowers

Here I am back again! I am constantly inspired by people who take something simple and recreate it into something amazing. Take the lady from Craftberry bush http://craftberrybush.blogspot.com.au/2010/11/paper-romance.html. So amazing what she does with paper. So… I felt inspired, I went off and found my yellow pages from 2010. You ask why do I still have them, well, I keep thinking there must be something else this paper can be used for? I recently hurt my hip and the physio arranged some interesting exercises for me involving stepping up and down on a small step to strengthen my hip muscles. What…. you say, has this got to do with recycled paper flowers? Good question! As I stepped up and down I was thinking about how you could use this paper again in a creative way! This is what I came up with!
1. One page from the yellow pages phone book (circa 2010!)

2. The easy paper folding process (seen in many paper folding activities)
Fold paper in half.

3. And half again.

4. Fold again, but this time the paper will not meet at the edges, this is ok!

5. Fold paper again.

6. Now cut little scallops at the top. I was thinking you could use pinking shears and there are also children’s sets of scissors with interesting shapes on the blades.

7. Now the paper will look like this:

8. Continue to make smaller and smaller folded paper circles, using contrasting colours. Add contrasting coloured buttons.


9. You could use magazines, newspaper and junk mail to create different colours and designs.
I was thinking children from about mid year in prep and onwards would be able to create these flowers. I think they would make a great display on a bulletin board!
I believe, as a newly trained teacher, it is so important to continue the good work parents do in the home in highlighting the need to recycle and instill in children the need to care for our world. The more I see projects that use recycled products the more I believe that rather than recycling being a ‘theme’ it needs to be a constant thought in the way teachers plan their projects and lessons.I am sure many teachers keep this at the forefront of their minds as they plan. This concept I observed in my last practicum at a school in my local area. The teachers thought about each project with an eye to how they could re-use resources to create new projects.
10. Happy recycling!
P.S. One more thing! This website has the most innovative recycling projects I have seen. Have a look http://www.countryliving.com/crafts/projects/green-crafts-0309#slide-6
P.S.S.
Here are some flowers that I made with catalogues from the mail box and one from a large shopping store starting with the letter M!