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This post contains affiliate links. If you click links and decide to make a purchase, Especially Paper may receive compensation. Though it’s more common to use alcohol ink on glass, glossy paper, plastic, metal and other non-porous surfaces, alcohol ink is a great medium for adding color to crepe paper flowers, card stock projects, and floral stems. The brightly pigmented dye wicks into the paper creating an interesting effect similar to striped flower petals. One of my favorite ways to use alcohol ink is to apply green ink to ivory crepe paper to make variegated leaves. I’ve also experimented with...

Ready to use your iPhone with your Cricut Explore cutting machine? There are a few steps you'll need to take to start uploading SVG files to the app. When you download a cutting machine template from Especially Paper, all of the template files are compressed into a single zip file to make downloading easier. But iPhone doesn’t natively open zip files, so you’ll need to download a zip utility app. I like the free version of the iZip app. There is a pro version, but if you don’t mind a few ads, I’ve found that the free version works great. And of...

A big thank you to the Silhouette team for featuring Especially Paper on their blog! I created a special project just for the post — a giant, 20” paper flower inspired by bright, sunny cosmos. Silhouette users can download the template for free from the Silhouette store.  Now, let’s talk about how to make that flower! You can also download a PDF instruction sheet with step-by-step photos. Download the 3D flower template from the Silhouette store. Cut 8 petals, 14 center strips, and one of each of the other pieces from 65lb card stock. For a more dynamic center, use two...

I've just published a new video class on Skillshare, a learning community for creators. If you'd like to craft a large (19"!) gerbera daisy, please join the class — the first 25 students can enroll for free! This gerbera daisy is perfect for display on it’s own or as part of a wall of flowers. It's a beginner class that includes several free template options for cutting the pieces for this project. A PDF is including for hand cutting the pieces, SVG files for use with Cricut Explore, and studio files that can be cut with a Silhouette craft cutter. You don’t need many supplies for...

For the past few months, I've been working on giant paper flowers that will cover 70 square feet of wall space behind a dance floor. They'll be used at an upcoming mitzvah in the D.C. area planned by iSparkle Events. It's been great fun designing and making these flowers and I can't wait to see them installed at the event!