Recycled Crafts

Creative DIY Projects That Turn Trash Into Treasure

Embellish tea lights, straws and party banner with rolled paper flowers

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Parties can be a fun reason to craft and making your own party accessories that all coordinate perfectly can be a bit addictive. And if you die cut then you know how easy it is to make lots of something.

That is just what I did with Die’sire flower dies and coordinating paper strips.

Since I knew I was going to make a lot of flowers to embellish tea lights, straws and the banner I cut 4 flower strips at a time several times. I cut each of the shapes out of all the colors of paper.

I had so much fun mixing the colors and shapes of the die cut paper strips around the tea lights, straws and simply making them on their own to embellish the skewers I used on each end of the tiny party banner I put in the cupcakes on the pedestal cake plate.

For the banner I used the largest letter in the Leonie Pujol letter set to die cut the letters PARTY out of pretty cardstock that coordinated with the colors of the paper I made the wrapped flowers with.

I put the letters on the Die’sire Mixed-media pennant shaped die mixing up the colors of the  background and type colors.

I glued the letters onto the pennants and then strung them together with a needle and heavy duty thread.

With a bit of hot glue I attached the thread to the skewers and then covered the spot with another rolled paper die cut flower.

 

 

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Have you read?

Time Flies — And Sometimes It Has Wings Made of Vintage Paper and Buttons

Have you ever been to the cuckoo clock shop at Tamborine Mountain? It’s like stepping into another world — a charming, ticking wonderland filled with thousands (yes, literally thousands) of clocks. Some are grand and ornate, others tiny and tucked away like secrets waiting to be discovered. I remember walking through the shop with my kids, completely enchanted by the whirring gears, dancing figurines, and the joyful chorus of chimes. It was one of those places where time feels like it both stops and flies.

That same feeling came flooding back when I stumbled across this adorable craft project from Teawagon Tales called Time Flies. In true vintage style, it’s a whimsical little DIY that combines scraps of fabric, old paper, buttons, and clock faces into sweet butterfly-like creations — a beautiful mashup of memory, imagination, and just plain cuteness.

It reminded me that crafting is a little like walking through that clock shop. Each piece holds a story, a tick of nostalgia, and the joy of noticing small details. You don’t need much — just some leftover fabric, maybe an old book page or two, and a few bits from your button tin. And suddenly you’re creating something that feels like it fluttered out of a fairytale.

So if you’ve got a stash of pretty paper or vintage bits and bobs you’ve been saving for “something special,” this might be the perfect project to give them new life.

Take a look at the full tutorial and soak up some serious inspiration:
Time Flies – Teawagon Tales

And if you ever find yourself near Tamborine Mountain, do yourself a favour — pop into that cuckoo clock shop. It’s pure magic for anyone who knows that time isn’t just measured in minutes, but in memories.