Tax Wreath and Paper Rose Tutorial

Well, it's April...and that means it's income tax time again!

For many of us, April 15th looks like this:

But for those who prepare our tax returns, April 15th looks like this:

My Mom is among those jumping for joy on the 15th.  As a tax preparer, she is tremendously busy from January through mid-April.  (Don't get me wrong, she's really busy from April through December too!)

This year I wanted to give my Mom something to help keep her inspired and keep her smiling through those long busy weeks.

A pretty paper wreath for her office would be great...

but, a pretty paper wreath made from tax forms, perfect!

I followed this tutorial at Frog Prince Paperie to construct the wreath.

Then I made a paper rose for the center.
Here is how to make a paper rose...
What you need:  paper, scissor, pencil, hot glue gun
Start by tracing a circle onto a piece of paper.

Draw a spiral inside of your circle (don't worry, it doesn't have to be perfect).  Start at the outer edge, and finish by leaving a circle shape in the middle.

Cut out the outer circle.

Cut along the spiral (don't cut off the center circle, you'll need it to form the rose).

Starting at the outer edge of the spiral, roll the paper into a tight cylinder and then continue rolling until you get to the middle.

If you want a more modern rose, you can stop here and glue as shown below.  Your rose will look something like this:

If you want a more traditional looking rose, grab your scissors and cut some waves on the outer band of your spiral.  (You can cut the waves before you roll the rose up if you like, but I think rolling first gives you a good idea of what size waves to cut and where to stop because you don't have to cut the waves all the way to the center.)

Roll your rose back up and grab your glue gun.

Make a puddle of glue at the center of the circle (where I put an "x").

Lean the rose over, plop it into the glue and let go.

The rose will unravel a bit to reveal it's beautiful shape!

Very simple.  Slightly addictive.  Fun with the kids too...my 9 year old son and 10 year old niece made a pile of roses!  (Safety note:  I glued them!)

Happy tax day!

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