It’s Silhouette Challenge time for April! At the end of this post, you will see links to 39 other awesome spring themed Silhouette projects to inspire you!
Last week I posted about the preschool recipe book that I designed for Colin’s pre-kindergarten assistant teacher for her birthday. I also made her this beautiful sunflower bouquet. The center of each sunflower has a picture of one of the students in the class.
I know how much kids in general love to see their pictures so I knew that the students would love the bouquet as much as the teacher.
Supplies:
- yellow cardstock (I fit 6 shapes or 3 flowers onto an 8.5×11 piece of cardstock)
- brown cardstock
- 4×4 inch piece of white cardstock
- green paper straws (one for each flower)
- bucket container for flowers
- 1/2 ball of styrofoam
- glass gems (I used marble accents)
- 1 and 1/2 inch paper punch
- adhesive (I used Xyron 510 permanent adhesive and ATG Tape)
- hot glue gun
- Silhouette machine
- Silhouette mat
- photos for the center
Directions:
1.Use this free Photoshop PSD file (personal use only) to size photos for the center of the flowers. I was able to put six square photos on one 4×6 inch photo. Print the photo(s).
2. Use the 1 and 1/2 inch paper punch to punch the photos from the picture. When punching out photos, always use the punch upside down so you can see exactly what will be punched out.
3. Download the free sunflower cut file (personal use only). The cut file has two circles with petals coming off it. Use the yellow cardstock to cut those two shapes for every one sunflower with the Silhouette machine and mat. I cut 30 shapes to make 15 sunflowers.
4. Use the circle in the sunflower cut file and brown cardstock to cut one brown circle for each sunflower with the Silhouette machine and mat.
5. Use the label cut file (personal use only) to print and cut the label using the Silhouette machine and mat.
6. For each sunflower, hold a petal in between your thumb and middle finger near the base of the circle and pull outward to slightly curve the petals. This action is similar to using scissors to curl ribbon. Repeat for all petals on all shapes.
7. Next assemble the sunflowers. Put adhesive on the back of one sunflower shape, then line it up with another sunflower shape behind it and rotate slightly so that the petals are perfectly offset.
8. Run the circle punched photos and the brown circles through through the Xyron 510 machine to add adhesive on the back of the photos and brown circles. You can also do this by adding the adhesive of your choice to the back of the brown circles and photos.
9. Add one circle punched photo to one brown circle. Then add the brown circle to the middle of the flower.
10. Use a hot glue gun to glue a green paper straw to the back of the sunflower. Be sure the face on the photo is straight up and down when the straw is glued on.
11. Add newspaper to the bottom of the container. Place the half ball of foam inside the container so it rests on the newspaper with the flat side facing down.
12. Arrange the sunflowers and press them into the foam.
13. Add the glass gems to the container to cover up the foam and help the sunflowers stay put.
14. Add adhesive to the back of the label and adhere it to the front of the container.
Colin’s assistant teacher really loved her sunflowers and I think that any teacher would also love this gift for teacher appreciation!
April Silhouette Challenge Projects
Check out the other 39 projects in this month’s Silhouette Challenge for a wealth of spring crafty inspiration.
1. Dream a Little Bigger // 2. So Much Better With Age // 3. Adventures in All Things Food // 4. Creative Carnival // 5. The Kim Six Fix // 6. feto soap // 7. One Dog Woof // 8. The Experimental Home // 9. From Wine to Whine // 10. Architecture of a Mom // 11. Grey Luster Girl // 12. Minted Strawberry // 13. Designed Decor // 14. Tried & True // 15. Silhouette School // 16. Bringing Creativity 2 Life // 17. Weekend Craft // 18. Practically Functional // 19. Please Excuse My Craftermath… // 20. McCall Manor // 21. unOriginal Mom // 22. Creative Ramblings // 23. A Tossed Salad Life // 24. A Glimpse Into Barb’s Life // 25. Kate’s Paper Creations // 26. Simply Kelly Designs // 27. Cutesy Crafts // 28. Persia Lou // 29. Whats Next Ma // 30. Two Purple Couches // 31. The Frill of Life // 32. Nearly Handmade // 33. Get Silvered // 34. Ginger Snap Crafts // 35. Life After Laundry // 36. The Sensory Emporium // 37. Monograms & Cake // 38. The Thinking Closet // 39. My Paper Craze // 40. Chicken Scratch NY
Note: Photos in this post of other students in Colin’s class were used with parental permission.
Hi, i would like to do this sunflower bouquet for my daughter preschool teacher. Can you please help to send me the template in pdf file?
Thanks a lot 🙂
Hi Yik Mei. Unfortunately I do not have this file in PDF format to send you.
Just found your web site. I LOVE this boquet of sunflowers. I do not have a Silhouette – do you have the template in svg format?
Hi Cyndi. Unfortunately I do not have the template in svg format.
This is so cute! I can’t open the .studio file for the template. You wouldn’t happen to have a .pdf version would you? We are making this for my daughter’s preschool teacher!
Hi Amanda. I can make a pdf but won’t be able to do it until tomorrow. I will e-mail it to you when it is done.
As per my usual, I’m doing this last minute for graduation tomorrow, so I will just free hand it. Thank you so much for the quick response and especially for this cute idea!!!
I am going to email you the original jpeg that I designed before I put it into Silhouette studio. I can’t remember if I resized it after that so it might not be the right size but it is the right shape.
Oh, you’re awesome! I’m sitting here with a printout in hand. This will work perfectly! Thank you so much for your willingness to help!
Kelly,
I have photo shop but I am unable to figure out how to put the 4 pics on a 4X6 – any suggestions? Thanks for your help.
Hi Sharon. In Step 1 of the directions, I have a free template that you can download. You just have to resize the photos and clip them to the squares in the template. If you need a refresher on how to do that, I have a tutorial in this post: http://simplykellydesigns.com/blog/2014/04/23/diy-ribbon-wrapped-instagram-wreath/ Good luck!
This is such a great gift idea and I love how you personalized it! Also love that you used green straws for the stems – so smart!
Thank you Emily! I think I am in love with paper straws. I have started a collection. 🙂
What a lovely sunflower bouquet! I love the idea of adding the photos to the center. I was just thinking that these would make lovely centerpieces. For a wedding, you could even use “throwback” photos of the couple. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Kristy. The throwback pics for a wedding centerpiece is a great idea! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
What a great idea to put the pictures in the flower centre. Very cute!
Thank you Pam! I think someone in our Silhouette Challenge group did something similar.
Pinned this so we can make it for my son’s teachers! Thank you so much for sharing this lovely gift idea!
I am glad to have inspired you Robin! Would love to see a photo of what you make for you son’s teachers after it is one. Thanks for stopping by and for commenting!
What a fun idea! I am looking for ideas for a fall centerpiece for my club and I think I have found it. I will put the pics of the new board members on the flowers at each table. It will be a hit I’m sure.
Hope you’ll visit my project at http://www.katespapercreations.com/2014/04/spring-has-sprung-subway-art.html
Hi Kate. That centerpiece sounds like a great idea! I would love to see a photo if you do make it. I visited your blog yesterday and left a comment! Love that subway art. Thanks for stopping by!
Love this Kelly! How on earth did you get a picture of every kid in the class?! What a great project I am sure she loved it! So thoughtful and personal.
Thanks Michelle. I do a monthly personal yearbook page with each student so I take a picture of each one every month of the school year. I interview them and write it up and then they draw a picture of it. It is a lot of work but I enjoy it.
These are so cute!! I love the sunflowers!
Thank you for the sweet comment and for stopping by Nancy!
What a great idea for teacher appreciation!! I need to get started on a teacher appreciation gift myself! Thanks for the inspiration!
You are welcome Rachel! Thanks for stopping by!
Love these! (: I used the same baskets in my project for the Silhouette Challenge!
Thank you! Great minds think alike! I left some love for you on your project.