Coffee Filter Hydrangeas

Step 1

Gather your supplies and materials.

Step 2

Make a stack of two coffee filters

Step 3

Fold the coffee filters in half, and in half again. Then fold them in half two more times.

Step 4

Draw the petal shapes on the top (open) part of the folded coffee filter. Your drawing should look like a butterfly shape with a tree trunk coming out from the bottom center.

Step 5

Cut out the petal shapes.

Step 6

Unfold the coffee filters once and snip in between the two petals to separate them. Unfold and cut until all the petals are separate.Repeat step 2, cutting a total of 12 coffee filters.

Step 7

Place 4 coffee filters on top of each other on a baking sheet.

Step 8

Add 10 drops of liquid watercolour paint to a small bowl with about 2 Tablespoons of water.Repeat for any other colours you'd like to use. (We used blue and purple.)

Step 9

Use an eyedropper to add blue to the center of the coffee filters.

Step 10

Then add some purple around the outside petals of the coffee filters.

Step 11

Drop blue paint around parts of the petals.

Step 12

Fill in any white space remaining with purple.

Step 13

Allow to dry overnight, or bake in a low temperature oven (see more details below).

Step 14

Repeat, colouring and drying all 12 of your coffee filters.

Step 15

Bend down the end of a green pipe cleaner (about 1/4 inch), creating a closed "U" shape.

Step 16

Push the single end of the pipe cleaner through the center of one of the coffee filters.(Cut a tiny hole in the center of each coffee filter to make this easier, if you'd like.)

Step 17

Pull the pipe cleaner through until the coffee filter reaches the other end. The "U" shape on the end of the pipe cleaner should keep it in place.

Step 18

Add a few dots of hot glue around the pipe cleaner.

Step 19

Scrunch up the bottom center of the coffee filter, pushing it so that it's forming a "V" shape. Hold the coffee filter until it stays glued in place.

Step 20

Push a second coffee filter up the pipe cleaner from the bottom.

Step 21

Add a line of hot glue to the inside of the coffee filter you just added.

Step 22

Scrunch the coffee filter up in the same way, again holding it in place.

Step 23

Repeat, adding coffee filters in the same way. As you add more filters to the stem, they'll become more flat, instead of the "V" shape.For the last few coffee filters, scrunch the coffee filters down in the opposite direction, making an upside-down "V". You can add hot glue to the bottom of the last coffee filter to make them easier to connect.

Step 24

Once you've added the last coffee filter, fluff up the flower and separate the petals so they lay naturally.

Step 25

Your coffee filter hydrangea is complete!