Little dip dye flowers for your tree

Flowers and birds are among the classics when it comes to traditional Scandinavian tree ornaments, and the symbolism is very straightforward; we put them on the green tree to remind ourselves that spring is somewhere out there, that we must not despair in all this soggy darkness (and I am referring to the weather in Copenhagen, Denmark right now).

One of my favourite Danish christmas songs is about exactly that, and here is the last verse:

Juletræet på besøg
hilser os fra eg og bøg
med besked derude fra,
at det lysner dag for dag,
og at solen fra sit skjul
ønsker os en glæd'lig jul.

I will not attempt a lyrical translation, but just tell you that it says that the christmas tree is a kind of festive visitor from the summer forest, sending us holiday greetings from the sun.

I made you some very easy pleated paper flowers for the tree - they are made from concertina folded little paper strips, just like the Solino Stars the other day - but these are even simpler, and very easy to make. Use some sharp scissors, and some quick drying glue to fixate them in the 'flat position'.

Get the PDF here!

2021: I have a new location for my downloads: please go here for the front print -
and here for the back side print (it's a print-on-both-sides design)

They are quite pastel like and summery and have a dip dye effect - and I made the PDF with a page 1, front, and a page 2, back, so that you can get the pretty color effect on both sides of the paper. Start by printing page one, turn over your prints (make sure you place them in the right direction in the printer tray / paper feeder) - and print page two on the back.

Make them by cutting the strips out very carefully, and then make the concertina folds. I made an extra 'half' petal on the strip, use that one for glueing the strip into a little round 'lampshade'. Press it flat from both sides a couple of times, open it and add some glue to the middle edges - and press flat again. I used a little, chunky glass to hold it in place, while the glue dried.

I will hang them with thin white thread, to make them twirl and move!