A dramatic flower from found materials and papier mâché techniques

Cut the wire about one inch (25mm) from the bottom of the flower and fold it inside.

Cutting the wire

Bending the wire inside the flower

Bend each flower in an outer curve then tape all the inside of the flower.

Bending in an outer curve

Bending each petal outwards

Taping inside each petal

Covering the whole of the inside

Cut two opposite holes in the table-tennis ball with a paring knife or fine scissors so that it will slide down the dowel.

Making a whole in table tennis ball

Making a hole in the opposite side

Inserting the dowel

Now for the flower's pistil. I have used a discarded 'candle' light bulb but you can choose what you want or form a shape with foil and paper laminate.

Making the pistil

Taping bulb firmly in place on dowel

You can give it extra bulk at the base with some kitchen foil.

Adding bulk

Building up the layers

Adding more bulk until desired thickness

Cover it completely with masking tape.

Covering the whole pistil with masking tape

Insert it into the flower, with the pistil in the position you prefer, and mark the dowel where it emerges at the bottom.

Inserting into the flower and marking its position

Place the table tennis ball above that line and apply masking tape down the dowel until it meets the ball. Remove the ball until later.

Applying masking tape

Now for the colour!

You need strips of paper serviette (napkin) of your choice of colour. You will probably find that it will tear in straight lines in one direction but not the other. You need straight lines of course. You also need paste. This can be wallpaper paste or CMC (see David Osborne's Papier Mache Paste article) with a little bit of PVA (white glue) mixed in. It needs to be the consistency of thin cream.

Pasting the flower