Sunday, May 1, 2011

Ode to the underappreciated coffee filter {tutorial}

Tute time. I hate coffee. I love coffee filters. Nothing more fun for a crafty girl than to create something beautiful out of something so ordinary. Coffee filter crafting is a total go-to standard for the preschool crowd and I am seriously digging working them into the party scene. Unexpected and boss.

For the recent Fly Gavin Rave, I made coffee filter flowers for the little garbage pail centerpieces. I also made couture coffee filter covers for our Carvel cups. They were ridiculously adorable.
Coffee filters are incredible to craft with because they are inexpensive and extremely easy to work with. They are also almost indestructible.

So...here are my behind the purple curtain coffee filter secrets...Might be the easiest craft EVAH! Tee hee:)
If you make your own, please share your results. Any questions, just raise your paw:)



tie die version
coffee filter couture Carvel Cup Covers


supplies:
 coffee filters, purple spray bottle of water,
washable markers stolen from your kids
(you can use regular markers, but washables are easier + cleaner)
a plastic covered work surface (I used a kitchen garbage bag)
gloves
 (I do not wear gloves. Ever. Smarties would, but I am too lazy..and I like blue fingers)
I used three coffee filters for one flower

tape, pipe cleaners (for flowers)
tiny rubber bands (clear, little hair bands)

place filters on plastic surface

take marker and scribble sections
you do not have to cover every bit of the surface
the kids can totally help with this fun part!

for tie dye version
use four or five different colors
I used three coffee filters for one flower


solid version
you can scribble any way you want..lines..swirls..
I used three coffee filters for one flower



take spray bottle and spray with a mist of water
colors will start to bleed into each other

I saturate them pretty well
If you still see marker strokes in them, spray more water

now...you can just let them air dry
the dry very quickly. Maybe an hour...
If you have no time or patience (like me) you can stick them in the microwave
I stack them 3 of the same color on a paper plate
and microwave for 30 seconds, flip over the pile
and microwave for another 30 seconds. Maybe 3 or 4
times and they are totally dry and ready to roll.



totally dry and ready to use

for Carvel cup or cupcake
place in center of filter, gather up and attach
with tiny rubber band. These elastic bands
are small and tight and you will break a few
and they will snap on your fingers, but it is the
price a serious crafter must pay..
Come on, you know that's funny:)

slide the elastic band up to under the rim.
The coffee filters are very sturdy and hard to rip.

for a flower, stack three filters and then pinch
from the underside of the stack and twist it.
Pinch them together and twist.
Then, add some tape to secure.
*These flowers are a totally different
technique than a regular paper flower.

tape the little nub you just swirled on the bottom so
it is secure, them wrap a pipe cleaner around a
few times to secure.
Next, you can fluff out and pinch the
flowers into place..I fluff, squeeze and fold them to
shape into a flower shape.


completed container cover

bouquet of cuteness


11 comments :

Piggy Bank Parties said...

Awesome tutorial! Kickin' myself that I just donated a package of filters recently! {ugh!}

Natalia said...

so glad you did the tute!
I was way off...when I tried figuring it out:)

The Sweetest Thing said...

Love it Kristy!! Thinking I might have the kiddoes do this for the grandmas' mothers' day gifts. Little handmade paper flower bouquets! I have a stack of like 1000 filters left from when my hubby USED to drink coffee....now I know why I've saved them all this time! Thanks! :)

Audrey @ Sweet Cheeks said...

TOO stinkin' cute...and EASY! Best of both worlds....I'll have to go buy up some coffee filters since we don't drink it in this house either ;) thanks for the FAB tute Ma'am!

Tini Posh said...

Love it! Would have never guessed it was that easy..great tutorial!

Unknown said...

Love it! I just might have to try these for my upcoming art party!

Suzanne said...

can not wait to try it! Thanks!

Launi said...

Positively adorable. Flowers for Mother's Day! You're a genius.
:}

Brittany Schwaigert said...

So freaking creative. I would have never thought of this in a million years.

RootsAndWingsCo said...

So awesome! Thanks for the great idea and tutorial to back it up!!

Rebecca@RootsAndWingsCo

Anonymous said...

You are a genius. I would have never figures that out.... awesome craft to entertain the kids next time it's rainy too : )