Quick and Easy Paper Rosettes

While working on Christmas gifts I decided to break out in a new place and wrap the presents in Christmas paper.  Eventually I decided I would actually add bows the the packages!  Since we did not have bows that I liked, I decided to make rosettes as package toppers.

To do this I cut 12-inch paper into 2-inch strips.

Each of these strips of paper were scored at 1/2-inch intervals all the way across the paper.

Then comes folding in accordion folds--the first one started with a valley fold and the second one started with a mountain fold.

The two strips were glued together. I used permanent strong double-sided 1/2-inch tape.  At this point you have a circle of accordion folds.  By putting your hands around them, you can squish it into a rosette.

In the meantime you will have started your hot glue gun heating.  With the top of your rosette facing up,  put a good-sized glob of glue in the center and hold it together until it cools.  I actually put a small square of paper on top to hold it then flipped the rosette to the back side, added another dab of hot glue then immediately put on a square of paper there.  At this point I flipped over to the front side again and held together firmly until the rosette was happy.

Now for the label on the front...I punched out a nice scalloped oval from an E K Tools punch.  This worked very well. I put the name of the recipient on the center of the oval.

These make me happy.  You can cut out any size strips to make the rosettes.  I think smaller ones might be a little more difficult to hold together while hot gluing them, but I have not done it so I don't really know. 

This was just regular scrapbook paper but makes a very solid rosette.