Paper Flower Sign: Vinyl And Cardstock DIY Wall Art

Instructions

STEP 1: GET MY FREE PAPER FLOWER SIGN DESIGNS

First, download my Paper Flower Sign designs from my free library – look for Design #612. Alternatively, you can use the Save This Project form near the top of this post and the design link will be emailed to you.

In the SVG folder, you’ll find a file with three flower holder options: a cute watering can planter with a heart cutout; a low planter that says “Welcome;” a mason jar that says “Home Sweet Home;” and a low planter that says “Flower Market.”

I’ve also included SVG files for the flowers I used in my designs:
Gardenias
Gerbera Daisies
Leaves
Roses
And Sunflowers.

There is also a DXF folder with cut files, and a PDF folder with versions you can print and cut by hand.

Upload the files you need to Design Space to get started.

I’ll show you how I prepared and assembled the watering can sign with rolled paper daisies, the mason jar sign with rolled paper roses and gardenias, and the welcome planter sign with rolled paper sunflowers.

TIP: If you’re not sure how to upload, go to jennifermaker.com/svgs to learn how to unzip and upload SVG files.

OPTION 1: SQUARE WATERING CAN SIGN WITH PAPER DAISIES

STEP 2: PREPARE YOUR SQUARE PAPER FLOWER SIGN

1. Measure your blank to find the height and width in the orientation you want to use. Mine is a square, but you can also use signs with different dimensions.
   
2. Measure the area you’d like to decorate.
3. For the watering can decal, it looks best in the lower section of the sign with a 1” margin on either side and below it.
4. For the bouquet, picture the final look you want. I like to have the flowers overlap the decal’s top, and be mounded so there are more at the bottom and just a few at the top, ending about 1” below the sign’s edge.
   
   CRICUT DESIGN SPACE

1. First, open Cricut Design Space and click “New Project.”
2. Click “Blank Canvas”
3. Click “Upload,” then click “Upload Image.”
4. Click “Browse” and select the SVG file with the vase options. It’s called “paper -flower-sign-jennifermaker-SVG.”
5. Click “Open.”
6. Click “Continue” and finally click “Upload” to add the design to your Canvas.
   
7. Select the vase collection and Ungroup the design.
8. Delete the vases you don’t want to use.
   NOTE: I'll use the watering can.
   
9. Then use steps 3-6 to add your flower SVG to the Canvas, too.
   NOTE: I’ll add the daisies.
10. If you’re making the daisies, don’t Ungroup the design.
    NOTE: The design includes a large yellow petal spiral, an orange petal “tail,” and a green base.
11. Select the grouped flower elements and duplicate them two times. You should now have three identical sets of flower elements.
    
12. Let’s resize some of the flower element sets so that there is some nice variation when we put everything together. With the Lock icon closed to maintain the proportions, select the second set of flower elements and resize them to 6” high.
    
13. Select the third set of flower elements and resize them to 5” high.
    
14. Now select all three sets of flower elements at the same time and duplicate them. This will give you six total flowers of different sizes.
15. If you want to change the colors of any of the flower elements, expand the group in the Layers Panel by clicking the arrow next to it and then select the element you want to change the color of. Then change the color using the Color Box by “Operation.”
16. Give your design a name and save it.
17. Your designs are finished and ready to cut!
    
    
    

CUTTING CARDSTOCK AND ADHESIVE VINYL

1. Select the correct machine from the top right drop-down menu.
2. Click “Make.”
3. On the Prepare screen, make sure the correct Material Size is selected for your materials.
   NOTE: For the vinyl, leave it at 12" x 12", but you can cut the material slightly larger than the design area to save the rest for another project.
4. Since we’re using cardstock and adhesive vinyl, do not “Mirror” any mats.
5. Select the first mat and click “Continue.”
6. On the Make screen, I used these Material Settings:
   For the cardstock, I used the “Medium Cardstock - 80 lb (216 gsm)” setting with “More” pressure.
   
   For the adhesive vinyl, I used the “Premium Vinyl - Permanent Glossy” setting with “More” pressure.
   
7. Place your first mat’s material face up on a green StandardGrip machine mat. Mine is cardstock.
8. Use a brayer to make sure it’s fully adhered.
9. Check that your Premium Fine-Point Blade is clean and in the clamp.
10. Press the flashing “Load/Unload” button to load the prepared mat into your Cricut.
11. Press the flashing “Go” button to begin cutting.
12. When it has finished cutting, don’t unload the mat right away. Instead, gently lift a corner to make sure the material is cut all the way. If not, press the “Go” button again to make the same cuts in the same spots.
13. When the cuts are complete, unload the mat, flip it over onto your work surface, and roll it back to release the material.
    TIP: If you have any issues with your cuts, check out my Tips for Cleaner Cuts tutorial.
14. Set your flower pieces aside face up.
15. Continue cutting the rest of your cardstock mats.
16. When you get to the mat for your watering can, use Steps 6-12 to cut your decal. Remember, place the adhesive vinyl shiny side up so it covers the design area on the screen.
17. When the decal cuts are complete, unload the mat, flip it over onto your work surface, and roll it back to release the vinyl.
    
18. Use a weeding tool to carefully peel away the extra background vinyl from your decal. I like to work from larger to smaller sections during weeding.
    TIP: It can be easier to weed vinyl, especially small, detailed designs, while it is adhered to the machine mat.
19. Poke your weeding tool into each section you want to remove inside the design and gently lift it away.
20. Here are what my cut and weeded decal and the flowers look like.
    

STEP 3: ASSEMBLE YOUR PAPER FLOWER SIGN

1. Cut a piece of StandardGrip transfer tape that is slightly larger than the decal.
2. Remove the backer from the transfer tape and place it face down on the decal using my "taco method."
   NOTE: Hold your transfer tape in the shape of a “taco,” then put the bottom of the “taco” onto the middle of your design.
   
3. Smooth the transfer tape over the decal from the center outward and burnish it down using a scraper tool on both sides.
4. Gently bend the decal in half side to side, then make a small crease in the center edges on the top and bottom of the transfer tape. (Do not crease the vinyl itself).
   
5. Then gently bend the decal in half in the other direction, and make small creases in both center edges of the transfer tape (do not crease the vinyl itself).
6. Place the sign blank in the correct orientation on your work surface. Make sure that any hanging hardware on your wood panel is on the top side.
7. Using a ruler or measuring tape and pencil, determine the middle of the width of the wood sign at the bottom edge. Then, measure 1” from the bottom of the wood sign. Make a small mark there in the middle.
   
8. Peel the backer off of the decal so the vinyl moves to the transfer tape.
9. Hold the decal (still on the transfer tape) over the wood sign so the bottom is 1” up from the lower edge and the middle creases align with the pencil marks.
   NOTE: Make sure the creases at the sides are even so the decal won’t be skewed.
   
10. Place the decal on the sign.
11. Using your finger, rub from the center of the vinyl outward, tacking the decal into place.
12. Then, take your time and use a scraper to press out as many bubbles as possible.
    TIP: If your blank has some texture like mine, run the scraper with the direction of the texture.
    
13. Gently remove the transfer tape, leaving the vinyl on the blank.
    TIP: Use your scraper tool to gently smooth out any bubbles that were missed, working from the center outward. If there are stubborn bubbles that you can’t push out, poke a tiny hole with your weeding tool to let the air out, then smooth it down with your scraper.
    

ROLLING DAISIES

1. Plug in your hot glue gun and have your finger protectors ready.
2. Mix and match the tails and big spiral pieces of flowers of the same size so the flowers will have contrasting outer petals and centers.
3. Use your glue gun to glue the new pairs together so the adjacent petals slightly overlap.
   
4. Put the loose center end of a flower spiral in the rolling tool’s spindle slot.
   NOTE: I’m using a Flowtool, but you can also use a regular quilling tool.
   
5. While keeping the flower’s end in place, roll the tool toward you so the spiral begins winding around the spindle and itself.
   
6. Continue rolling your paper, keeping the bottom edges aligned with one another as best you can.
   TIP: If you’re using the Flowtool, the platform around the spindle helps keep the bottom edges aligned.
7. When almost the entire spiral is rolled around the spindle, hold the flower lightly and remove the tool.
   TIP: If you hold the flower tightly, it will be hard to remove the tool. Relax your grip on the spiral a little to let the tool come loose and allow the flower to unfurl just a little.
8. Roll the rest of the spiral around the flower and fold up the circle to touch the bottom edge.
   
9. Adjust the flower until the spiral’s bottom edges cover most of the bottom circle.
   TIP: If the flower doesn’t seem to unfurl as you would expect, it may be that one of the separate petals is caught on another petal — gently separate it.
10. If you like, unwind the center to open the flower up more.
    TIP: Your weeding tool or tweezers can help you loosen the middle while keeping the rest of the flower together
    
11. Put on your finger protectors.
12. Add hot glue to the base circle and press it against the bottom edges of the flower petals to set it.
    
13. Hold the circle in place to let the glue dry.
14. Put hot glue on top of the green 8-point leaf circle. Press the daisy down on it to adhere it.
15. Use your fingers, Flowtool, or other tool to press all the petals outward, away from the center — even the little ones. Real Gerbera daisies have splayed petals like that.
    
16. Roll the rest of the flowers using the same method.
    
    

ATTACH THE FLOWERS

1. Without using glue, place the flowers and leaves down above the watering can decal on the wood sign and move them around until you find an arrangement you like.
   
2. Lift up a flower and apply hot glue to the bottom side.
   
3. Place the flower back down on the wood sign and gently press down to adhere it.
   
4. Repeat until everything is glued down.
   
   
   
   

OPTION 2: MASON JAR PAPER FLOWER SIGN WITH PAPER ROSES AND GARDENIAS

STEP 2: PREPARE YOUR PAPER FLOWER SIGN

1. Follow the Steps in Option 1 to check your sign’s measurements and plan your sign’s layout.
2. For the bouquet, picture the final look you want. I like to have the flowers overlap the decal’s top, and be mounded so there are more at the bottom and just a few at the top, ending about 1” below the sign’s edge.
   
   

CRICUT DESIGN SPACE

1. Follow the Steps in Option 1 to have just the mason jar, gardenia, and rose SVGs on your Canvas.
   NOTE: Don’t Ungroup the flower designs until after you resize them.
2. Duplicate the rose two times and the gardenia three times. You should now have three roses and four gardenias.
3. Let’s resize some of the flower element sets so that there is some nice variation when we put everything together. Select the second rose and resize it to 6” tall.
   NOTE: Keep the Lock icon closed to maintain the design’s proportions.
4. Select the third rose and resize it to 4.5” tall.
5. Select the second gardenia and resize it to 9” tall.
6. Select the third gardenia and resize it to 7.75” tall.
7. Resize the fourth gardenia to 7.75” tall as well.
8. If you want to change the colors of any of the flower elements, select the element, then change the color.
9. Your designs are finished and ready to cut!
   
   
   

CUTTING CARDSTOCK AND ADHESIVE VINYL

1. Select the correct machine from the top right drop-down menu.
2. Click “Make.”
3. Follow the preparation and cutting steps from Option 1 to cut your decal, gardenias, roses, leaves, and vinyl.
4. The mason jar design is detailed, so place it back on the machine mat during weeding and work carefully.
5. Use a weeding tool to carefully peel away the extra background vinyl from around the mason jar.
6. Then weed the extra vinyl inside the jar by poking your weeding tool into each section you want to remove. I like to work from larger to smaller sections during weeding. Gently lift it away from the design.
7. Here are what my cut and weeded decal and the flowers look like.
   
   
   

STEP 3: ASSEMBLE YOUR PAPER FLOWER SIGN

1. Use the steps from Option 1 to transfer your decal to the sign so it’s centered and 1” up from the bottom edge.
   NOTE: When transferring a delicate design, burnish the vinyl very well and take extra time making sure it sticks to the blank. Since there is less surface area than a blocky decal, it can take extra attention.
   

ROLLING ROSES AND GARDENIAS

1. Plug in your hot glue gun and have your finger protectors ready.
2. To roll a rose, put the loose center end of a flower spiral in the rolling tool’s spindle slot.
   NOTE: I’m using a Flowtool, but you can also use a regular quilling tool.
3. While keeping the flower’s end in place, roll the tool toward you so the spiral begins winding around the spindle and itself.
   
4. Continue rolling your paper, keeping the bottom edges aligned with one another as best you can.
   TIP: If you’re using the Flowtool, the platform around the spindle helps keep the bottom edges aligned.
5. When almost the entire spiral is rolled around the spindle, hold the flower lightly and remove the tool.
   TIP: If you hold the flower tightly, it will be hard to remove the tool. Relax your grip on the spiral a little to let the tool come loose and allow the flower to unfurl just a little.
6. Roll the rest of the spiral around the flower and fold up the circle to touch the bottom edge.
7. Adjust the flower until the spiral’s bottom edges cover most of the bottom circle.
   TIP: If the flower doesn’t seem to unfurl as you would expect, it may be that one of the separate petals is caught on another petal — gently separate it.
8. If you like, unwind the center to open the flower up more.
   TIP: Your weeding tool or tweezers can help you loosen the middle while keeping the rest of the flower together
   
9. Put on your finger protectors.
10. Add hot glue to the base circle and press it against the bottom edges of the flower petals to set it.
    
11. Hold the circle in place to let the glue dry.
12. Use your fingers, Flowtool, or other tool to press all the petals outward, away from the center — even the little ones. Real roses have petals that are shaped or curled outward.
    
13. Roll the rest of the roses using the same method.
14. To assemble a gardenia, glue all the strips of petals together, end to end. Start with the smaller petals, then the larger petals.
    
15. Roll the gardenia the same way as the rose, starting with the smaller petals.
    
16. Once the gardenia is completely rolled up, remove it from your quilling tool and hold it together so it doesn’t unroll.
17. Add hot glue to the bottom of the gardenia roll and press the 8-point leaf circle to the bottom of the flower.
    
18. Roll the rest of the gardenias using the same method.
    
    

ATTACH THE FLOWERS

Follow the steps in Option 1 to plan and hot glue your leaves and flowers in place.

OPTION 3: WELCOME PLANTER PAPER FLOWER SIGN WITH SUNFLOWERS

STEP 2: PREPARE YOUR PAPER FLOWER SIGN

Use the steps in Option 1 to measure your blank and plan your design.

CRICUT DESIGN SPACE

1. Follow the main steps to place the Welcome planter and sunflower SVGs on your Canvas.
   
   NOTE: If you’re using the sunflower like me, there are four elements in the design: a yellow coil of petals, a green base, a black circular piece for the center of the flower, and a brown circular piece for the top center of the flower.
2. Select the grouped flower elements and duplicate them two times. You should now have three identical sets of flower elements.
3. Select the second set of flower elements and resize them to 5.25” high with the lock icon closed.
4. Select the third set of flower elements and resize them to 4.25” high with the lock icon closed.
5. Do the same with the last set of flower elements.
6. If you want to change the color of a sunflower, select the petal layer and pick a new option under the Color Box menu.
   NOTE: I made one sunflower a lighter yellow so it would cut on a new sheet.
7. Now select all three sets of flower elements at the same time and duplicate them three times. This will give you 12 total flowers of different sizes.
8. Your designs are finished and ready to cut!
   
   
   

CUTTING CARDSTOCK AND ADHESIVE VINYL

Follow the steps in Option 1 to cut your decal and flower pieces.

STEP 3: ASSEMBLE YOUR PAPER FLOWER SIGN

Follow the decal transfer steps in Option 1 to place your Welcome planter design in the center of the sign, 1” up from the bottom to leave plenty of space for the sunflowers.



ASSEMBLING SUNFLOWERS

1. Plug in your hot glue gun and have your finger protectors ready.
2. To roll a sunflower, put the loose outer end of a flower spiral in the rolling tool’s spindle slot.
   NOTE: I’m using a Flowtool, but you can also use a regular quilling tool.
3. While keeping the flower’s end in place, roll the tool toward you so the spiral begins winding around the spindle and itself.
   
4. Continue rolling your paper, keeping the bottom edges aligned with one another as best you can.
   TIP: If you’re using the Flowtool, the platform around the spindle helps keep the bottom edges aligned.
5. When almost the entire spiral is rolled around the spindle, hold the flower lightly and remove the tool.
   TIP: If you hold the flower tightly, it will be hard to remove the tool. Relax your grip on the spiral a little to let the tool come loose and allow the flower to unfurl just a little.
6. Roll the rest of the spiral around the flower and fold up the circle to touch the bottom edge.
   
7. Put on your finger protectors.
8. Add hot glue to the base circle and press it against the bottom edges of the flower petals to set it.
   
9. Hold the circle in place to let the glue dry.
10. Turn your sunflower right side up and open up all the petals. Flatten them away from the center.
    
11. Attach the brown seed head on top of the black seed head with craft glue and press to set.
    
12. Attach the assembled seed head to the sunflower and press to set.
    
13. Add glue to the rolled part of the back of the sunflower. Attach the flat green sepal.
14. Assemble the rest of the sunflowers using the same method.
    
    

ATTACH THE FLOWERS

Follow the placement and gluing steps from Option 1 to secure your leaves and flowers to the planter design, leaving at least 1” of the sign visible.

STEP 4: SHOW IT OFF

Here is what my finished Paper Flower Signs look like.