My garden is drying up under the intense heat here in North Carolina but one thing is still pretty perky- my zinnias. I grew up seeing my mom plant zinnias in our garden every year. I was a MAJOR bouquet picker as a young girl and I often turned my nose up at these sturdy little flowers in favor of peonies, roses, lavender, butterfly weed, violets and whatever other cultivated and wild flowers I could find around the five acres I grew up on. Fast forward 20 years (!) and now I’m drawn to zinnias. I love how they are sturdy and bright in the midst of bugs and unforgiving heat. They keep smiling no matter what the world throws at them.
I wanted to take some of their cheerful encouragement and share it with a couple of my neighbors who have stood tall in the midst of change and difficulty. So, I decided to make some flower cones to share them in! These cones are super easy to make and make sharing flowers (or bunches of herbs or candies) super easy. A little surprise left at someone’s front door to greet them after a long day.
To make the cones you’ll need:
- Heavyweight patterned paper
- Glue or double-sided tape
- Scissors
- Ruler
- About 18 inches of string or ribbon
Here’s how to make them:
1. Choose a heavyweight patterned paper and cut out a square. I cut mine 8x8 inches but you can make it larger or smaller depending on how big your bouquet is.
2. Use glue or double-sided tape and place it along one edge. Don’t make it go all the way to the edges or it may be a little harder to curl the paper and place your glue or tape in the right place.
3. Curl the edge of your paper around to form the cone and then press the glue or tape down to make it stay.
4. Use a hole punch to make two holes at the top of the point at the opening of the cone. Cut about 18 inches of ribbon or string.
5. Push one end of the string through one hole going from the outside in and tie a knot. Do the same with the other side.
6. Add flowers or any other fillers that you want. If you are doing flowers then wrapping the stems in a wet paper towel, putting a plastic sandwich bag around everything and using a rubber band to secure it all will help your flowers or herbs stay fresh while they wait to bring a little spot of happiness to your recipient!
I hope you enjoy making these and handing them out to bring a little joy to someone who needs a bright moment in their life. Enjoy!
