It's that time again! I've got another DIY tutorial for you! Last time we made a yarn wall hanging and this time we are making a wooden initial plaque with paper roses! I've been wanting to make one for so long so I finally decided to bite the bullet and go for it!

If you're interested in following this tutorial, you will need the following materials:

1. Grab your drop cloth and lay it down. I like to use shower curtains from the dollar store. They're cheap and easy and you can reuse them. You could also use garbage bags or an old t-shirt. 

2. Grab your wooden letter, paint, and a brush. I really like using the rolling one for the bigger areas and the smaller one for the sides. I didn't paint the back of the letter because it will be glued down. Normally I use a paper plate or piece of cardboard to hold the paint

3. Once you've finished painting your letter, move on to your wooden plaque. I moved back and forth between the letter and plaque in order to give the paint time to dry. Both of the wooden pieces needed extra layers. I ended up painting both 3-4 times each. 

4. While the wooden pieces were drying, I moved on to the paper flowers. As both a writer and a reader, I couldn't stand the idea of ripping up one of my own books. So, I ended up going to the dollar store and picking out a couple. Tip: Try to find ones with full pages and limited dialogue. 

5. You will rip out a page and then cut a circle. I didn't use a stencil, I just cut the page freely. The size of your circle will reflect the size of your flowers. 

6. Once you have cut out your circle, you will then cut that circle into a spiral. Similar to the hanging snakes you probably made in elementary school :)

7. Next, you will lay the side with the most words down. After that you will begin rolling the end inward. You will continue doing so until you get a piece that looks like this:

8. I don't have pictures of the next part, since it moves quickly, so I will try to explain it the best I can. You will put the rose (and bottom) onto a flat surface, while still holding it tightly. Then you will put your finger, I use my pinky nail, into the center of the rose. You will then lightly lift your finger and your flower will begin to spin. You will continue doing this until it is the size that you'd like. 

9. Again, sorry I don't have pictures for this step! Once your flower is the desired size, you will pick it up, but make sure you are holding it tightly in place. You will then lift the end and add glue. Please be careful though, you can feel the heat through the paper. 

10. After adding the glue, make sure to place the flower on a hard surface and push down to make sure all the "petals" are stuck in the glue. 

11. Once you have completed your roses and your paint has dried, you can begin piecing your project together. Before I began glueing, I moved everything around to figure out which design I liked best. My original design is below:

12. If you are planning to hang your plaque, you will want to attach a hanging piece on the back of your plaque prior to gluing everything on. I'm not sure why we even had these, but they worked perfectly!

13. Next, you'll just glue on your letter and roses, and you're all set! 

There you have it! I hope you liked this tutorial! I plan on posting a lot more of them. I'm always interested in hearing what tutorials you'd like to see! Just let me know in the comments!