Frugal Crafting: Coffee filter roses

It's finally spring here and (even though the weather here may say otherwise) I am ready for green grass, sunny skies, and flowers! 

I love flowers but they don't always love me back (pesky allergies!) so I decided to make my own. 

As complicated as the rose above looks it was actually pretty simple and straightforward.  Here's how I made it.

Materials:

1 pack of 100 white circular coffee filters (I used probably 30 total)
Leftover Merlot or another deep red colored wine
Tea bags (I used Lipton)
Glitter spray paint (optional)
Markers (optional)
Several large wide bowls (1 for each desired color)
Water (warm works best for brewing the tea)
Hot glue gun with glue sticks
Pipe cleaners (called chenille stems at some stores)
Scissors
Pen/pencil

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Directions:

Filter Dying
1. Gather two large diameter bowls and place on counter along with paper towels.
2.  Fill one bowl with Merlot or other deep red wine and fill other bowl with hot water and two tea bags.
3.  Wait a few minutes for tea to steep.  Minimum of 5-10 minutes.
4. Place one filter in each bowl and allow to soak until desired color is reached.
5.  Remove filters and place on paper towels to dry.  Allow to dry completely (approximately 2-4 hours)

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Rose Assembly
1. Place a filter flat on counter.  Fold in half and then fold in half again until you have a triangular shape similar to a cone coffee filter.
2. Cut a scallop shape across top curved edge (see photo above).
3. Unfold filter and lay flat.
4. Starting at the outer edge of filter, draw a spiral all the way to the center. 
5.  Cut along lines.
6.  Again, starting at the outer edge, slowly begin to roll the cut filter until you reach the end.
7.  Place a dot of hot glue on large left over "tab" and secure to rolled flower.
8.  Snip the bottom, insert a dot of hot glue in the hole, and insert a pipe cleaner.
9.  Decorate as desired with glitter paint, markers, etc.

To get the rose to be the larger size shown at the top of the post, I used about 10 filters glued together with hot glue.  The entire active process (dying, folding, and cutting the filters; gluing on and securing the pipe cleaner, and painting) took less than an hour.  Time well spent to create a beautiful one of a kind piece of art!

Happy Spring to you!