Look what came on top of the straw in my drink from a local Thai restaurant. Completely charming. So my new mission in life is to get good at making roses from paper straw wrappers. It seems like an essential skill to have, just like tying your shoes or balancing your checkbook. So far I have only practiced on one straw and my rose came out looking like a ball of waste paper, but I'm determined to master this new party trick. I think the process should go something like this video here, minus the thread.
April 15, 2010
Essential life skill: making roses from straw wrappers
Look what came on top of the straw in my drink from a local Thai restaurant. Completely charming. So my new mission in life is to get good at making roses from paper straw wrappers. It seems like an essential skill to have, just like tying your shoes or balancing your checkbook. So far I have only practiced on one straw and my rose came out looking like a ball of waste paper, but I'm determined to master this new party trick. I think the process should go something like this video here, minus the thread.
Ack, Ok, I guess I'll be practicing that too! How cute!
ReplyDeleteOh so cute!!! you can find creativity in the most unexpected of places... please com over and participate on my latest giveaway!
ReplyDeleteHow can you say you have lived if you have never folded a rose from a straw wrapper? The answer; you cannot.
ReplyDeleteOh so true.
ReplyDeletehttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v154/annheart/IMG_0035.jpg
ReplyDeleteits not really the same but this was a neat straw rose.
How charming!
ReplyDeleteWhoever is sitting in the back of the restaurant doing that--I want her job!
ha, super cute!
ReplyDeleteAs soon as you figure this out, let me know! I work at a restaurant and this would be great to know!
ReplyDeleteNo WONDER you didn't have a blog post yesterday! You were too busy trying to figure this out!
ReplyDeleteMum rolls her eyes (but grins and likes the cute rose)
Yes ~ let us know if you find directions!
ReplyDeleteNo, Mum, I was working on a brochure that has diagrams of liposuctions and cross sections of boobs with implants in it. Never a dull moment.
ReplyDeleteWow! How exciting!! Or something.
ReplyDeleteI usually make my straw wrappers into stars, I'll have to figure this one out too.
ReplyDeleteAw, that is so dinky! We posted a tutorial on how to make them on our blog a couple of months ago as a valentines thing. Here it is if you are interested...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.filthwizardry.com/2010/02/mini-roses-from-dollar-store-crepe.html
Ooo, that's it! I will try it tonight.
ReplyDeleteOMG, that drink looks soooooooo good right now. I wish I would have gotten an iced coffee while I was out ; P
ReplyDeleteThat's adorable! Must learn how to do this. I always need skills to entertain the 4yo while we wait for our food. ;)
ReplyDeleteI love when a total stranger takes the time to do something like this to make my day more beautiful. Just like "How About Orange" does every day. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteSo precious!
ReplyDeleteI think I'd rather have that Thai tea, good stuff! Oh and good luck on ur new life skill.
ReplyDeleteTHIS is why I love your blog. :)
ReplyDeleteThe rose is charming, but that drink looks delish!
ReplyDeleteMy cousin taught me how to fold roses ages ago by making one out of satin ribbon and really creasing the edges. I just followed her creases over and over again until I got it down.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in 3rd grade I learned how to make a ribbon rose simply by folding a length of ribbon a certain way and pulling on a tail. Can't explain. Still remember. Don't have a straw wrapper to see if it will work!
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'll have to hit a drive-thru just for a straw...... :o)
Yup, it's like the ribbon roses. From the centre, start folding like the party streamers you used to make - you know folding the streamer over itself at right angles. When you finish, take one of the ends and gently pull through. Whallah, a rose.
ReplyDeleteI love that! And I agree...it's absolutely essential!
ReplyDeleteOnce you get the hang of it, they can be quite easy. Then you can move on to sculpting a rose out of the red wax on those little circle cheeses :).
ReplyDeleteThanks doll,
The Glamorous Housewife
Too cute!
ReplyDeleteYes, I think that's how it's done. I have always folded the ribbon back rather than towards me. I made them years ago with florists ribbon, but began by rolling a section at 45* so I had a stem to hold on to (actually I stapled that). Perhaps you could begin by tucking some of the paper into the straw - and then you'd have a stem to hold onto.
ReplyDeleteTrying not to start doing this myself... I have too many other things to work on!
You've got to be kidding me! That is super cute and creative. :)
ReplyDeleteCute, but you can't drink out of the straw after you make it. And if you're done drinking, you'll be throwing out the drink so therefore no more cute straw wrapper rose to look at. Still makes makes a nice picture.
ReplyDeleteI saw little roses like this in a quilling book, "Quilled Borders & Motifs" by Judy Cardinal. Maybe using a quilling tool would make it easier? (at least more size appropriate)
ReplyDeleteit's the little things in life that make our day huh??? this is too cute!
ReplyDeleteI love detailing this would have delighted me also if I had been presented with my order this way wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWhen you are in a restaurant with a couple of squirmy kids, waiting for dinner, you better believe this would be an essential skill!! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd then the kids would grow up and say...mom always did this awesome thing with the straw wrapper...
Oh I have to figure this one out! I love little funny things like this. Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteOkay - I will be hitting a fast food resturant later to day to secure some product! lol!
ReplyDeleteThat's very stylish and creative.
ReplyDeleteOoh I should try this one out. I used to make flowers out of ribbon way back in the day. Let's just see if I remember how to do them!
ReplyDeleteI think this is more like a quilled rose or a ribbon rose. Basically for a quilled rose you first roll the end into a tight bit then rotate and fold down the paper as you go around. Totally hard to explain, but maybe there is an online tutorial out there.
ReplyDeleteI think this is more like a quilled rose or a ribbon rose. Basically for a quilled rose you first roll the end into a tight bit then rotate and fold down the paper as you go around. Totally hard to explain, but maybe there is an online tutorial out there.
ReplyDeleteI loved it...and I just linked to your place.
ReplyDeleteThank you soooo much for all the good ideas you are always willing to share.
Have a joyous weekend!
It is beautiful and I guess it's just me but all I can think of is that they had to touch my naked straw to put the rose in. If I didn't know for sure that the person who did this was wearing gloves this would just skeeve me out.
ReplyDeleteStraw wrapper art . . . equivalent to balloon animals? I see I have a long weekend ahead of me!
ReplyDeleteSo cute!!
ReplyDeleteI found these instructions very helpful in figuring out how to make one: http://foldingtrees.com/2009/04/guest-feature-crepe-paper-roses/ (uses crepe paper instead of ribbon- I just didn't fold the straw wrapper over)
Thanks for the idea!
I am going to try and do this every time I come across a paper wrapped straw from now on... I created a Flickr set for my attempts, maybe we should start a Flickr group?
ReplyDeleteMy mom taught me to fold a paper straw wrapper into a flower by folding the wrapper to a 90 degree angle in the middle and then folding each side over top of the other side until there's only a little left on each end and then pulling the more exposed side through the folds and it makes a flower.... Although now that I try to type it out it's hard to explain with words.
ReplyDeletePretty.
ReplyDeleteTo me, it looks like the straw wrapper was never completely removed. It looks like it was either started from the top end and folded down to meet the part of the straw wrapper left on the top of the straw, or maybe by folding up from the part that remains on the straw.
oh my... beautiful...
ReplyDeleteI was surprised there was only one previous poster that thinks like me. My immediate response would be, Eeew, someone touched my straw! It's a really cute idea for me to do but not necessarily a stranger.
ReplyDeleteCertified germaphobe! :)
oh that is just briliant:)
ReplyDeleteThis is adorable! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete-Cara @ Live the Home Life
Hi! It's nice to know that I'm not the only person that does this. I have been making roses from straw wrappers for more than 10 years now. I do this every time we go to a restaurant. My 6-year old son knows the routine. :-) I learned making the rose using the streamers when I was 8. Since then, I've tried it on different materials. I like making it using the unused straws as well (whenever the server gives us extra). I leave the roses with the tip. For the super nice servers, I make them this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4043967&l=00556e100b&id=664058766
It surely does make other people's day! ;-)
Your "Essential Life Skill" posts are quickly becoming my favorites. Too cute.
ReplyDeletehaha so cute! another thing to keep your hands busy while you wait for your food to come out at restaurants
ReplyDeleteI love how many comments this has generated already! Your audience is quite earnest in helping you master this one.
ReplyDeleteI was just writing a post about a Thai restaurant that gift-wraps its mints (www.thegiftedblog.com) when I read this.
Is there something about Thai restaurants and these sweet little flourishes?
I see I'm late to the party, but if anyone would like a step-by-step tute on how to fold roses, there's one on my blog: http://allthingspaper-annmartin.blogspot.com/2010/02/folded-rose-tutorial.html You don't need to use a quilling tool btw. Just roll the paper by hand a few turns to get it started before beginning the folding steps.
ReplyDeletei love these! i practiced making them for a month, and now i just made 50 of them for my moms birhtday party, everybody loved them and wanted to learn how to make them!!
ReplyDeleteHow to fold rose from Pandan leaf.
ReplyDeletehttp://playandcraft.blogspot.com/2010/08/rose.html
(Pandan leaf smells nice, better than the chemical air freshner.)
my next "essential life skill" to master... then on to nuclear physics...
ReplyDeleteWhen you're done with the physics, I'd do neurosurgery next.
ReplyDelete