Look what’s growing in my garden:

Easy, too – Spice Cake Designer Series paper, buttons, ribbon, twine – and of course my Simply Scored!

Here are a few tricks:

• Score the paper every 1/4 inch.  I’ve tried scoring every half inch on one side, then flipping it over to score in the middle of each half inch on the other side (that creates every 1/4 inch alternating mountain and valley), but in my opininon it’s not worth the trouble.
• Cardstock is harder to fan fold than Designer Series paper, so practice with the DSP – just be sure not to press so hard that you tear instead of score
• Your paper doesn’t have to be tall – maybe 1 or 1 1/2 inches – but longer is better.  If it’s too short, when you try to fold the fan around to make a circle the top edge has to stretch too much and it will “lampshade” on you.  Mine are two pieces (8 1/2 inches) each stuck together with Sticky Strip.
• To get a secure fan, I use my piercing tool and mat after I have scored to pierce a hole in the center of EACH panel at the bottom edge of the strip.   Then I use a big needle threaded with Linen Thread and stitch through the holes.  I leave the holes on either end for the last step:  when all the other holes are threaded, I attach the two ends of the paper strip with Sticky Strip and thread the Linen Thread through that last hole.  Then I can cinch up the fan and tie it off.

I know, I know, it sounds complicated.  The first one feels complicated.  After that, they are mindless.  Trust me.  I have a basket with pieces of these fan-fold flowers in varying states of completion, and when I have a couple of minutes I’ll work on them.  They are a perfect finishing touch!