KAWU / one moment
Making space.
The next page is on its way.
paper craft
Botanical Collage Cards
gift
Build four simple cards from pressed-looking paper shapes without needing pressed plants or a fixed template. Layer stems, leaves, and seed heads from scraps, then add a few drawn marks to make a set that feels related but never identical.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to try
- 90 min
- Craft
- paper craft
The workbench
Gather your materials.
Materials
- four 5 x 7 in blank cards
- assorted matte paper scraps
- four envelopes
- glue stick
- pencil and fine black pen
Tools
- paper scissors
- small hole punch
- ruler
- scrap paper for pressing
Skills
- paper composition
- layering
- hand lettering
A first look
Follow the thread.
Choose a small palette
Select three paper colours plus one neutral for the stems. Keep the palette beside the cards so the set feels connected, and save tiny scraps for dots and seed heads.
About 8 minCut the stem shapes
Cut four or five narrow stem strips and a few small branch shapes. Let the lines vary in length; the differences will help each card feel hand-made rather than stamped.
About 12 minMake leaves and blooms
Cut pairs of simple leaves, circles, half-moons, and pointed petals. Place them in loose groups before gluing, leaving generous white space around the tallest shape.
About 15 minCompose four variations
Give each card a different balance: one tall stem, one low cluster, one pair of leaves, and one scattered seed head. Take a quick phone photo of the arrangements before lifting the pieces.
About 15 minGlue from the back
Spread a thin layer of glue across the back of each paper shape, including its edges, then press it into place. Add a scrap sheet over the card and smooth outward so edges lie flat without making the card damp.
About 15 minDraw the quiet details
Use the fine pen to add a few veins, short stems, or a tiny handwritten label. Repeat one mark on every card for a set-wide thread, then let the rest stay open.
About 10 minPress and pair
Stack the cards between scrap paper under a book for 15 minutes. Write a short message inside each card, pair them with the envelopes, and keep the set together with a paper band.
About 15 min