This Unexpected Home Decor Is the Cutest Cottagecore Find (For Less Than $5!)

I like flowers as much as the next person — the way they brighten up my bedside table, introduce some color into my living area, and become a focal point on my kitchen table. With it being summer, a lot of my favorite varieties are available to grab from the grocery store or local farmers market. 

What I don’t like about flowers is having to throw them away once they wilt. That’s why this Tik Tok video by Tranix (@tranix84)) offers the perfect solution. 

With just three supplies — glue, scissors and construction paper — you can create lovely paper flowers that will last for ages. 

To start, cut a piece of paper (purple, if you want to mimic the lavender look in the video) into long, thin strips and then fold those strips in half vertically. Take the scissors and make cuts all the way up and down the folded edge, but not all the way through the paper. 

Once you’ve made your cuts, leave the paper folded in half, and run a glue stick up and down the paper’s edge on one side. Then take green construction paper and roll it to make a long stem. Starting at the top, spiral the colorful paper about halfway down the stem, with the cut side facing up, glue side down. Then, take a piece of  green construction paper and repeat the cutting and gluing process on the bottom half of the stem to add some leaves.

Once you’ve made a whole bouquet, use some twine or ribbon of your choosing to secure it together. 

This simple DIY makes a great party favor or housewarming gift, in addition to giving serious cottagecore vibes in a little vase on your bedside table.  

If getting crafty intimidates you, Etsy has a lavender paper flower template you can try: 

Or you can go with a bunch of dried lavender, which will also last quite awhile: 

This post was a collaboration between Dorm Therapy and Apartment Therapy and originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it there: This Unexpected Home Decor Is the Cutest Cottagecore Find (For Less Than $5!)