Amy Earles Weird Doll’s World
website: wool & water

Amy’s paper dolls are troublingly calm, it seems clear that they hide some mystery deep down their souls. Even when smiling, their faces and gestures betray their sadness. Personally, I am incredibly impressed.

Jayme McGowan’s Paper Illustrations
website: Roadside Projects

The paper dolls in Jamyme’s illustrations make me think of France (it’s my personal impression – I haven’t even been to France yet).

Japanese Kusudama

Anyone can do that, I assure you. The proof: I can, just take a quick look at my result below. And, believe me, I am neither meticulous nor particularly patient. You could even say I’m the opposite.

Below you can see my very first attempt to create paper flowers.

What you will need to make your own Kusudama paper ball?

1. Paper – 60 square pieces of paper, all of the same size. I use advertising catalogues (for your convenience in the first part of this tutorial I use plain blue paper so that the folds are more visible). My squares are 3,5 cm x 3,5 cm but you can make them bigger, smaller squares would be rather hard to fold. For every flower you will need 5 pieces.
2. Ruler
3. Pencil
4. Glue – the glue I use have two nice properties: (1) it does not dry very quickly which allows small corrections when necessary (2) being initially white it turns translucent while drying
5* Scissors (optionally) I prefer torn paper instead of cut. I fold it several times before tearing slowly.
6* Beads (optionally) Use them to add some extra glamour.
7. Toothpick – to apply the glue.

You have to start with a single petal. Don’t give up, it may seem that it will take ages before you make all 60 petals but you will progress faster with every next piece :)

Now you have to glue your 5 petals into a flower.


Apply the glue to only one side of each petal, except for the last one, in this case cover both sides with glue.

Your first flower is done.

Don’t glue every petal right after you make it. Make the whole 60 and then glue them into 12 flowers, it’s really faster this way, believe me.

When all 12 flowers are finished you have to glue them together. You start with gluing the first half – six flowers together. With your first flower you have to apply the glue on two adjacent petals, with five next flowers you apply glue on three adjacent petals. Put the glue not exactly on the middle line of the petal but a little to the right.

When two halves of Kusudama Flower Ball are ready you have to glue them together. You can put a cord between the halves so that your ball can hang down. I make my Kusudama Flower Balls for a table decorations so I don’t put a cord.