How to Make Flowers Out of Plastic Bags

Get a plastic bag, but not a clear plastic one. Go for one that is a solid color, such as white, red, blue, pink or yellow. Once you have selected your bag, cut the handles and the bottom off. Then cut along one edge of the circular tube that remains and you will have a plastic sheet. Cut the sheet into strips about 1.5 inches wide and take a strip and fold it until you have a flat roll of plastic. Cut one edge of the flat roll into a heart shape. Once you unfold the strip you will have a long row of flower petals.

Use a knitting needle to roll up two strips of petals until the entire roll is wrapped around the needle. If you want the head of the flower to be larger, add another strip on top of the first. Make sure that the bottom edges of the strips are in alignment with each other. Once you have done that, carefully remove the knitting needle and hold the flower together by pushing the sewing needle through the base of the strips.

Cut your green string into three equal lengths, making sure that each string is at least twice as long as you want your flower stem to be. Remove the needle from the flower you just made and carefully widen the hole using the knitting needle. Be very careful not to rip the plastic or you will need to start over. Thread all three lengths of string through the hole until your flower is positioned at the mid-point of each string. Take all three strings and tie them together in a knot, holding the flower head the way you want it. Take the ends of the three strings and braid them together as tightly as possible. Tie the ends of the strings together to avoid having them fray out. Now cut off any extra length of string left over.

Cut some smaller green plastic petals to attach at the base of the flower head if you so desire. Make sure you do this before you tie off and braid the strings. This step is optional but it will ease the distinction between the flower and its stem, creating a much more realistic effect. Tie and braid the strings just as stated above.

Finish your rose or other flower by opening the petals in a variety of shapes so that they look like a natural flower. This will add to the illusion of realism. You can make any number of flowers using this technique but the easiest is the rose. To make multi-colored flowers you will need more than one shade of plastic bag. Simply cut the petals and combine them with the other color petals on the same flower.