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I love a good Easter basket, filled to the brim with candy & chocolate... but there really is too much of a good thing!
These Easter Mussie Tussies are the perfect solution! A special handmade gift pretty enough to keep out all spring with just enough room for just enough chocolate.
Have you watched the TV show "Victoria" yet? Oh, the dresses are delicious! You can certainly see the influence she had on these little bouquets of flowers that women would hold to ward off offending scents (baths were infrequent!). Victoria was so fond of these bouquets, she would wrap them in embellished metal and paper cones and penned the name Tussie Mussie.Queen Victoria was so influential she had a whole era named after her! Tussie Mussies became vogue and were soon a popular gift for Easter, May Day, Mother's Day and more.
Tussie Mussies were also called 'talking bouquets' because suitors would slip secret messages into these gifts.
Kate Middleton chose a white Tussie Mussie for her bridal bouquet, choosing symbolic flowers like Lily of the Valley which meant trustworthy and Hyacinth which meant constancy in love. How cool is that?
How does all that translate to 2018? How about a perfectly sweet paper cone beautifully embellished for Easter (or any other holiday) lightly filled with flowers, gifts and treats.
So let's start crafting!
You can purchase paper mache cones from any craft store and cover that OR just create a cone with paper.The paper mache cones will be strong, so if you need something more permanent or want to fill it with heavier items, you should use the cones.
Otherwise, grab some of that cute 12 x 12 inch scrapbook paper I know you have!
I spent an inordinate amount of time creating a template for a cone on Photoshop, but realized there had to be a better way...and there is! I call it the One-fold & roll technique! It works so well and is so simple! Click on the pictorial to enlarge!
If you're using thinner scrapbook paper, just fold and roll, but if you're using heavier weight paper, you'll want to cut on the fold, otherwise it'll be too bulky.
My goodness, just SO fun to make a dozen of these!
If you make a 12" cone with thin paper make one from thicker plain cardstock first and then cover it with the patterned thin paper so it's strong enough.
Scroll down to see some of my larger samples. Planning on giving the biggest ones to my Grand daughters. They're too young to consume mass quantities of sweets, so these will be perfect. Can't wait to see my youngest with it, as it's almost as big as her (she's a wee thing at 2 years old!).
The 12" ones will be perfect as gifts for my daughters!
One last note...besides lace, ribbon, silk flowers etc... a last perfect touch would be a nod to the Victorian era with some stunning vintage tags.
And I have the perfect place to find some...for free (personal use only). The Graphics Fairy! Enjoy and Happy Easter!
P.S.
Getting requests about info on the crepe paper I used. I purchased Lia Griffeth Heavy Floristic Crepe paper on Amazon. It was a Christmas set and it's now sold out.
However, here's a link to her shop and oh my, the colors are gorge! I will need to add to my collection!
Keep in mind I used HEAVY floristic crepe paper. She also sells regular and extra fine.
So, this was my choice for both of my swaps. The challenge with swapping is finding a cute idea without being bogged down with too many steps or time consuming techniques. Digital images are perfect for swaps...let the printer do the work! Add simple embellishments (jingle bells) or texture (Pop pieces up & glitter and Glossy accents to the heart).
