Inspired by a book of close-up flower images, we kicked off the first after-school craft programme for Glenmore Road Public School with a paper wild flower project.

Children just love making things. I had barely finished demonstrating the projects and they were away. Choosing beads, pipe cleaners, papers, textas in seconds. They know they are good at craft and have no qualms telling me so themselves. I love that about kids.

Using simple materials – many of which you can find at home or find substitutes – they created a very exotic range of flowers and decorated a vase each with washi tapes and fancy printed duct tape.

Reverse Garbage in Marrickville is a treasure trove of craft supplies. I sourced a packet of short black paper coffee cups from there to make up the centre of some of the flowers.  We also used: pipe cleaners, kebab skewers (with the sharp point removed), beads, doilies, plain and patterned papers, glass jars and tins (the ones with a ‘lip’ on them and not a raw edge).

We ended up with a veritable garden of Eden filled with everlasting wild flowers. Why buy flowers when you can make your own?

My nine year old niece recently asked her dad for his credit card so she could buy flowers for her mother online; (I had to laugh imagining saying that to my dad when I was a kid – different times, I know). Under extreme, ear piercing duress, her dad was still able to say no. She doesn’t know it yet but I have a craft project with her name all over it. Literally. Her name is Lily.