I read lots of blog posts about people feeling joyous that they found peonies for sale at Whole Foods and then they post a beautiful picture of those outrageously gorgeous pom poms in some perfect vintage vase they bought at a thrift store. Don't worry, I love looking at that eye candy too, but Whole Foods is not on my shopping circuit and I don't think I am getting one anytime soon since I live in rural PA. BUT, I did find some discontinued Martha Stewart crafts paper peonies at the fancy Big Lots up in booming Kittanning a few months ago for $2.
These were super easy to make and you certainly don't need the MS crafts discontinued kit to do it your self. Just get a stack of tissue paper, scallop or zig zag the edges, fold it up acordian style, tie a wire around the center and start to pouf. My 5 year old was actually a pretty good pouffer...
We made these for birthday party decorations and then gave them to the girls that came over as party favors. I have asked a few people around here if they remember these for sale at the amusement park when they were kids but no one remembers them. I always loved the rainbow colored ones but never got one since my parents thought (and were probably right!) that it would be a pain to drag it around the park and on all the rides. I wanted to have it hung in the corner of my room above my Breyers plastic horses collection. I imagine some of you may live out your girlhood fixations by decorating your own daughter's room so you won't judge me too much for this next picture.
Yeah! Now I just need to paint the walls white, install yellow shag carpeting, and find some rattan headboards. Sheesh! I really do need to find some headboards in to go in there...
We uses to make these but they were much smaller...more the size of a real peony. We would make thaousands of them to decorate our homecoming floats!
Posted by: linda | January 22, 2011 at 07:42 AM
They are beautiful and what a fun, kid friendly project!
Posted by: amy dunn | January 22, 2011 at 03:33 PM
I absolutely remember these at Six Flags when I was little!!! And I also never got one of my own, but I do remember making them at home at some point. But still, there's nothing like getting popcorn at the movie theater or a big, pouffy, paper flower at the amusement park! HAHA!
Posted by: Peggy | January 24, 2011 at 07:36 PM
I remember these from Kennywood!! It would have been back in the 80s. Wonder why they stopped selling them? Probably someone tripped and the stick jabbed them, best guess. I loved mine, though. Thanks for the memory-lane thing...
Posted by: laura "no caps, please" lindsay | January 26, 2011 at 04:17 PM
My daughter has that same pillow pet!
I really need to make some of these pom pom's or peonies or whatever they're called. So fun and pretty!
Posted by: Julie Weaver | January 30, 2011 at 10:36 PM
They definitely had these at Knoebel's Grove in Elysburg in the 90s. Maybe it's a PA thing?
Posted by: M.F.Peterson | February 10, 2011 at 05:28 PM
Opryland in Nashville, TN, probably 1984 or 1985! Yes! Mine was purple and made me SO HAPPY! Gotta try this and maybe put on some 45's while I do! Thanks for the memory jog!
Posted by: Tina | February 17, 2011 at 09:30 AM
OMG! I had a collection of horses (plastic and ceramic) in my room. I also had a giant rainbow flower from Libertyland (Memphis)!! Early / mid 80's! Love it!
Posted by: Mary Claire White | February 19, 2011 at 09:46 PM
It's a lovely blog, everything is gorgeous! I just love those styles and I've been visiting this blog since the first edition made, by the way, I also read a lot of blogs like you and this'll be the nicest one in my bookmark.
Posted by: Cialis | July 20, 2011 at 12:23 PM