Crafting Tissue Paper Wedding Bells: A Step-By-Step Guide

Tissue paper wedding bells are a popular choice for bridal showers and wedding decorations. They can be expensive to buy, but are easy and inexpensive to make at home. With a few simple craft supplies, you can create your own personalised bells in your wedding colours. This is a fun project that can be done alone or with a group, and each bell should take around 20 minutes to make.

Draw the outline of half a bell on folded cardstock

To make a tissue paper wedding bell, you'll need to start by drawing the outline of half a bell on a folded piece of cardstock. This will serve as the template for your bell. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you through the process:

Step 1: Fold the Cardstock

Begin by taking a sheet of cardstock paper and folding it in half. This fold will create a straight line down the centre of your bell, so ensure that the crease is sharp and precise.

Step 2: Draw the Outline

With the cardstock folded, you can now draw the outline of half a bell. Make the shape as large as you want the final tissue paper bell to be. Position the bell so that the straight line of the fold runs through the centre of the bell, with the open end of the bell on the folded edge of the paper. You can choose to include the clapper at the bottom of the bell or omit it.

Step 3: Size and Quantity

Decide how many tissue paper bells you want to make and cut the cardstock accordingly. For each bell, you will need two identical halves, so fold and draw multiple outlines on the cardstock, allowing enough space between them.

Step 4: Refine the Outline

Check that the outline of your bell is smooth and symmetrical. You can use a ruler to ensure straight lines and a compass to create a smooth curve for the bell's shape. Remember, any imperfections in the cardstock template will be reflected in the final tissue paper bell.

Step 5: Cut and Punch

Once you are happy with the outline, carefully cut out the shape of the bell. Then, with a hole punch, create a hole in the top corner of the bell. This hole will be used for hanging the bell later.

By following these steps, you will have created a precise template for your tissue paper wedding bell. Now you are ready to move on to the next stage: transferring the outline to the tissue paper and bringing your bell to life with colour and texture!

Cut out the bell shape

To cut out the bell shape, start by drawing the outline of half of a bell onto a folded piece of cardstock paper. Make the shape as large as you want the tissue paper bell to be, and ensure that the halfway line is up against the folded edge of the paper. Don't forget to draw the bell clapper at the bottom unless you prefer to leave it off. You can make as many cardstock bells as you want tissue paper bells.

Next, stack 18 to 20 layers of the same colour tissue paper together for each bell. Place the cardstock bell on top of the stack and carefully trace the outline of the bell onto the tissue paper. Remove the cardstock and, using sharp scissors, cut out the bell shape from all the sheets of tissue paper simultaneously. It's important to keep the edges of the bell as even as possible and to hold the tissue paper securely, as it tends to slide while cutting.

Stack and glue tissue paper

To make a tissue paper wedding bell, you will need tissue paper, cardstock paper, scissors, a hole punch, a ruler, a paperclip, and glue.

Begin by drawing the outline of half of a bell onto a folded piece of cardstock paper. Include the clapper at the bottom if you wish. This will serve as a template for your tissue paper bell. Cut out the bell shape, unfold it, and cut it in half down the middle. These will be the top and bottom of your bell. Punch a hole in the top of the bell, which you can use to hang it up later.

Next, stack and cut your tissue paper. You will need 20 layers of tissue paper for each bell. Place the cardstock bell template on top of the stack and trace the outline of the bell onto the tissue paper. Cut out the bell shape, ensuring that the edges are as even as possible.

Now, it's time to glue the tissue paper layers together. Add drops of glue about 2 inches apart along the edges of each tissue paper layer. To create a honeycomb effect, alternate the placement of the glue drops with each layer. Continue gluing the layers together until you have glued all the layers except for the last one.

Cut the final tissue paper layer in half, forming two semi-circular shapes. Take one of these semi-circular shapes and place it on top of one of the cardstock halves, matching up the straight edges. This will be the inside of your bell.

Place a ruler along the curved edge of the tissue paper and fold the stack of paper in half. This will create a crease in the tissue paper that coincides with the cut in the cardstock bell. Remove the ruler and continue folding until the left and right sides line up. Press the paper firmly to create a crisp crease.

Now, unfold the bell and bring the cardstock halves together, securing them with a paperclip. Your tissue paper wedding bell is now complete! You can hang it up using a ribbon through the hole at the top.

Crease the bell

To make a tissue paper wedding bell, you will need tissue paper, cardstock, scissors, a hole punch, a ruler, paperclips, and glue.

Once you have cut out the bell shape from your tissue paper and cardstock, you are ready to start the "creasing the bell" stage.

Firstly, apply a line of glue around all the edges of the cardstock, leaving the center line unglued. Next, place a layer of the bell-shaped tissue paper on top of the glued cardstock and press it down to adhere. Then, add drops of glue every 2 inches (5 cm) along the edges of the tissue paper. Remember to change where you place the glue drops with each new layer to create a honeycomb effect.

Now, place another layer of tissue paper directly over the first and press it down onto the glue dots. Continue adding layers of tissue paper and glue, alternating the placement of the glue dots with each new layer.

Once you have glued all the layers of tissue paper together, you can start to assemble the bell. Cut the final layer of tissue paper in half, forming two boot shapes. Take one of these boot shapes and match it up with one of the cardstock boot shapes at the bottom. Press it down and hold it in place with a paperclip.

Finally, place a ruler along the edge of the tissue paper and slowly fold the stack of paper in half. This will create a crease in the tissue paper that coincides with the cut in the cardstock. Remove the ruler as you fold, and press the bell flat. Now you have a boot-shaped stack with cardstock on both the top and bottom.

Secure with paperclips

To secure your tissue paper wedding bell with paperclips, you will first need to open the bell and bring the cardstock pieces together. This will create a three-dimensional bell shape. Hold the edges of the cardstock together with the paperclips. You can then suspend the bell by threading a ribbon through the hole you punched at the top of the bell.

If you are making multiple bells, you can have several people working on assembling them at the same time to speed up the process. This is a quick and easy way to create beautiful, personalised decorations for your wedding.

You can also experiment with different patterns and shades of paper and cardstock to create a variety of bells. This is a great way to add a unique and creative touch to your wedding decor.

Frequently asked questions