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

Paper wedding bells are a great way to add a personal touch to your wedding decorations. They are easy to make and can be a fun art project for kids. All you need is tissue paper, a glue stick, cardstock and some ribbon. You can also experiment with different patterns and shades of paper and cardstock, or even try using glitter paper for a more festive look. If you're looking for something even simpler, you can buy pre-made paper wedding bells and decorate them with coloured hairspray for an ombre effect.

Using tissue paper, a glue stick and some cardstock

To make wedding bells using tissue paper, a glue stick, and cardstock, start by drawing a symmetrical bell on a piece of cardstock, ensuring you include the bell clapper at the bottom. Fold the cardstock in half, so that it forms a boot shape, with the heel of the boot being the clapper of the bell. Cut out this shape and punch a hole in the top corner.

Next, stack your tissue paper and place the cut-out cardstock bell on top. Trace the bell shape onto the tissue paper and cut it out, making sure to hold the tissue paper securely as you cut. You should now have a stack of bell-shaped tissue paper.

Now, take your original cardstock cut-out and cut it in half along the crease. Take one half and apply glue around the edges, leaving the center line unglued. Stick one layer of the bell-shaped tissue paper to the glued cardstock.

Add dots of glue around the outer edge of the tissue paper, at least 2 inches apart. Place another layer of tissue paper on top, pressing it down onto the glue dots. Continue this process, alternating the placement of the glue dots with each layer, until all but one layer of tissue paper has been used.

Finally, cut the remaining layer of tissue paper in half, forming two boot shapes. Place one of these boot shapes onto one half of the bell, matching it up with the cardstock boot shape at the bottom. Use a ruler to help you fold the bell in half, creasing the tissue paper, before pressing the two sides together. Secure the edges of the cardstock with paperclips, and thread a ribbon through the hole to hang your bell.

Creating a 3D effect

Start by drawing a symmetrical bell shape on a piece of cardstock, ensuring you include the bell clapper at the bottom. Fold the cardstock in half, and you should have a boot shape with the heel of the boot forming the clapper of the bell. Cut out this shape and punch a hole in the top corner. Open the bell shape back up.

Next, take your tissue paper and stack the sheets together. Place the cardstock bell on top and trace the shape onto the tissue paper. Cut out the bell shape from all the tissue paper sheets simultaneously, ensuring you hold the paper securely as you cut.

Now, open the cardstock and cut the bell in half along the crease, so you have two separate halves. Put these two halves side by side on your work surface. Apply lines of glue to the cardstock to hold the tissue paper in place.

Take one layer of the bell-shaped tissue paper and stick it to the cardstock. Then, place dots of glue around the outer edge of the tissue paper, at least 2 inches apart. Stick another layer of tissue paper directly on top, pressing it down onto the glue dots. Continue adding layers of tissue paper, alternating the placement of the glue dots with each layer. Do this until all layers of tissue paper are glued together, except for the last one.

For the final layer of tissue paper, cut it in half to create two boot shapes. Take one of these boot shapes and stick it onto one of the cardstock boot shapes at the bottom. Place a ruler along the edge of the tissue paper and hold it in place as you begin to fold the entire stack of paper in half. Slowly remove the ruler as you fold, and press the paper down firmly. Now you should have a boot-shaped stack with cardstock on both sides.

Finally, open up the bell and bring the two cardstock pieces together, creating a three-dimensional tissue paper bell. Secure the cardstock edges with paper clips, and thread a ribbon through the hole to hang your beautiful, handmade 3D paper wedding bell!

Using coloured hairspray

However, if you choose to use coloured hairspray on paper, here are some general tips and guidelines to follow:

• Work in a well-ventilated area to avoid inhaling excessive amounts of the spray.
• Cover your work area with newspaper or a drop cloth to protect it from any overspray.
• Wear gloves to prevent the hairspray from coming into contact with your skin.
• Test the hairspray on a small, inconspicuous area of the paper first to ensure it doesn't cause any unwanted effects.
• Hold the can of hairspray about 4-6 inches away from the paper and spray in short, even bursts to avoid over-saturation.
• Allow the hairspray to dry completely before handling the paper or adding any additional elements.
• If you're using multiple colours, be sure to allow each colour to dry before applying the next to avoid smudging.
• Once you're finished, you can seal the paper with a fixative spray to help protect the colours and prevent smudging.

Please note that even with these precautions, using coloured hairspray on paper may yield unpredictable results, and the hairspray may not adhere to the paper as effectively as other types of paint or dye.

Using glitter paper

Making paper wedding bells is a fun and creative project, and using glitter paper can add a touch of sparkle and elegance to your decorations. Here is a step-by-step guide to creating beautiful glitter paper wedding bells:

Materials:

• Glitter paper in various colours (such as red, green, gold, or silver)
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Glue
• Thread for hanging
• Cardstock (optional)
• Tissue paper (optional)

Instructions:

• Cut out bell shapes: Draw two bell shapes on the non-shiny side of your glitter paper. You can also use cardstock and decorate it with glitter. Cut out the shapes carefully.
• Create decorative elements: Using different coloured glitter paper, cut out additional shapes such as bows, ribbons, or wavy strips. Ensure they fit the size of your bells.
• Assemble the bells: Glue the decorative elements onto the bell shapes. You can also add glitter glue or glitter pen details for extra sparkle.
• Create a hanging thread: Punch a small hole at the top of each bell and attach a thread for hanging.
• Optional: For a 3D effect, follow the instructions for making a tissue paper bell, using your glitter paper instead of tissue paper. This will give your bells a fuller, more dimensional look.

Your glitter paper wedding bells are now ready to be displayed! You can vary the colours and sizes of the bells to create a stunning and unique decoration for your wedding or celebration.

Making a hanging thread

To make a hanging thread for your paper wedding bells, you will need paper, a pencil, scissors, glue, and thread.

First, cut out the bell shape from the paper. If you are making multiple bells, ensure you have enough paper for two bell-shaped figures per bell. Draw the figures on the other side of glossy paper, not the shiny side. Cut out the two drawn bell-shaped figures.

Next, cut two bow shapes from red paper. Draw two beautiful bows on shiny red paper, ensuring they match the size of the bells. If the bows are larger than the bells, they will look out of proportion.

Now, cut two strips of shiny green paper. Draw two sections so that one side is wrinkled and the other is smooth. The two ripples should be the same width as the bell.

Stick the two cut-out bows on top of both bells. Then, glue the wrinkled part of one of the two green strips to one bell, and the smooth part of the other strip to the other bell. Ensure that the two corrugated sections are glued so that the two bells are 2-3 cm above the bottom.

Finally, make a hanging thread for each bell. Your paper wedding bells are now ready to be hung up!

Frequently asked questions