4.5 Stars

The flowers in the book are absolutely beautiful! The instructions are clear and the photographs are excellent quality. My only quip is that I think even more illustrations would have been helpful, but I definitely recognise there is a limit on how many pictures can be in a book.

Crafting Authentic Paper Flowers by Sophie Longhurst is a great addition to any crafter's bookshelf. It provides thorough instruction, with brilliant and beautiful accompanying photos. This book gives crafters something new to discover, but also a great look-book to explore and find their own inspiration.

A beautifully illustrated book and a great introduction to the art of paper flower making. It is full of bright ideas and clear instructions with many inspiring projects to get started. As a flower arranging and watercolour artist this book ticks all the right boxes for me. Highly recommended as a perfect gift for crafters of all ages and abilities.

3.5 stars

A well written reference book on crafting (crepe) paper flowers in a realistic style. The instructions were clear & there are a good number & variety of flower patterns included.

[What I liked:]

•The flowers this book teaches you to craft are really lovely! They do look quite realistic & elegant. I’ve never learned how to make paper flowers like this before (only some origami style ones), so I found this an interesting & helpful reference book.

•The writer includes some tips & tricks for beginners, such as how to smooth out crepe paper without tearing it, using different types of glue, etc. Those are things I wouldn’t have known on my own, nor where to learn them from another source, so I appreciated them.

•The instructions are written clearly, & color photos are included as reference for each type of flower. At the back of the book are patterns for tracing to help you cut accurate shapes for the different components.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•There are notes at the beginning on different types of paper & gauges of wire, but it would have been helpful to have a sizing chart for easy reference.

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

Brilliant crafters' guide to making wonderful paper flowers. Lovely for decoration and embellishment.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book.

This book is absolutely incredible. The detail and beauty of the flowers is astonishing. I had no idea that such gorgeous flower could be crafted from paper. I must say the author hates it look so easy but I'm sure considerable patients and practicing would be involved. Nevertheless the effort is obviously worth it. Thus book would make n excellent gift.

Some craft books I read because I want to try the craft. Some I read because eye candy. This one was more of the eye candy type of book and it did not disappoint. So many pretty paper flowers can be found in this one. My personal faves are the cherry blossom, the pale purple coneflower, and the Rowan berries (though these are more a clay project than a paper one).

For me, probably the most important part of the book is a section I usually only skim in craft books - the materials section. This book gives you a guide for what you need in an essentials bag for the craft. The supplies are all fairly inexpensive and you don’t need many items to get started (you probably already have some of them at home like scissors, a ruler).

I feel like this book would teach you enough about making paper flowers that you could easily start your own projects with the skills learned.

The paper flowers pictured in this book prove that exquisite copies of natural flowers can be made from paper. There is a serious amount of crafting and practice that goes into this art form but the results are fantastic. The author has laid out the process from the supplies needed, the tools and skills needed and the instructions for many types of flowers needed to create gorgeous creations of your own. The steps are well photographed and explained. This is not a quick craft, it is a serious commitment to a new art. I thoroughly enjoyed this introduction to the craft but also got a very realistic idea of the dedication it would take to come close to the author's perfection. She does give the reader the tools they need to get started. They only need to make the investment and practice ,practice practice!!!

This book was so interesting and had beautiful images of flowers done up to perfection, but this is way too hard of a craft for me to do so I will not be trying my hand at this.

This is the perfect book to guide you through crafting paper flowers. The pictures are very authentic and beautiful. With each paper flower comes clear step-for-step instructions. You just need a trip to the craft store and this book to guide you. It gives tips on what material and tools you should use, and what techniques to learn in order to create life-like paper flowers.

I was always fascinated by the beauty and look of flowers, but due to allergies I rarely have them around me. With a bit of delicacy and craftiness, we can recreate some of the very pretty flowers by using simple crafting tools and paper. I recommend this book to creative people who like crafting and flowers, I also think this book will make a great gift for crafters and creative people.

This is a craft I was not very familiar with, but upon seeing the images of these gorgeous paper flowers, I could not help but work my way through this book. Sophie Longhurst has taken an old craft and made it something new. These flowers look unbelievably lifelike and the possibilities are endless. If you are a crafty person, I recommend you introduce yourself to this craft. In this book, you will find beautiful pictures, detailed instructions, and plenty of tips and tricks to craft these pieces of art yourself. Anyone looking for a new craft should certainly consider this book. It's a gem.

Crafting Authentic Paper Flowers is a very well written and attractive crafting guide with tutorials by Sophie Longhurst. Released 30th Nov 2021 by Pen & Sword on their White Owl imprint, it's 144 pages and is available in paperback format.

This is an exceptionally pretty book full of inspiration and amazingly realistic papercrafted flowers which are actually honestly authentically realistic. The tutorials are arranged in increasing intricacy (roughly) and the book begins with general techniques and directions, tools, supplies, and tips for getting the best results. The intro is followed by 20 fully illustrated tutorials for specific flowers with step by step directions (and lots and lots of clear colour photos). The author has also included a number of good tips for arranging and -using- the flowers after they're created.

Full size templates are included with the book. There are no stockists listed, but most well stocked crafts/hobby/arts type stores will carry most of the supplies called for in the tutorials.

Really beautiful flowers which really look authentic. Elegant and understated.

Five stars. This would make a great selection for makers groups, hobbyists, creative types who are interested in paper sculpting, as well as public or school library acquisition.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Paper flowers are my new obsession!
This book is beautiful - the flowers are flawless! While I can't say I've tried to make any yet, the instructions seem clear enough and with enough practise, I'm confident that I could make something at least a tenth as utterly heavenly as the ones pictured in this book.

[I received a copy of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review]

This is a beautifully set out book with lots of gorgeous photos, however for me, the ordering of the information was not ideal.

The book starts with an introduction and then a list and explanation of the different tools you will need. Then there are 9 pages about the techniques you'll need to know, followed by over 20 different flowers to make.
For me, I needed more photos or illustrations for many of the techniques to really explain what you are being asked to do. Most of the techniques just have one photo to illustrate them. I would have liked some little illustrations to visualise the other steps to make sure I'm manipulating the paper in the right way.
Similar applies to the projects, I could have done with some extra illustrations. It would have helped if the instructions referred back to the technique pages rather than just assuming you knew which were there. The projects are broken down into small steps that are relatively easy to follow. I am a visual learner though, so I do prefer images to help me along.
There is a good range of flowers to make yourself in the projects, plus information so you could go away and find your own flowers to recreate.

This is a lovely book and I imagine for many it would be perfect for learning to make paper flowers, it's just not suited to my particular way of learning.

Thank you to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in return for an unbiased review

A great instructional book for crafting realistic paper flowers. The projects and photography are absolutely stunning! This book gives a straightforward instructions and information about materials and methods. Gorgeous step-by-step pictures accompany all of the projects. A perfect guide for an artist or crafter looking to expand their skill repertoire.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

Hoodwinked! I read this whole book. Examined every photo of the step by step process and I still swear those are real flowers! The author is an artist! The flowers are so delicate and beautiful I would gladly display her work. And now I can “try” and make my own! This book would be an amazing birthday gift along with a starter kit. You would be the best gift giver by far.

Such a beautiful book and such realistic paper flowers that can be created. The equipment list does not seem huge or pricey but they look like they need a lot of patience and time. The craft invented in China in 100BC really welcomes you to the slow and meditative practice of creating.
The instructions are well written and are supported with photos and templates, the flowers are exquisite, soft and tasteful, it is hard to tel real for crafted flowers. They include poppy, rose, geum, rowan berries, cherry blossom, hydrangeas, hellebore wall flowers and many more. They can be used for decoration for the table, gifts corsage - let your imagination run wild.
Really love this book

Are you looking for a way to create beautiful flowers that won't wilt a day after you put them out? This book has beautiful pictures to illustrate how to use the techniques in this book. Sophie Longhurst has a list of tools and materials that she uses in this book. She has easy to follow instructions and beautiful pictures of the flowers she has created in different ways to decorate your home. This is definitely a book to pick up and use over and over as you create beautiful decorations for your home.

Beautifully presented with stunning photography. The font is a little hard to read on a device, although in print format it would likely be fine.

I've only ever made tissue paper flowers and carnations out of facial issue. These flowers are amazing; kudos, Sophie Longhurst! I love crafting things, but these may be a bit beyond my skill set. I am sure there are crafters ot there who will love taking the time to create these amazing floral arrangements. I am still going to look for the book as I'd love to see it in all it's colorful glory. Step-by-step instructions are included, so anyone interested in making these flowers won;t be disappointed.