Oooh…pretty.

Crafter Diana Evans posted a super-easy method for making paper roses, which she then made into a heart-shaped wreath. Hers are the traditional red and pink, but there’s no reason they couldn’t be made out of black, purple, blood-red, or other gloomy colors of paper instead.

In addition to being a prettily gothic Valentine decoration, these would be a great embellishment for all kinds of things. Small ones could be glued around the edges of a picture frame. A cluster in different colors would be a pretty gift topper. They could be glued to barrettes, brooches, or shoe clips as interesting accessories. One or two tiny ones might also perk up a greeting card or paper book cover. And they’re so easy to make that they might even be useful as decorations at a wedding reception.

I also wonder what these would look like if they were made out of photographs instead of plain paper. Old photos are ubiquitous in thrift shops, and some nameless stranger’s random family pictures might find an interesting second life as a flower arrangement.

And, of course, you could also make these out of fabric scraps (stitch instead of glue) and use them to accessorize clothing, hats, tote bags, or similar items.