Craft thoughtful homemade gifts with print

Sometimes, just a simple, homemade present can mean the world to family and friends. Whether they're going through happy or difficult times, they're sure to appreciate a gift that is personally made by you with love and attention over a shop-bought pick-me-up. Plus, you get to flex your creative print muscles.

Canon Creative Park is full of papercraft templates, which means you can print and assemble a papercraft bouquet of flowers whatever the season, and a card to match, in a style of your choosing. Not only will these gifts be more meaningful because of the time put in to making them, but they will last a lot longer than actual flowers – and brighten up any room.

Papercraft is also a more affordable way of gift-giving and it can double up as a mindful activity – and your creations can always be recycled (always check your local recycling guidelines) if you change your mind on the subject matter or make any mistakes along the way.

With the above in mind, Canon challenged papercraft enthusiast Martin Stone to create the perfect gift for his partner using Canon Creative Park, a PIXMA printer and his own creativity.

• Scissors
• Cutting board
• Craft knife
• Tweezers
• Glue stick/glue gun/glue dots
• Ruler
• Canon PIXMA printer, such as the Canon PIXMA TS5350a Series
• Canon Matte Photo Paper
• Canon Creative Park app or website

You could make almost anything as a gift for a loved one using Canon Creative Park templates, it doesn't have to be flowers. Have a sibling or a niece or nephew who loves dinosaurs? Then make them some paper models! Or why not try a music-themed craft for that rock band-obsessed friend?

For this project, Martin chose to make a papercraft bouquet and card. "From looking at the flower designs you might be led to think these were rather complex to complete," says Martin. "But the key is to be organised – there are simple and easy-to-follow illustrated instructions."

Once you've selected the templates for your gift, it's time to print. You can do this by connecting to your PIXMA printer via the Canon PRINT app on your smartphone, or via a laptop. And if you've got a compatible printer, you can subscribe to the PIXMA Print Plan¹ – a cost-effective printing solution which offers flexible plans and delivers ink right to your doorstep so that you never run out.

Martin found Creative Park easy to navigate, and did so by accessing the website on his smartphone before downloading and using the app.

Each template comes with a suggested paper type to use, so make sure to read the instructions. Here Martin used Canon Matte Photo Paper (170 gsm), which is thicker than average printing paper and makes for a sturdy final model.

Martin says he always takes a methodical approach to crafting. Once he had printed off all the templates, he organised the prints into piles for each flower so he could keep track of which template was for which bloom. "I kept each separate template in these piles throughout the process so things didn't get muddled up," he says.

Then Martin cut all the templates out before folding them. He used a homemade scoring tool to mark the edges where the instructions indicated, to make the folding easier. "These score lines are very small, and precision is key," he says. "I used a generic fine-tipped pair of tweezers to score along these lines. It's also important to burnish [polish] these scores to ensure clean lines."

Martin was able to start crafting as soon as his prints were ready. "The ink dried instantly so I could proceed without fear of any smudging," he says.

When it comes to glueing the designs, Martin recommends leaving the templates for a few hours to make sure they are fully dry and there's no moisture in the paper. Once you have your selection of crafted flowers you can assemble them together using string, wire or even glue in the arrangement you think looks best.

Although there is a bouquet template on Creative Park, you can also choose your own flower arrangements if you're after something more unique, or if your recipient is a big fan of sunflowers for example.

"I loved how the flowers turned out," says Martin. "When I first sat down to look at the bouquet of flowers, I considered the different types I wanted. The large range of templates really allowed me to customise it as freely as I wished. This made it so much more enjoyable, as I could choose the flowers I liked most as well as having the option to think about what the recipient would like."

Martin went for a fun pop-up card to make next, which complemented his floral designs. "The pop-up card was really simple because of the step-by-step instructions," he says. "What I also loved is how many straight lines there were in the template, so I could quickly cut it out with my guillotine."

When making the card, Martin decided to put his own twist on the envelope. "Envelopes tend to be the disposable element to any greeting card, and this was something I wanted to change due to how pretty the envelope design was," he explains.

Martin created his very own fastening for the envelope to prevent it from being torn open – he used two of the daisy images from the bouquet design. "I attached one to the envelope flap and the other to the base of the envelope," he explains. "I did this with foam adhesive, so they were raised up. Under the foam pad on the envelope flap I attached a length of twine, which could then be used to wrap around circles in a figure of eight to fasten the envelope together."

When you're creating bespoke cards for more than one person and time is of the essence, you can use Canon Double-sided Matte Paper MP-101D which comes with an envelope.

Martin says he would make a papercraft gift again. "Everyone I've shown the paper bouquet to was so impressed and they all want one. It's the perfect gift and the best bit is that it will last a long time. No more buying fresh flowers just for them to wilt after four days!"

He's also been inspired by Creative Park to make his own wreath to hang on his front door. "While this would be for personal use, I know my friends and family will be wanting one as well and it could make for a nice gift."

Like the idea? You could make one from scratch as a lovely present or use the Creative Park wreath templates for a simpler design. Depending on the time of year, you could try a seasonal garland for summer or a festive winter display.

Once you've completed your own gifts, of course, it's time to give them away. Whether you want to wrap your paper bouquet in brown paper to give to a friend, or pop it in a vase to brighten up their home, gifting through printed crafts is a thoughtful and creative way of showing someone you care.

So why not give it a go? Just don't forget to share your creations on social media using the #MadeWithPIXMA hashtag. And if you're looking for more inspiration, like how to create a personalised memory box, join Canon Club for more crafting tips and techniques!