Tacoma crafter's paper flower business is blooming | Arts & Culture

A new trend in flowers has been building quietly in Tacoma for some time now.

Perhaps you've seen them at a wedding in town, at a Tacoma is for Lovers craft fair, on Tacoma KOMO's kitchen counter (the perfect companion to a lemon yellow pitcher), or in a book at your favorite book store.

Yes, local crafter Laurie Cinotto's paper flowers are taking Tacoma by subtle storm, and as of today are spreading to all corners of the internet.

The order from Anthropologie offshoot BHLDN came in months ago, but Cinotto - known on Etsy and other crafting sites as La La Laurie - had to keep the project under wraps. She says she spent the past few months turning her dining room into a field of paper flowers as she filled the wedding site's order for bouquets and boutonnieres.

To fill their order, I had to make masses of paper and fabric flowers. I started off in my craft room cutting piles of petals, but soon the project started spilling out into the dining room, guest bedroom, and eventually the kitchen.  We were living in a field of faux flowers.

I assembled the flowers one style at a time, and as I completed each bloom, I stuck the stem into a styrofoam board to keep them vertical and safe.  Our dining room table looked like a parade float.

After all the elements were made, I picked my blooms from the boards, and the bouquets were assembled. Read more, and see more photos of the project at Cinotto's website.

BHLDN's winter collection went live today, and with it, a pretty little piece of Tacoma. Check out the paper bouquets here, sold by BHLDN for $248 a piece, and boutonnieres for $34.

Or, because living in Tacoma comes with certain special benefits, visit Cinotto in person at the next Tacoma is for Lovers holiday craft fair. King's Books will host the fair Nov. 19 and 20, and Cinotto and other talented local artists and crafters will be on hand to help you find those perfect holiday gifts (and some for yourself as well, of course).