Best Of CLE: Paper Flowers

Crafted Floral Collective’s blooms look like they’re straight from the garden.

But the peonies, roses and ranunculuses that make up these bouquets won’t wilt anytime soon. Each bloom is made from crepe paper by owner Oriana Belavic who cuts, sculpts and paints each individual petal, pistil and leaf by hand for a hyper-realistic recreation.

“It doesn’t need light, it doesn’t need water and you can put it wherever you want,” she says.

Searching for a more permanent replacement after her own wedding bouquet dried out, Belavic took a paper flower-making class at Studio How-To in Cleveland Heights. She re-created her bouquet and when word spread on social media, requests for custom orders ($50-$100 small, $150-$400 medium and large) started rolling in.

Between commissions from brides looking for a wilt-proof wedding bouquet, Belavic works on improving her craft, even disassembling real flowers to study their anatomy so she can re-create them in more detail.

“Flowers are such a beautiful gift from nature,” she says, “and I love being able to turn that into something that lasts.” craftedfloralcollective.com

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Celebrate with us at the Best of Cleveland Party Friday, Oct. 25 at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.