Did you know they still pass out phone books? That’s mind-boggling. Who uses phone books anymore? And to think there are businesses that still advertise in the yellow pages. Well, a few times a year they get dropped off at the front gate of my condo complex, and someone usually takes them all and throws them in the recycling bin. However, I decided this time to save my copy of the phone book for upcycling crafting purposes.
I love to make paper flowers, so it seemed like a natural to try it with the yellow pages. Here is a method for making paper roses that I use all the time. It’s really easy, and all you need is a stapler and double sided tape. You can use the flowers in arrangements or glue them to a wreath, like I did. 
First, tear out 5 pages of the phone book. 
Fold the pages in half lengthwise. On the folded edge, staple at 3 points — the left side, the right side, and the middle point.
Tear or cut four to five slits crosswise on each page, starting at the side with the open pages, and do not cut past the folded edge. Try to stagger the cuts so they are not lined up evenly. These will be the petals, and you want the petals staggered.
Apply a piece of double-sided tape to the edge that is folded and stapled.
Starting at one end, roll the paper like a cigar, pinching at the bottom where the tape is to secure the roll.
Now here’s the fun part. You know all those slits you cut? Peel down all those cut sections to form the petals. The ones in the middle are tight and will be difficult to peel down. That’s okay, leave them be. Just as the inner petals in real roses are tight, so will these.
The petals are a little too square, so just tear off the corners to round them off. Hand-tearing gives the roses a nice vintage look and shapes the rose beautifully.
The center of the rose (the part that’s wound up tightly) is probably too long compared to the rest of the petals. So take the scissors and trim off an inch or so to make it look more balanced. 
I glued them on a burlap-wrapped wreath form with hot glue. I really love the yellow base of the phone book pages, and how the color from the advertisements give the paper roses pops of color.
I’ve also used this method with old Thomas Brothers maps. The pastels of the map are so pretty on the rose. Poor Thomas Brothers. No one uses them anymore, either. 
And I’ve made flowers the same way with dictionary pages. I know I will get a lot of flack for tearing up dictionary pages, but I have about ten dictionaries that I bought for $1 each from thrift stores, and I use them for crafting. Here is a dictionary rose that I use as a boutonniere. Thanks (or forgive me), Merriam Webster.
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