This is a project that I did about a year ago and I have gotten so many compliments on the result. Budding branches are SO easy and practically free to make, and the end result is just, well, lovely:

To make these yourself you will need:

A glue gun & glue sticks

Twigs from your yard (I used a branch from our red bud tree, but any twig you like the shape of will work perfectly)

Tissue paper in the color of your choosing

Pencil  & Scissors or a daisy shaped craft punch like this one from Martha

Floral tape (optional)

First, stack three sheets of tissue paper and begin cutting out flowers. You can use any color or combination of colors you'd like. Begin to cut out  1 1/2" - 2"  daisy shapes. I found that a 5 petal design works well and if you are hand cutting, keeping the ends of the petals round is important.

Once you have some daisies cut, use the end of a pencil to twist them into little blossom shapes.

If you have floral tape, you can use a tiny piece of it to secure the point of the blossom together and make a little stem. If you don't have floral tape, don't worry about it. I have made these both ways and there is very little difference in the end result.

Lastly, dab a dot of hot glue on the back of your tissue paper bud and secure it to the twig. I found it easy to decide where to put these little guys since I chose a twig from a blooming plant. It was really obvious on the branch where last year's buds had been.

Glue on as many or as few buds as you'd like. I have had these guys on my fireplace mantel for over a year and I am not tired of looking at them yet (which is unusual for someone who redecorates as much as I do). They are sweet and graceful and seem to go with every season. I hope you enjoy this project as much as I have!

Oh, and I found a few variations of the project out there in the blogosphere:

Once Wed added wee felt berries and a ball jar full of moss to the mix

and Dinsey's Family Fun has a kid friendly version