What is Paper Flower Making?

From elegant roses to cheerful daisies, paper flower making is the daffodil-ightful craft of creating lifelike blooms using different types of paper, including crepe paper, card, tissue paper, decorative napkins, wallpaper or even coffee filters!

With just a few basic tools, anyone can start creating paper bouquets, decorations, and intricate centrepieces for your Christmas table. Let’s start by taking a look into the history of paper flower making, and then we’ll answer the question on everyone’s lips – how do you make a flower with paper?

The origins of paper flower crafting trace back centuries, with roots in ancient China, where paper was first used for religious and ceremonial decorations. Paper was most likely brought to Europe somewhere around the eleventh century and like all forms of artistic expression, paper flower making dipped in and out of fashion over the years. It became popular in Victorian England, where women decorated their homes with intricate designs based on real flowers and would often coat them with wax to prolong their lifespan. Making tissue paper flowers became popular after World War II, and in recent years the craft has seen a resurgence in popularity.

Learning how to make paper flowers is easy, and it’s a relatively simple craft for people of all skill levels. You’ll need basic supplies – many of which you’ll have at home. The most obvious thing you’ll need is paper, but we’ll get to that in a minute. Otherwise, the list is pretty straightforward –

Scissors: There will be lots of cutting to do, so a good pair of scissors will be useful. For more intricate cuts, you can use a craft knife or scalpel.

Glue: Paper is notoriously fragile and sometimes needs a bit of a helping hand. Glue sticks and craft glue are ideal, and you can also use a glue gun for thicker card, but ensure you read the safety instructions on the box.

Craft Wire: You can buy plain (and wrap it yourself) or paper-wrapped craft wire which is useful for making stems. It can also add structure to your designs.

Florist Tape: Green florist tape adheres to itself when stretched and can be used to wrap your stems, to hold your designs together, or to hide any mistakes!

Thin Thread or Wire: Used to secure your bouquet, and if you’ve created a design with the intention of hanging it from the ceiling or a rafter, use thin thread so it’s barely visible.

Pencil and Ruler: These are used for measuring and marking your designs.

How do you make a flower with paper? First you need to choose your paper! Lots of types of paper can be used, with each one offering unique textures and aesthetics. Here are some of the most popular options –

Card Paper

Thicker and sturdier than regular paper, cardstock is excellent for designs that need to hold their shape over time, for example centrepieces or outdoor decorations.

Crepe Paper

Crepe paper is popular in the paper flower making community due to its versatility and textured surface. The crinkled texture closely mimics the delicate veins and folds of real petals, allowing for highly realistic flowers.

Tissue Paper

Lightweight and readily available in loads of colours, tissue paper flowers like carnations and pom-poms are easy to make and look great. It’s cost-effective and great for large projects or decorations that require a lot of material without adding much weight.

Origami Paper

Paper specifically designed for folding is thin and strong, making it perfect for intricate flower designs that involve multiple folds and layers. It comes in vibrant colours and patterns, adding visual interest without the need for additional decoration.

Metallic or Foil Paper

Metallic and foil-coated paper can be manipulated in much the same way as normal paper and it brings a touch of bling to dinner party centrepieces or DIY holiday decorations for Christmas or Easter.

Recycled Newspaper, Book Pages or Sheet Music

Paper covered in text or musical notes adds a nostalgic and creative touch to your paper flower crafting projects. The printed text can give your flowers a vintage or shabby-chic look, and it’s an excellent way to upcycle materials you already have at home.

Paper flower crafting is a fun and simple craft that everyone can enjoy, even if you’ve never tried it before. Here’s a simple guide to make your first beautiful paper flower.

Step 1 – Prepare Your Paper

Once you’ve chosen your design and the flower you want to make, gather together 7 – 10 sheets of whatever paper you’ve chosen and cut them into rectangles, around 10cm x 15cm.

Step 2 – Create the Petals

First, use a pencil to trace petal shapes onto your paper. You can create multiple petals for a fuller flower. Next, carefully cut out the petal shapes with scissors. Aim for about 7 – 10 petals for a basic flower.

Step 3 – Shape the Petals

If you’re using crepe paper or making tissue paper flowers, you can gently stretch and curl the edges of each petal to give them a more natural look. For added realism, you can use a pencil or your fingers to create veins in the petals.

Step 4 – Assemble the Flower

Start with one petal as the base and layer the other petals around it. Overlap them slightly for a full effect. Apply glue at the base of each petal where they overlap and hold them in place until set.

Step 5 – Create the Centre

You can use small circles of paper, beads, a button, or even rolled-up strips of paper to create the centre of your flower. Whatever you decide to use, glue the centrepiece securely in the middle of your layered petals.

Step 6 – Add a Stem

If you want a stem, cut a piece of floral wire to your desired length. Poke one end of the wire through the base of your flower and secure it with glue. For a more finished look, wrap the wire with floral tape.

Step 7 – Finishing Touches

Gently bend and shape the petals to achieve your desired look, and if you want to, you can add leaves using green paper and glue them to the stem.

This is how to make paper flowers, and all that’s left for you to do is to display your flower! If you want to make a bouquet, repeat these steps but use different colours and types of paper for an amazing effect, with each flower having its own unique charm.

So that’s paper flower making in a nutshell. Whether you want to decorate your space with handcrafted beauty, add a floral touch to your Christmas tree, or you’re just looking for a fun new hobby, we hope we’ve answered the question ‘how do you make a flower with paper?’