DIY Wedding

How to Make a Paper Flower Centerpiece

Linda Permann, contributor

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These gorgeous flowers are quick and inexpensive to make and add a burst of color to parties and celebrations.

Linda Permann

Gather the listed materials.

Linda Permann

Draw a line of glue about 1/2 inch long on both sides of one end of the paper stem. Fold the thin piece of paper over the end of the stem and press in place.

Linda Permann

These gorgeous flowers are quick and inexpensive to make and add a burst of color to parties and celebrations.

Photo: Linda Permann

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If you'd like to decorate without the expense of fresh flowers or want a bouquet that requires no care and can be prepared in advance, consider making these simple yet elegant crepe paper flowers. You can use crepe or tissue paper, and you'll get a bunch of flowers from just a small amount of paper. Floral stems and wire give them a professional finish, and they're easy to find at your local craft store. I "planted" mine in a ball of cotton yarn instead of in a vase—you could do this, too, to add color to the table. If it's a crafty shower (for a baby or wedding), fiber fans could take the yarn home and knit or crochet a square each to make an afghan for the guest of honor.

Get more paper flower projects: • How to Make Elegant Parchment Flowers • How to Make Crepe Paper Flowers • Make Simple White Paper Flowers • How to Make Perfect Paper Daisies

Materials (makes at least 12 flowers)

• Crepe paper or tissue paper (you don't need anywhere near a whole roll of crepe paper, but I bought two colors for fun; you might also want to pick up a green roll if you'd like to add leaves to your flowers)
• 18-gauge paper stem wires
• 1/2-inch-wide stem wrap tape/green floral tape
• Wire cutters
• Scissors
• Glue (I used Aleene's Quick Dry Tacky Glue)
• Paper towels (good to have on hand for wiping the glue off of your fingers)
• Yarn balls or vases

Gather the materials listed above.

Cut your stem to your desired length (I made mine about 8 inches to 10 inches long. Cut a thin piece of crepe paper about 1-1/2 inches long. Save the other part of the cut crepe paper for the next step.

Draw a line of glue about 1/2 inch long on both sides of one end of the paper stem. Fold the thin piece of paper over the end of the stem and press in place.

Squeeze another a line of glue over the just-glued paper and place the other piece of crepe paper over it. Wrap the stem with the paper two or three times and glue down the end, trimming the strip of paper if necessary.

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With a contrasting color, fold the crepe paper over itself until it's about 12 sheets thick. Cut a petal shape from the paper.

Place a line of glue across the bottom (noncurved) end of a petal and glue it to the paper-wrapped end of the stem.

Continue to glue petals to the flower, spacing them evenly in rounds, until your flower is as full as desired. Pinch the bottom of the flower, pressing the petal ends close to the stem, before proceeding to the next step.

Draw a line of glue just underneath the petals, and press your floral tape into place. (Note: My tape wasn't very sticky, so I glued it. If yours is sticky, you can skip the glue.)

Wrap the entire stem in tape by holding the tape at a diagonal angle to the flower and twirling the stem in your hand. Trim the end of the tape and glue it in place, if necessary.

Bend each stem slightly to give it lifelike appeal, and place it into a ball of yarn or a glass jar full of buttons—or any vase you like.

See more of my projects on my personal blog, and look for my new book, Crochet Adorned, in stores August 11, 2009.

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Comments (16)

EchoLin writes: um, i have shared the similar flower here, we can communicate about it if you like.
Posted: 1:46 am on March 15th

ThePomQueen writes: These are gorgeous! Check out my tissue paper pom poms on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThePomQueen
Posted: 10:17 pm on September 4th

jamesclark787 writes: It seems like an educational blog which always some new information to visitors. Thanks for sharing the information. Youtube MP3
Posted: 1:09 am on May 16th

craftybegonia writes: They are lovely! I love the colors you picked!
Posted: 6:45 pm on April 10th

Jetmuis writes: beautiful and sooo pretty and looking so real, love it.
thank you for sharing this;-D really want to make them my self;-D
Posted: 12:19 pm on April 9th

pollybon writes: You could use a jam jar for a vase and decorate the outside with gold or silver wrapping paper or maybe crepe paper to match the colour of some of the flowers.
Posted: 1:43 pm on August 14th

pollybon writes: I think these flowers look lovely yet are simple to make. I think that is due to the clear instructions given.What a good idea to use a ball of wool as a vase. A nice touch.
Posted: 2:40 am on August 14th

aljosee writes: Beautiful
Posted: 10:11 am on October 18th

pillowholder writes: I think the flowers are beautiful because they are simple and refreshing
Posted: 1:07 am on July 7th

Only1Windwalker writes: We loved these! My daughters and granddaughters made over 40 of these flowers for floral arrangements on the tables of 1 of my other daughters wedding reception. They turned out prettier then expected. We even added small drops of glitter glue to resemble dew drops.
Posted: 2:25 am on July 6th

myDIYweddingday writes: These are great, so pretty! We linked to it on our blog -- http://mydiyweddingday.com/. Thank you!
Posted: 2:44 pm on May 19th

blessedhunters writes: Love it! Thank you.
Posted: 12:20 pm on May 19th

Tifana writes: I so want fresh flowers around the house, but my kittens eat everything, I bet they won't want to snack on these! They are so beautiful, Thanks for the instructions.
Posted: 8:08 am on May 18th

beaderonboard writes: Linda;
Your flowers are beautiful.
I can't wait to make some of my own.
Thank You so much for sharing.
Posted: 7:27 pm on May 16th

Sweet_Dee writes: LOVE tgese paper flowers! Love the yarn vase!
Posted: 2:26 am on May 14th

annquill writes: SO pretty! The ball of yarn as a holder is a great idea. I'll need to post a link to this page on my blog.
Posted: 9:52 am on May 13th

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