How to Make Roses Out of Cardboard

Use a real rose as inspiration.

Making roses out of cardboard is a creative way to express a passion for flowers. Cardboard roses also present an ideal artistic challenge to children and beginning art students. Make the flowers for a Valentine's Day celebration, for example. The trick to constructing your roses is to give the petals and stem a life-like texture. Using paper mache provides a thick petal surface and provides a prime canvas for applying acrylic paint. Display the flowers for family, friends and fellow flower enthusiasts once the roses are created.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
• 2-by-4-inch shoebox rose petal (2)
• Ruler
• Scissors
• 5-inch drinking straw
• White glue
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup flour
• Pot
• Small bowl
• 1-by-3-inch newspaper strips (multiple)
• 1-by-3-inch paper towel strips (multiple)
• Red and green acrylic paint
• Paintbrushes (2)

Instructions

1. Draw the profile of a 2-by-4-inch rosebud on a piece of shoebox cardboard. Cut out the rosebud with a pair of scissors.

2. Place the rosebud atop a second piece of shoebox cardboard. Trace and remove the rosebud. Cut out the second rosebud along the trace lines.

3. Snip a 1/2-inch slice into the center of the first rosebud profile. Slide the first rosebud profile over the second profile at center. The full body of the rosebud is complete.

4. Bond the top 1/2 inch of a 5-inch drinking straw to the inside of one of the bud petals with white glue to create a stem.

5. Boil 1 cup water and 1 cup flour for three minutes to create the paper mache mix. Allow the mix five minutes to cool. Pour the mix into a small bowl.

6. Submerge a 1-by-3-inch newspaper strip into the mix. Press the strip into the bud and stem. Continue until the entire flower is covered in newspaper.

7. Submerge a 1-by-3-inch paper towel strip into the mix. Press the strip into the bud and stem. Continue until the entire flower is covered in paper towel. Allow two hours for the flower to dry.

8. Coat the rosebud with red acrylic paint. Coat the flower stem with green acrylic paint. Allow two hours for the craft to dry.

References

• DLTK Kids: How to Paper Mache