How to: Papercraft Flowers

Paper flower colors are not limited by nature.

Recycle old magazines into funky, multicolored flowers. Alternatively, make delicate paper flowers from tissue paper. Paper flowers last longer than real ones and cost little, or almost nothing in the case of recycled magazine flowers, to make. Make bunches of homemade paper flowers to complement permanent, or festive, decor. They also make thoughtful, personalized gifts for family and friends. A bunch of paper flowers will take around half an hour to make.

Things You'll Need

• Used magazines
• Scissors
• Clear sticky tape
• Paper fasteners in a variety of sizes and colors
• 15-by 20-inch sheets of tissue paper
• Green craft wire
• Wirecutters

Instructions

Recycled Magazine Flowers

1. Use scissors to cut a variety of different sized flower shapes from colorful, glossy magazine pages. Make some with pointed petals and some with rounded petal shapes. Cut some with lots of petals and others with only four or five. Use your imagination to cut the outline of as many different sizes and shapes as you can.

2. Place three or four of the flower shapes on top of each other. Put the largest at the bottom and layer progressively smaller shapes on top.

3. Cut different lengths of 3-inch-wide strips of green construction paper between 4 and 7 inches long. Roll them lengthwise into tight, thin tubes. Wrap clear tape around the tubes at intervals to hold them in place.

4. Push a paper fastener through the center of the layered flower shapes and on through the end of a rolled construction paper stem. Firmly push back the two ends of the paper fastener to secure the flower to the stem.

5. Bend petals forward on the flower-shaped layers to give the blooms depth.

Tissue Paper Flowers

1. Quarter 15-by-20-inch sheets of tissue paper by folding them in four and cutting along the creases with scissors.

2. Stack the quartered sheets in a pile.

3. Fold the paper piles lengthwise in alternating directions so they are folded like an accordion. Make the folds around 3/4 inch apart.

4. Use wirecutters to cut lengths of green craft wire between 8 and 14 inches long.

5. Bend the craft wire lengths centrally over each folded paper accordion. Twist them below the paper to hold it in place. Twist the wires together down their full length to form the flower stems.

6. Pull the layers of tissue paper up to the top, middle of the flower. Separate the sheets out, pulling them up at various points so they ruffle up into petal shapes like those found on a carnation flower.