How to Make Day of the Dead Paper Flowers

Day of the Dead pays homage to relatives and friends who have passed on to the other side. Since Day of the Dead is considered to be a celebration of eternal life rather than a sad event, flowers make an important contribution to the festivities. While fresh flowers are often displayed during Day of the Dead, paper flowers are also very popular. Join in the celebration by learning how to make Day of the Dead paper flowers.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Scissors
• Green pipe cleaners
• Colored tissue paper

Learn How to Make Day of the Dead Paper Flowers

1. Lay four to five pieces of tissue paper flat on a table. If you wish to make brightly colored paper flowers for your Day of the Dead celebration, try alternating different colors of tissue paper.

2. Cut the tissue paper layers into 8-inch sections, while keeping the paper layers flat and together. A book or other object holding the paper down on the table at either end may be helpful.

3. Fold one of the 8-inch sections accordion style, folding a 1/2-inch section or so at a time. As you fold each time, make a light crease with your hand or a ruler. This will help the layers of paper stay together and make unfurling them easier.

4. Cut two small notched or V shapes in the center of the folded section of tissue paper near each side. Take care that you don't cut through the section completely and connect the notches, or you'll have to start over with another section.

5. Take a pipe cleaner (straighten it, if necessary) and pull it through one of the notches to make a flower stem, twisting off one end around the notch to hold it in place.

6. Pull up each layer of folded tissue paper, one at a time, over the pipe cleaner stem. With your fingers, fluff each layer of tissue paper to shape it so it resembles a real flower. Then create the other half of the flower by pulling up the paper layers from the other notch on the other side of the section of folded paper and shaping it.

7. Create additional paper flowers by repeating the above steps with each 8-inch section of cut tissue paper. As you finish each flower, stand it upright in a water-less vase to make a Day of the Dead floral arrangement of the finished paper flowers.

Tips & Warnings

• Flowers are symbolic of Day of the Dead because they remind us of the fleeting passage of life, as well as the eternal cycle of life as flowers reappear year after year.