How to Make a Flower With Crepe Paper

Create cute, cheap decorations for parties or make a creative bouquet instead of sending flowers by making flower embellishments with crepe paper. With this easy technique and a few craft supplies, you'll be able to spruce up the plain paper to generate colorful and dazzling flowers.

Things You'll Need

• Crepe paper
• Scissors
• Pipe cleaners
• Paint (if desired)
• Glue (if desired)
• Glitter (if desired)
• Markers (if desired)

Instructions

1. Make a crepe paper flower by cutting four to six pieces of crepe paper, each about eight inches long. (Use a longer piece for a fuller flower or a wider sheet of tissue paper for a larger flower.) For a multi-colored bloom, cut paper strips in contrasting colors.

2. Stack the layers of crepe paper to ensure the ends are even before you begin to fold the flower.

3. Accordion fold the stack back and forth until it becomes a narrow strip. If you're working with kids, let them make the folds about an inch wide to simplify the craft. If you want the flower to have more detail, however, create shorter folds.

4. Twist one end of a pipe cleaner tightly around the center of the folded crepe paper. The pipe cleaner will both secure the flower and serve as a fuzzy, colorful stem. (See Resources)

5. Form the flower by carefully peeling the layers apart, pulling one side toward the center and the other toward the back. The process should result in a fluffy shape.

6. Add more detail to the flowers by adding a thin line of acrylic paint along the edge of each "petal," dotting them with glitter glue or coloring the crepe paper with markers before you begin the folding process. You can even use glue to add a small button or sequins to the center of the blooms. (See Resources)

7. Use scissors to trim the flower "stem" to the desired length. Create several crepe paper flowers and cut the stems to different lengths so the paper blossoms will sit at different heights in a vase, for example. You can also use the stems to secure the flowers to gifts, attach the flowers to items in your home or weave the flowers into your hair. If sending flowers, crush them for mailing and include simple instructions on refluffing them.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're working with small children, fold the ends of the pipe cleaners down so they don't poke their fingers with the sharp wires.