How to Make Teresitas Flowers
Teresitas flowers are handmade Mexican paper flowers made from crepe paper. These colorful and charming flowers are the ideal addition to a Cinco de Mayo celebration or any Mexican-themed dinner. Choose colorful sheets of crepe paper to complement any theme. You can make a small bunch of six flowers in under two hours.
Things You'll Need
- 6 pipe cleaners
- 1 sheet of green crepe paper
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun
- Sewing thread
- 6 sheets of colored crepe paper
Instructions
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1
Cut the sheet of green crepe paper into thin, 1/4-inch strips.
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2
Dab a small circle of hot glue on the end of one pipe cleaner. Attach one end of a green crepe paper strip to the glue. Tightly wind the crepe paper in a circular motion to the other end of the pipe cleaner. The entire pipe cleaner should be covered with the wound paper. Glue the end of the pipe cleaner, attach the loose strip, and trim the excess to complete the stem.
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3
Cut a 1-inch diameter circle and a 4-inch square from a sheet of colored paper (not green). Wad the square up into a ball and glue to the center of the circle. Turn the circle upside down and glue the wadded ball to the top of the pipe cleaner. Press the edges of the circle down, and tightly wrap at the base of the wadded ball with a section of sewing thread. Trim the excess to complete the center of the flower.
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4
Cut five teardrop petal shapes from colored crepe paper (use a different color than the one you used for the center of the flower). The petals should be 1 inch long and 3/4 inch wide. Gently stretch and smooth the petals with your fingers so the edges roll down a little to make them resemble actual petals.
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5
Dab a small circle of glue to the edge of the flower center you made in Step 3. Attach the base of one petal. Continue adding the petals, spacing them evenly so that five petals form an entire flower.
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6
Repeat Steps 1 through 5 to make more flowers.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Use complementary colors for the center and petals. A color wheel can show you complementary colors (see Resources).
Use a low temperature glue gun for this project. High temperature glue can "melt" through the crepe paper and cause burns.
