How to Make Unique Paper Flowers for Mother's Day

Inexpensive crepe paper streamers can be used to make unique Mother's Day flowers

Making unique paper flowers for Mother's Day allows the flowers to last indefinitely, not just for the day. These paper flowers cost next to nothing and are easy to create, if you can sew a straight line on a sewing machine. You can leave the flowers a plain, single color, or add light and dimension to the flowers, by dabbing them with paint for a springtime look. Use them as corsages, or make a bunch of them as a table centerpiece for a Mother's Day brunch.

Things You'll Need

• Crepe paper streamers
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun
• Hot glue gun sticks

Instructions

1. Cut a 120-inch length of crepe paper streamers.

2. Thread your sewing machine, and adjust the stitch length to the longest setting.

3. Begin sewing at one end of the crepe paper streamer. Your seam should be about 5/8-inch away from the edge of the streamer. Do not backstitch at the beginning of the seam. Continue sewing in a straight line all the way to the end of the streamer. Do not backstitch at the end of the seam. Allow yourself a long tail of thread when you cut it away from the machine.

4. Pull at the top thread in order to ruffle the crepe paper even more than the sewing machine did when sewing the paper. You can ruffle the crepe paper as little or as much as you like, depending on the fullness of the flower you desire.

5. Coil the ruffle around itself, making a spiral. Hold the bottom of the ruffle tightly, with one hand, while coiling it around with the other. You will begin to see the flower taking shape. Continue coiling until the entire ruffle contributes to the shape of the flower.

6. Dab the bottom of the coil with hot glue from your hot glue gun. Cut a flat piece of crepe paper, and lay it down on top of the glue you spread on the coil. Press gently against the flat piece, being careful not to burn your fingers.

7. Turn your flower over, and gently fluff the flower. Pull at "petals" to achieve the shape you desire.

8. Dab watercolor paints to the "petals" for added color. Try using several different colors to achieve a varied look, or use a single color for a monochrome flower. Do not allow the flower to become too wet, as crepe paper loses its shape when soaked with water.

Tips & Warnings

• Attach pipe cleaner stems to crepe paper flowers to make a bouquet.

• Hot glue a pin fitting, to make a corsage.

References

• Stephanie Lynn: Mother's Day Flowers
• Family Fun: Tissue Paper Flowers