Paper flowers crafted from card, crepe paper, tissue paper or even materials found in your kitchen look really effective.

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These five paper flower ideas are easy to make and the impressive bouquets can be used for birthday decorations, weddings, Mother’s Day or kids’ crafts.

The final idea in our list is simple enough for the smallest crafters, but all of them can be made by children and adults. Why not make a selection for a cheerful paper flower display?

Easy paper flower ideas

Card tulips

Paper tulips

Level: EASY

You will need:

  • A4 coloured and green card (in different shades of green if you like)
  • Green wooden lolly sticks
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Pencil
Paper tulip materials

Step 1: Fold the coloured card (we chose cream) in half, then in half again and then in half twice more. Unfold and cut along the fold lines to give you 16 equal pieces. Stack these up and draw a tulip petal on the top one in pencil. Now repeat the process for the green card, folding into different fractions to give you different sized leaves. Stack them up and draw differently sized leaf shapes on the top pieces of card.

Paper tulips step 1

Step 2: Cut out all the hapes with scissors. You can do this in batches, depending on the thickness of the card, drawing around one of the cut-out tulip petals on the top card for each new batch and repeating this for the leaves. Once all the petals are cut out, fold each one in half along the vertical, as shown below. Don’t fold the leaves.

Paper tulips step 3

Step 3: Now glue two petals together along their fold so that the folded point faces upwards and they have a flat underside. Glue the flat side to the top of a green lolly stick. Glue two more petals together along their fold and glue their flat side to the reverse of the stick, lining up all the petals. Glue one or two leaves to the lolly stick stem. Paper tulips work well in a big bunch with lots of long leaves. Makes four.

Paper tulips step 3

Paper flower bouquet

Mini Bouquet

Level: MEDIUM

You will need:

  • A6 (postcard size) green card
  • A4/A5 pink card
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Jam jar lid or glass
  • Pencil
Mini bouquet materials

Step 1: Fold the green card in half, then fold over again, then again. Unfold and cut into quarters along the fold lines – to give you four folded lengths.

Mini bouquet step 1

Roll each one up to give you a slightly flattened stem. For a neat finish you can glue along the lengths, but if you want to avoid sticky fingers they also work just folded.

Mini bouquet step 1

Step 2: Take a jam jar lid or glass and draw around it on the pink card.

Mini bouquet step 2

Draw a concentric circle on it as shown below and cut it out, following the lines with your scissors.

Mini bouquet step 2

Step 3: Roll up the spiral, starting from the outside and working inwards. This is much more straightforward than it looks from the end result.

Mini bouquet step 3

Now unroll again and glue one of the stems to the start of the spiral.

Mini bouquet step 3

Step 4: Reroll the spiral with the stem at its centre, tucking the final end under the roll to secure in place (there is no need to glue). Repeat with the remaining card and stems to make a little posie of paper flowers. Makes four.

Overnight magic greaseproof paper flower

Greaseproof paper flower

Level: MEDIUM

You will need:

  • Greaseproof paper
  • Red food colouring
  • Mixing bowl
  • Little shallow bowl or shallow jam jar
  • Long wooden kebab skewer
  • Green pen
  • Scissors
  • Glue
Greaseproof paper flower

Step 1: Cut a length of greaseproof paper about 60cm long. Fold it in half, then half again and half again. Unfold and cut into eight. Stack in a pile and draw a circle on the top one (you can draw around a small bowl or ramekin). Cut out the circles.

Greaseproof paper flower step 1

Step 2: Fill the mixing bowl about a quarter full of water and add a few drops of red food colouring. Submerge the pile of greaseproof paper and leave for about an hour. Ensure some water gets to all the layers but keep them stacked in a pile. Depending on the food colouring, you might want to wear disposable plastic gloves to prevent your hands from staining. While the paper circles are soaking, colour the skewer in with the green pen and set aside.

Greaseproof paper flower step 3

Step 3: When the paper circles have taken on some of the red colour (they will look peachy pink, not red), take them out of the water in one pile and squeeze in your hands over the bowl to remove excess water. You will end up with a scrunched up rose shape. Pop the rose into a little bowl or shallow jar in which it fits snugly (we used a rinsed out glass food jar) and leave to dry overnight.

Greaseproof paper flower step 4

Step 4: When fully dry, it will be crisp and pale pink with mottled colour in places, just like a real flower. Glue the skewer stem in place at the back, tucking under a fold of paper so you can’t see the tip. Makes one.

Easy crepe paper flower

Crepe flower

Level: VERY EASY

You will need:

  • A4 pink card
  • Ruler
  • Pencil
  • Pink crepe paper
  • 1 green pipe cleaner
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Button (optional)
Crepe flower materials

Step 1: Fold the card in half and half again to make vertical quarters. Cut out one quarter strip. Draw a 1cm deep line along the long length, then use the scissors to cut incisions about 1cm wide along the strip, cutting only up to the line you have drawn. Cut a square of crepe paper and scrunch up into a ball.

Crepe flower step 1

Step 2: Use a pencil to curl the thin, fringe pieces around it.

Crepe flower step 3

Once you have curled the whole way along, take away the pencil, bend the circle around so that the uncurled flat top overlaps and glue the top together to give you your flower head.

Crepe flower step 3

Step 3: Wrap the top of the pipe cleaner around the base of the flower head. You can now pop your crepe paper ball inside the flower head, moving it around to fill the space and cover the pipe cleaner.

Crepe flower step 3

Glue in place if needed. You can also glue a button into the centre, if you like. Makes one.

Crepe flower step 3

Preschool cupcake and straw paper flower

Cupcake flower

Level: VERY VERY EASY

You will need:

  • Two cupcake or muffin cases in bright colours
  • Paper or reusable plastic green straw
  • A6 green card
  • Glue
  • Scissors
Cupcake flower

Step 1: Fold the card into quarters and draw a leaf shape on one side. Cut out four leaves.

Cupcake flower step 1

Step 2: Fold the two cupcake cases into quarters and tuck one inside the other. Glue the inner layer to the outer layer inside along one side so that the inside is secured to the outside.

Cupcake flower step 2

Step 3: Glue the flower to the straw stem and glue leaves onto the front and back of the stem. Leave to dry. Makes one.

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Cupcake flower step 3

Enjoyed this guide? Check out our other craft ideas for kids

How to make a pom-pom
How to make an origami butterfly
How to make salt dough
5 easy garden crafts for kids
Father's Day card ideas for kids

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