Crepe paper flowers are fun to make and look absolutely stunning, and as long as they're looked after carefully can last for years and years!
The crinkly texture and lightweight nature of crêpe paper provide an excellent choice when creating something with lots of layers
It's stretchy and has a lot of give, so you are able to create beautiful crêpe paper flowers with delicate petals without too much risk of tearing the paper as you assemble your flowers.
You'll make three fantastic crepe paper flowers in this tutorial by Lisa Jay, creating tulips, anemones and peony flowers.
You will need
90g Crepe in Light Pink, Rose, Peach Blossom Pink, Dark Cream, Yellow, Orange, Light Olive and Dark Olive (we used Cartotecnica Rossi)
180g Crepe paper in Natural Rose, Yellow, Pumpkin, Orange and Coral Charm Peony (we used Cartotecnica Rossi)
For the first tulip, use the templates to cut three petal shapes from Natural Rose Yellow paper for the inner petals, three petal shapes from Pumpkin paper for the outer petals, and one fringe from the Dark Cream paper.
Step 2
Repeat for the remaining four tulips with the following paper combinations: three Natural Rose Yellow inner petals and three 180g Orange outer petals, three Coral Charm Peony inner petals and three Natural Rose Yellow outer petals, three Pumpkin inner petals and three Orange outer petals, and finally three Pumpkin inner petals and three Coral Charm Peony outer petals.
Step 3
Fringe the tulip centres and curve the edges with the bone folder (like you did with the anenome).
Cut five stems from the 24-gauge florist wire, then roll and glue a fringe onto each of the wire stems, with the curved edge facing outwards.
Step 4
To shape the petals, hold the middle between your thumbs and index fingers, then gently pull horizontally to stretch the paper.
Do the same vertically to form a long, cupped shape, then glue three inner petals around a centre, aligning the bottom of the petals and the fringe.
Step 5
Add a second layer of three outer petals staggered between the inner petals, then gently open up each individual flower.
For the first anemone, use the templates to cut three of each petal shape from the Peach Blossom Pink paper, one fringe from the Dark Cream paper, and one centre circle and five leaves from the Light Olive paper.
Make sure to cut each shape with the grain of the paper running from top to bottom, as this will help when shaping the petals. The different paper weights determine how much you can stretch them, with the 180g paper having a little more give than the 90g paper.
Step 2
Repeat Step 1 for the other four anemone, this time cutting the fringes from Dark Cream paper, the centres and leaves from the Light Olive paper, and the petals from the Rose and Light Pink paper.
Step 3
Fringe the centres, cutting along one long edge of each one roughly two-thirds down, then curve the uncut long edges with a bone folder or scissor edge
Step 4
Cut five stems from the 20-gauge florist wire, then glue a wooden bead to the end of each wire stem. Cover each bead with a centre circle and glue it in place, then roll a fringed centre onto the base of each covered bead, with the curved edge facing inwards. Gently open out the centres.
Step 5
Use the bone folder to curve the top and bottom of each petal in the same direction, as shown, then gently stretch the centre. Glue three small petals under the fringed centre on each anemone, making sure they’re evenly spaced.
Step 6
Add three medium petals underneath the small petals, staggering them so they fill the gaps in the first layer.
Next, add three large petals underneath those, staggering them to fill the gaps. Use the bone folder to curve the leaves, then glue five leaves evenly to each anemone base, drooping them downwards
Perfect preservation
Paper flowers need no watering and will last forever, but if you want to keep your real flowers for just as long then try learning how to press flowers with Gathered.
Peony crepe paper flowers
Step 1
For the first peony, use the templates to cut one fringe, six small petals, 16 medium petals and 10 large petals from the Dark Cream paper, and five sepals from the Dark Olive paper.
Repeat twice more, this time cutting one set of petals and fringe from Yellow paper, and one set from Orange paper.
Fringe the centres, then gently twist them between your fingertips. Cut three stems from the 18-gauge florist wire, then roll and glue a fringe onto each of the wire stems. Ruffle the fringes by gently pressing them down.
Step 2
Cut one or two small V shapes into the top edge of each petal as shown, making different cuts in each one for a more natural finish.
Step 3
To shape the petals, hold the middle between your thumbs and index fingers and gently pull horizontally to form a cupped shape. To ruffle the edges, gently pinch them along the top, and stretch them in either direction. Put six medium petals to one side.
Step 4
Glue six small petals evenly around a fringed centre, overlapping them slightly. Continue adding ten of the medium petals and all ten of the large petals in the same way.
Step 5
Glue the remaining six medium petals to the base of the flower, curving them in the opposite way so they droop downwards.
Next, glue the five sepals to the base, spacing them out evenly, then fluff and open the peony by gently pushing the petal layers apart.
Assembly
Arrange the flowers into a posy at different heights, then trim the stems to your desired length with the wire cutters.
To wrap the stems, cut a 1.5 x 15cm (⅝ x 6") strip of Light Olive paper across the grain for each of the anemones, and a 1.5 x 15cm (⅝ x 6") strip of Dark Olive paper for each of the tulips and peonies. Stretch a strip of paper fully, dot it with glue, then wrap it around the stem at a 45˚ angle, working from top to bottom, and dotting it with glue as you go.
Now that you know how to make crepe paper flowers, it's time to start adding your own creative style. Practice will help you to master the shapes and curves of your petals, allowing you to create more subtle or dramatic blooms.
And don't be afraid to go wild with colour – experiment with different coloured papers, or create ombre gradients with watercolour paints on your petals.
Lisa originally studied graphic design at university, then went
to live in Southern Italy before finding her love for all things paper. Find her ethically-made blooms and bouquets on Insta @lisajaystudio. www.lisajaystudio.com
This website is owned and published by Our Media Ltd. www.ourmedia.co.uk
