Tissue paper flowers have long been my go-to party decoration, but lately I’ve also been making large card stock flowers (even GIANT paper flowers!). Both materials have their benefits!

Tissue paper flowers can be made quickly, easily, and generally super inexpensively. Cardstock flowers take more time but really pack a polished punch, and they hold up well a lot longer than tissue paper flowers.

DIY paper flowers are perfect for weddings, baby showers, and other parties. You can use them in nurseries and kids’ rooms, too! And if you hang a bunch of them together, you can make the prettiest paper flowers backdrops, perfect for photo booths.

Today I’m sharing how to make these large paper flowers using cardstock, using either a PDF template and scissors, or cutting the SVG cut files with your electronic cutter, like a Cricut or Silhouette machine. I’ll also share my favorite tips and tricks for creating these so much easier!

The Best Paper for Large Paper Flowers

Let’s start with the type of paper you’re going to want to look for when making large paper flowers. Here are a few factors to consider.

Size

You’ll need large paper to make large paper flowers. 12″ x 12″ is the best size to make the largest flowers, but you can also scale the file to make medium flowers from an 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of paper. Still, if you can find that 12″ x 12″ scrapbook paper, it’s the best choice.

Solid Core

There are two types of cardstock: solid core and white core. Solid core means that the inside layer of the cardstock is the same as the outside layer. White core means that the inside layer is white. You want solid core so you don’t have an unsightly white edge to all of your flowers.

Texture

A lot of people just use smooth textured cardstock, but I also really love a slightly textured cardstock for paper flowers. My favorite cardstock is Bazzill Mono, which has a slight texture to it and comes in a huge range of pretty colors. Bazzill Smoothies is a smooth version.

It’s getting harder and harder to find Bazzill online, however, but I’ve listed some options below.

Weight

The final thing you want to consider is weight. Most 12″ x 12″ cardstock is between 60lb and 80lb. Anything lighter than that may not hold up to the weight of the flower and anything heavier may be hard to manipulate.

Where to Buy Cardstock for Paper Flowers

I always love going to my local craft store to actually get an accurate look at what I’m buying, since color and photography varies so much online and often there’s a wider selection in the open bins at the store.

Then once I have my favorites, I’ll buy more online when needed and if possible. I keep a little notebook of my favorite colors for easy reference.

A lot of times, paper comes in variety packs, but I find it better to purchase individual colors when making paper flowers, since you’ll need lots of the same color to make a single flower.

• Bazzill Cardstock at Amazon
• Bazzill Cardstock at Scrapbook.com
• Clear Path Cardstock at Amazon

I like using a gradient to create large paper flowers, but of course you can use whatever colors you’d like! I think they would also look really cute in different subtle patterns. The Bazzill colors I used for these particular flowers are:

Pink Flower

• Flamingo
• Arroyo
• Coral Cream
• Mexican Poppy

Teal Flower

• Kachina
• Navajo
• Turquoise Mist
• Mexican Poppy

The leaves are my absolute favorite green: Granny Smith.

Supplies to Make the Large Paper Flowers

Using a Cricut machine for this project: A Cricut is perfect for quickly making projects like this, plus your template pieces will be so perfectly cut they will look professionally finished. And you can easily change the dimensions of your template pieces to cut your flower in any size you desire. If you don’t have a Cricut, however, I’ve provided a template for cutting by hand!

In addition to the cardstock sheets, you will also need:

If cutting with a cutting machine:

• Cricut Maker or Cricut Explore (if using a machine)
• Green StandardGrip Mat
• Fine Point Blade
• Craft glue
• Wonder Clips (optional)
• Dowel (optional)

If cutting by hand:

• Printer
• Scissors
• Craft glue
• Pencil
• Wonder Clips (optional)
• Dowel (optional)

A note about glue: I found that Aleene’s Quick Dry Tacky Glue was a good choice. It dries quickly, but not so quickly that you can’t make adjustments if you don’t get your petals placed right the first time. Even better, get the “Always Ready” bottle that stands so the glue flows down, and you’ll never have to sit there shaking the bottle, trying to get your glue to come out.

You can also use a glue gun and hot glue if you’d like, but I found it to be too stringy and messy for this partcular project.

Get the Large Paper Flower Template

About the Two Paper Flower Templates

This tutorial has two different files—one SVG file to cut the flowers using your Cricut or other cutting machine, and a PDF that you can use as a template for tracing and cutting by hand.

You can cut the SVG in all sorts of different sizes. The original file is sized to make a flower nearly two feet across! But if you’d like to size them down, you can make smaller versions.

For the larger flowers I made, I sized the file down to about 6″ tall, to give me a 12″ flower. The two smaller ones are sized to 4″ tall, to make an 8″ flower.

There are large petals, medium petals, and small petals, plus a center.

Assembling the Large Paper Flowers

Once you have all of your pieces cut out, you’ll see that each petal has a slit that starts at the bottom of the petal.

Assemble the Petals

Use a little craft glue and overlap the bottom to create dimension with each petal. It doesn’t matter how far you overlap—just be consistent with all your flower petals.

I like creating an assembly line. I line up six to eight petals, side by side, and put a dab of glue on each. Then I hold them together, using Wonder Clips!

When I first started assembling these flowers, I held onto each petal until the glue set enough for me to put it down. So each flower took me approximately four days (ha!).

Then I realized that I could use Wonder Clips, which are basically like having a bunch of tiny friends holding your petals together for you. Just clip on and let them sit.

They do leave a small indentation on your paper, but all but the inside layer is covered up by the layer on top of it. If that indentation bothers you, just hold the three center pieces between your fingers as the glue sets.

If you’d like, you can slightly curl the edge of the petals using a dowel. I don’t generally take the time for this style flower, but you can if you want!

Create Each Layer of Petals

Once dry, you’ll glue all the petals to create the flower. Start with your largest petals at the bottom. Glue in a ring on top of the circle template piece.

Once the pieces are glued, you can set a bowl or other heavy object on the glue point so you don’t have to hold the pieces while the glue dries.

Then continue to add the layers of your flower.

Then add the yellow center of your flower and you’re done!

It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect

Try to get your petals to line up, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. Nature isn’t perfect and neither are you! The two most outer layers have six petals, the two middle have five, and the two smallest have four. The final center of the flower only has three. So there’s no way to line them up perfectly based on the row before it—just try to get them evenly lined up(ish) for each layer.

And that’s it! You can see how these simple tips and tricks make creating giant cardstock flowers a lot less daunting. Do you have any tips and tricks for assembling big projects like this? I’d love to hear them in the comments!

Print

HOW TO MAKE GIANT PAPER FLOWERS WITH A CRICUT

Make these large paper flowers using my template (hand cut or SVG for your Cricut or Silhouette) and then get my best tips and tricks for making them easily!

Keyword Cardstock, Paper Flowers, Template

Author Cori George

Equipment

• 1 Cricut Explore or Maker
• Green StandardGrip Mat
• Cricut Fine Point Blade
• Tacky glue
• Wonder Clips optional
• Dowel optional

Ingredients

• Cardstock
• Free Large Paper Flower Template #C445

Instructions

• Cut the flower template on your Cricut.
  
• Overlap the slit in the bottom of each petal and glue. Use Wonder Clips or clothespins while the glue sets.
  
• Glue the first, largest bottom layer of petals on the flower base.
  
• Continue gluing each layer of petals toward the center.
  
• Add the center of the flower (and leaves, if desired).
  

Interested in more paper flower ideas? Check out my favorite Flower SVGs and Cut Files!

The post Large Paper Flowers: Template + Tips and Tricks to Make It Easy appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

Have you ever wondered how to assemble some of the paper succulents and flowers found in Cricut Design Space? It’s no wonder—the way that these files come into Cricut Design Space can be really confusing!

How can you turn that pile of petals into a pretty 3D succulent? Today you’re going to find out! The techniques used here can be used to make a wide variety of succulents and flowers in Cricut Design Space as well as others that you may find online since many templates are assembled similarly.

Cricut Design Space Succulent Files

We’re gong to be making these files from Cricut Design Space. Note that four out of the five succulents in this post are within a single Cricut Design Space file.

• Spiky succulent (Design Space #M124F11)
• Six-leaf succulent (Design Space #M1A950E)
• Three-leaf stacked succulent (Design Space #M124F11)
• Separate leaf succulent (Design Space #M124F11)
• Leaves (Design Space #M124F11)

What Glue Should I Use for Paper Flowers & Succulents?

For these succulents, I like to use either quick-dry tacky or craft glue, like Aleene’s or Elmer’s. You don’t want to have to sit there holding the pieces together, waiting for glue to dry.

As far as paper goes, I find that printer-weight paper works better than cardstock for smaller succulents, though if you want to cut large succulents, you can definitely use cardstock. For these, I used a metallic printer-weight paper that really shines with a lot of dimension and depth.

Assembling Cricut Succulents

Let’s start with the easiest and work our way up!

Spiky Leaf Succulent

I’m sure these succulents have scientific names, but I’m not a botanist so we’re going with “spiky” succulent for this one. Cut out the pieces on your Cricut (Read my Ultimate Guide to Cutting Cardstock and Paper with a Cricut for tips and tricks).

There are five pieces, ranging from little to big.

Start by curling the leaves. Wrap each leaf around a pencil or use scissors to curl the pieces like you would curling ribbon on a gift. I like the scissor method, but be aware that it’s easier to tear your pieces using this method. Curl up each leaf a bit. I try to curl the smaller pieces a little more tightly than the larger pieces, but you can always re-adjust once they are glued together.

Then stack the pieces from largest on the bottom to smallest at the top, and glue all the layers together, offsetting the leaves for each layer.

And that’s it! This is a nice and easy one to start with, but make sure to be careful when curling those smaller leaves so they don’t tear.

Six-Leaf Succulent

This succulent is put together in the same manner as the one above. It’s six different pieces, all shaped the same, ranging from big to little.

Use scissors or a pencil to curl up all of the leaves.

Layer and glue all six pieces together, offsetting the leaves.

And that’s it! I think this one can double as a flower, especially when made in pink or purple tones.

Three-Leaf Stacked Succulent

From here we move up in difficulty just slightly. This succulent has 11 pieces. There are two of each size, except for the smallest piece, which has three of that size.

Use the same method above to curl all the leave pieces. Be extra careful if using scissors for this one—the pieces can tear pretty easily (thankfully it’s so easy to cut out more using your Cricut if you need!).

Then match up each piece to its mate (the one of the same size) and glue them together, offsetting them. There will be one small one left over.

Then glue all the glued sections together, biggest on the bottom to the single last piece on the top.

This one gives a similar effect to the six-petal succulent above, but I think there’s something about it that looks more succulent-like!

Separate Leaf Succulent

This is definitely the most complex succulent that we’re making today. When you cut out the pieces on your Cricut, you’ll have 18 individual leaves and two three-leaf pieces.

Instead of curling these individual leaf pieces, I think it works better to cut a slit from the bottom, 2/3 of the way up the leaf.

You can then use craft glue to overlap the cut ends to create some dimension in the leaf.

Then match the leaves up in sets—there are three leaves per size.

And glue the three pieces together to form one single piece from three leaves.

Then curl the leaves of the two three-leaf pieces and glue together.

Then, like you did with all the other succulents, glue all the layers together, offsetting the layers.

Tada! You’ve made the most complex succulent of the bunch!

Leaves

These leaves are not really a succulent by themselves, but they look really pretty when used in conjunction with the other succulents we’re making.

I use my scissors to curl the leaves. Sometimes I’ll curl them one way and then curl just the end back the other way. Play with the curling to create different levels of dimension.

Now you are ready to use your succulents in a project! I used my Cricut Knife Blade to cut a chipboard ampersand using the Cricut font Alphalicious. I sealed it with ModPodge before painting it white.

Then I glued my succulents to my ampersand, using adhesive foam squares to create some depth and dimension!

I love how these succulents bring life to a project—but you don’t need a green thumb to keep them alive!

Also check out my Cactus & Succulent SVG Bundle! If you don’t have a cutting machine, you can always make tissue paper flowers!

Print

HOW TO MAKE PAPER SUCCULENTS

Get step-by-step instructions for making paper succulents and flowers using your Cricut and Cricut Design Space files. Perfect for nurseries, spring decor, and bridal and baby shower decorations!

Keyword Paper, Succulents

Author Cori George

Equipment

• Aleene's or
• Elmer's Glue

Ingredients

• Spiky succulent (Design Space #M124F11)
• Six-leaf succulent (Design Space #M1A950E)
• Three-leaf stacked succulent (Design Space #M124F11)
• Separate leaf succulent (Design Space #M124F11)
• Leaves (Design Space #M124F11)
• metallic printer-weight paper

Instructions

• Assembling Cricut Succulents
• Spiky Leaf Succulent

  Cut out the pieces on your Cricut (Read my Ultimate Guide to Cutting Cardstock and Paper with a Cricut for tips and tricks).

  There are five pieces, ranging from little to big.
  
• Start by curling the leaves. Wrap each leaf around a pencil or use scissors to curl the pieces like you would curling ribbon on a gift. I like the scissor method, but be aware that it’s easier to tear your pieces using this method. Curl up each leaf a bit. I try to curl the smaller pieces a little more tightly than the larger pieces, but you can always re-adjust once they are glued together.
  
• Then stack the pieces from largest on the bottom to smallest at the top, and glue all the layers together, offsetting the leaves for each layer.
  
• And that’s it! This is a nice and easy one to start with, but make sure to be careful when curling those smaller leaves so they don’t tear.
  
• Six-Leaf Succulent

  This succulent is put together in the same manner as the one above. It’s six different pieces, all shaped the same, ranging from big to little.
  
• Use scissors or a pencil to curl up all of the leaves.
  
• Layer and glue all six pieces together, offsetting the leaves.
  
• And that’s it! I think this one can double as a flower, especially when made in pink or purple tones.
  
• Three-Leaf Stacked Succulent

  From here we move up in difficulty just slightly. This succulent has 11 pieces. There are two of each size, except for the smallest piece, which has three of that size.
  
• Use the same method above to curl all the leave pieces. Be extra careful if using scissors for this one—the pieces can tear pretty easily (thankfully it’s so easy to cut out more using your Cricut if you need!).
  
• Then match up each piece to its mate (the one of the same size) and glue them together, offsetting them. There will be one small one left over.
  
• Then glue all the glued sections together, biggest on the bottom to the single last piece on the top.
  
• This one gives a similar effect to the six-petal succulent above, but I think there’s something about it that looks more succulent-like!
  
• Separate Leaf Succulent

  This is definitely the most complex succulent that we’re making today. When you cut out the pieces on your Cricut, you’ll have 18 individual leaves and two three-leaf pieces.
  
• Instead of curling these individual leaf pieces, I think it works better to cut a slit from the bottom, 2/3 of the way up the leaf.
  
• You can then use craft glue to overlap the cut ends to create some dimension in the leaf.
  
• 
• Then match the leaves up in sets—there are three leaves per size.
  
• And glue the three pieces together to form one single piece from three leaves.
  
• Then curl the leaves of the two three-leaf pieces and glue together.
  
• 
• Then, like you did with all the other succulents, glue all the layers together, offsetting the layers.
  
• Tada! You’ve made the most complex succulent of the bunch!
  
• Leaves

  These leaves are not really a succulent by themselves, but they look really pretty when used in conjunction with the other succulents we’re making.
  
• I use my scissors to curl the leaves. Sometimes I’ll curl them one way and then curl just the end back the other way. Play with the curling to create different levels of dimension.
  
• Now you are ready to use your succulents in a project! I used my Cricut Knife Blade to cut a chipboard ampersand using the Cricut font Alphalicious. I sealed it with ModPodge before painting it white.

  Then I glued my succulents to my ampersand, using adhesive foam squares to create some depth and dimension!
  

The post How to Make Paper Succulents with Your Cricut appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

I was recently telling a newly-engaged friend how we made more than 400 tissue paper flowers for our wedding for super cheap. She loved the idea but with her wedding quickly approaching, she didn’t have the time to make them herself. So we went online and sourced a bunch of paper flowers instead!

If you’re looking for a place to buy tissue paper flowers, I have a bunch of options for you! Remember that most (if not all) of these purchased flowers will need to be fluffed, so make sure you have the time and energy to do that before your big event.

Amazon

Amazon is basically my go-to for everything these days, particularly because we have Amazon Prime, which means free, fast shipping on many items. They have a lot of tissue paper flower styles and are a great place to start on your tissue paper flower search!

Luna’s Bazaar

Luna’s Bazaar is a little more expensive but a good source if you’re looking for different shades of tissue paper to create a monochromatic or ombre look. They also have great closeout deals, for you bargain shoppers!

Amols’

Amols’ has a lot of bright and beautiful Mexican paper flowers in an array of styles. They have individual flowers and bunches of flowers. Perfect for a festive wedding, Cinco de Mayo fiesta, or Dia de los Muertos.

Oriental Trading Company

Oriental Trading is another company that I use all the time for various party ideas, including tissue paper flowers. They have a big selection of traditional paper flowers, plus so many other ideas, like tulle flowers and pom poms.

DHGate

DHGate is a global seller with wholesale prices. I like their site because it has coupons and deals built in and lets you know if you can find the same product cheaper on the DHGate app. They also have a fairly robust filtering system so you can find exactly what you’re looking for.

The post Where to Buy Tissue Paper Flowers appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

It’s spring time, yo! I can’t even tell you how excited I am to see the sun shining. Before kids, I loved the rain. Since kids? I’m more than ready to kiss the rain, cold, and gray skies goodbye and say hello to warm weather, longer days and, more than anything else, some outside family play time. My house and my patience are really not designed for two cooped up kiddos!

What better way to welcome the new season than with flowers!? OK, so maybe not the real, bloomy, pollen-y kind. Thankfully, this crafty collection of Flower SVGs and cut files won’t make your eyes water and nose run. Whether you have a wedding to plan, a baby or bridal shower that can use some spring decorations, or you just love all things flowers, you will find something toto love in this awesome collection. Even better? You can’t kill these flowers—you and your black thumb can get ready to get crafty.

Flower SVGs and Cut Files

Please click through and pin from original sources

FLORAL VINYL DECALS

The beautiful floral vinyl decals from persialou.com will add the look of spring to picture frames, mugs and much much more.

Get the file from Persia Lou

GIANT PAPER FLOWERS

If you need giant paper flowers, and why wouldn’t you? I have you covered! Check out these big beautiful blooms, cut on the Cricut.

Get the file from Hey Let’s Make Stuff

HAND-DRAWN FLOWER CUT FILE

Get working with heat transfer vinyl and and this hand-drawn flower cut file from thesummeryumbrella.com! Brighten up so many things with this colorful flower.

Get the file from The Summery Umbrella

FLORAL LACE CUPCAKE WRAPPER

The only thing sweeter than the treat than this Floral Lace Cupcake Wrapper from 100directions.com is the yummy treat it’s wrapped around!

Get the file from 100 Directions

FAUX LEATHER & FELT ANEMONES

If you are a fan of anemones, hurry up and grab this file and tutorial for beautiful Faux Leather and Felt Anemones from deliacreates.com.

Get the file from Delia Creates

DINGBAT FONT FLOWER GARDEN FLAG

Spend some time sprucing up that backyard. This Dingbat Font Flower Garden Flag from silhouetteschoolblog.com is the perfect addition.

Get the file from The Silhouette School Blog

POTTED EASTER LILY FLOWER

Make this elegant Potted Easter Lily Flower from liagriffith.com part of your Easter table centerpiece.

Get the file from Lia Griffith

GIANT PAPER SUNFLOWER

jennifermaker.com totally mastered the Giant Paper Sunflower and she shows you how to make your very own.

Get the file from Jennifer Maker

PAPER FLOWERS

Even if you’ve never done it before, thecraftpatchblog.com shows you just how easy it is to make Paper Flowers.

Get the file from The Craft Patch

LARGE PAPER ROSE

Grab your Cricut or other cutting machine and have fun creating this Large Paper Rose from abbikirstencollections.com.

Get the file from Abbi Kirsten Collections

GIANT PAPER FLOWERS

Did you know you can create an entire floral bouquet from Giant Paper Flowers? Check out this tutorial from deliacreates.com.

Get the file from Delia Creates

FREE FLOWER FILES

The number of Free Flower Files dreamyposy.com is sharing with us incredible. I love all the different styles and design options.

Get the file from Dreamy Posy

PAPER SUCCULENT WALL ART

Create a 3D Succulent Wall Art masterpiece with these files and tutorial from fluorescentebeigeblog.com

Get the file from Fluorescent Beige Blog

PRISCILLA FLOWER

How gorgeous and perfectly springy is this paper Priscilla Flower from caluyadesigns.com.

Get the file from Caluya Design

MINI GERBERA DAISIES

These Mini Paper Daisies are so sweet and full of personality. Liagriffith.com shares some great ideas on how to use them.

Get the file from Lia Griffith

ROLLED PAPER ROSE

jennifermaker.com shows us how simple it is to make these Rolled Paper Roses. These romantic flowers are perfect for weddings and even date night.

Get the file from Jennifer Maker

FREE SVG PRINTABLE FLOWER TEMPLATES

I can picture classic and elegant paper flowers in a little girl’s nursery or adding glam to a baby shower. Grab the Free SVG Printable Flower Templates from ginacreates.com

Get the file from Gina Creates

The post Flower SVGs and Cut Files appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

If you’re looking for budget decor for weddings, baby showers, and bridal showers, you’ve come to the right place! These tissue paper flowers also make amazing photo backdrops—you could even make small flowers for an inexpensive but gorgeous paper flower bouquet!

I’ve been making tissue paper flowers since our wedding in 2013, and they are still my go-to budget party decor. This post will teach you not only how to make tissue paper flowers quickly and easily, but you’ll also learn four different ways to cut the petals to get different looks to your flowers.

If you are looking for paper flowers to make using your Cricut or other cutting machine, check out my tutorials for Giant Paper Flowers, 3D Flowers, and Paper Succulents.

Watch the Video

You can watch my video tutorial here, or read on for written instructions!

Why Make Tissue Paper Flowers?

How did I come to love tissue paper flowers so much? Our budget was a little lopsided for our wedding. We knew we wanted great food and a fantastic photographer—which left approximately no dollars for table decorations. I’d thought about making fabric flowers for the centerpieces, but then I realized that fabric isn’t cheap either.

A while back, I bought some paper pompoms to decorate my friend’s daughter’s birthday party. I realized they are not hard to make, so I decided that “rivers of flowers” would decorate the centers of our long 8′ tables. I was able to get a good price on the paper through a wholesaler (learn more about buying tissue paper in bulk). Which was good, because I needed 500 flowers in two different sizes.

While it seemed kind of crazy to make 500 tissue paper flowers, it actually wasn’t too difficult. I had the help of many of my family and friends, who came over and helped me fluff all the flowers. They turned out beautifully and I got so many compliments on the decor at the wedding. A bunch of friends took them home after the big day to use at other parties they were throwing.

I’ve also had other friends who have bought tissue paper flowers and just fluffed them for their event!

How to Prepare Paper Flowers

It’s important to make sure your tissue paper flowers are all fluffed before your event! There will be way too many to fluff the day of, and it will just stress you out. I had a giant box with a variety of flowers in each for each table. That way my coordinator and her team could just open each box and pop the already-fluffed paper flowers on the table.

Want to make some of your own? Here’s a tutorial on how to make tissue paper flowers!

What Supplies Do I Need for Tissue Paper Flowers?

It doesn’t take much to make these flowers! All you need is:

• Tissue paper
• Rotary cutter, acrylic ruler, and self-healing cutting mat (or scissors)
• Stapler

How to Make Tissue Paper Flowers

Start with two large sheets of tissue paper. I bought bulk tissue paper so it only has two vertical folds, but using regular tissue paper with more folds works too.

Fold the two tissue paper sheets in half.

Then, fold in half again.

Find the corner with all of the separate pieces of paper (not one with a fold). Take this corner and fold it to the bottom edge to make a triangle.

Trim off the extra rectangle of paper. Scissors work if you’re just making a few, but I really found my rotary cutter, ruler, and self-healing cutting mat were optimal for making a lot of tissue paper flowers.

When you open up the triangle to make a square, you’ll notice that some edges still have a fold. Trim off that edge using a rotary cutter, or slip the scissors into the fold and cut to separate all the pieces of paper. Basically, you want eight individual squares.

Fold the paper, accordion style. I usually ended up with six or seven folds.

Staple the accordion in the center.

Trim each edge to create the “flower petals.” See below to find other ways of cutting the ends of each flower to create a different look.

Carefully start to separate the layers of the flower. Pull from the inside of each layer, as opposed to out on each edge. This will help keep the flowers from tearing. To be honest, we ripped a lot of petals but there are so many on each flower that it wasn’t noticeable. Keep fluffing the layers until you have half the flower.

And then fluff the other side! Voila! You’ve made a paper flower!

How to Make Small Tissue Paper Flowers

If you want to make smaller paper flowers, cut down the size of your squares. Then use this guide to know how many sheets of tissue paper to use:

• 12″ wide and up — 8 layers
• 8″ – 11″ — 6 layers
• 4″ – 7″ — 5 layers
• Smaller than 4″ — 4 layers

Tissue Paper Petal Options

I ended up cutting four different styles of flowers—here’s how I accomplished each look:

1. Cutting a rounded petal
2. Cutting fringe
3. Cutting a pointed petal
4. Cutting an inverted rounded petal

Pretty fabulous and not difficult! Perfect for the bride (or bridal or baby shower planner!) who wants to save a bit of money but still make an impact. Ever since the wedding, this paper flower DIY has been my go-to for almost any party I’m throwing.

Tissue Paper Flower Styles

Take your tissue paper flowers to the next level! You can make these paper flowers using three different colors of tissue paper to make a Tri-Color Tissue Paper Flower. I also have tutorials on How to Make Tissue Paper Peonies and How to Make Tissue Paper Sunflowers, which are perfect if you have a specific theme. Want even more ideas? Check out my round up of The Best Paper Flower Ideas!

If you have less time than money, you can always buy your paper flowers as well. I have a whole post of The Best Places to Buy Tissue Paper Flowers.

Print

HOW TO MAKE TISSUE PAPER FLOWERS FOUR WAYS

Tissue paper flowers make a gorgeous event decor with a big impact—think weddings, baby showers, bridal showers and more! Learn how to make easy tissue paper flowers, as well as different methods for cutting the petals to create four unique styles.

Keyword Paper Flowers, Tissue Paper

Author Cori George

Equipment

• Self-healing cutting mat
• Scissors
• Acrylic Ruler
• Rotary cutter
• Stapler

Ingredients

• Tissue paper

Instructions

• Start with two large sheets of tissue paper.
  
• Fold the two tissue paper sheets in half.
  
• Then, fold in half again.
  
• Find the corner with all of the separate pieces of paper (not one with a fold). Take this corner and fold it to the bottom edge to make a triangle.
  
• Trim off the extra rectangle of paper. Scissors work if you're just making a few, but found that a rotary cutter, ruler, and self-healing cutting mat were optimal for making a lot of tissue paper flowers.
  
• When you open up the triangle to make a square, you'll notice that some edges still have a fold. Trim off that edge using a rotary cutter, or slip the scissors into the fold and cut to separate all the pieces of paper. Basically, you want eight individual squares.
  
• Fold the paper, accordion style. Usually ended up with six or seven folds.
  
• Staple the accordion in the center.
  
• Trim each edge to create the "flower petals." See below to find other ways of cutting the ends of each flower to create a different look.
  
• Carefully start to separate the layers of the flower. Pull from the inside of each layer, as opposed to out on each edge. This will help keep the flowers from tearing. To be honest, we ripped a lot of petals but there are so many on each flower that it wasn't noticeable. Keep fluffing the layers until you have half the flower.
  
• And then fluff the other side! Voila! You've made a paper flower!
  
• How to Make Small Tissue Paper Flowers

  If you want to make smaller paper flowers, cut down the size of your squares. Then use this guide to know how many sheets of tissue paper to use:

  12" wide and up — 8 layers

  8" – 11" — 6 layers

  4" – 7" — 5 layers

  Smaller than 4" — 4 layers
• Tissue Paper Petal Options

  This project ended up cutting four different styles of flowers—here's how each look was accomplished

  1. Cutting a rounded petal

  2. Cutting fringe

  3. Cutting a pointed petal

  4. Cutting an inverted rounded petal
  

The post How to Make Tissue Paper Flowers Four Ways appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

Let’s make some flower pinwheels! They are more unique than traditional pinwheels, echoing the delicate petals of a flower or the wings of a butterfly. These are perfect for weddings, summer parties, baby showers, and all sorts of other decor.

And because they are cut in one single piece using your Cricut or other cutting machine, they are easy to make! I also included a few leaf files, if you’d like to add those to your dowel.

Cut them in a variety of colors to create a beautiful garden of flower paper pinwheels. I used my favorite Bazzill card stock, but I think these could also be beautiful in patterned paper too! Just make sure that your paper is double-sided, since you’ll see both sides of your paper when these pinwheels are finished.

Flower Paper Pinwheels Supplies

• Colored card stock (if you are cutting these smaller than 12×12, you might want to go with a lighter-weight paper so it doesn’t crease when you bend it.)
• Small brads
• Wooden dowels
• Hot glue gun
• Cricut Explore 3 or other cutting machine
• The SVG file (download using the box below)

Flower Paper Pinwheels Instructions

These paper pinwheels are designed to be cut on a Cricut or other cutting machine that takes SVG or DXF files.

Cut out your pinwheel in whatever colors you choose. The file itself looks like this:

Carefully bring the holes along the outside edge (one on each petal) toward the center hole. Thread a brad through all six holes (including the center hole last) and open the clasp so the whole pinwheel holds together. Then glue the wooden dowel on the back to complete each pinwheel. I really like my Elmer’s glue gun and “Less Mess” hot glue. Makes using a glue gun so much easier when you’re not dealing with the strings!

You can also add two leaves using the hot glue if you like! I love how these look—and they are super easy to make!

These are just decorative (they don’t spin), though you can make them spin using my spinning pinwheel tutorial!

Print

DIY FLOWER PAPER PINWHEELS

Flower paper pinwheels are beautiful for wedding and party decor, summer parties, and nursery decorations. Echoing butterflies and a little fancier than traditional pinwheels, they can easily be made using you Cricut or other cutting machine!

Keyword Flowers, Pinwheels

Author Cori George

Equipment

• Cricut Maker 3 or
• Cricut Maker or
• Cricut Explore 3 or
• Cricut Explore Air 2
• Hot glue gun and glue

Ingredients

• Colored card stock
• Small brads
• Wooden dowels
• Free Flower Paper Pinwheels File #C129

Instructions

• Cut out your pinwheel in whatever colors you choose. The file itself looks like this picture.
  
• Carefully bring the holes along the outside edge (one on each petal) toward the center hole. Thread a brad through all six holes (including the center hole last) and open the clasp so the whole pinwheel holds together. Then glue the wooden dowel on the back to complete each pinwheel.
  
• You can also add two leaves using the hot glue if you like!
  

The post DIY Flower Paper Pinwheels appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.