What’s your mom’s favorite flower? Make a beautiful homemade flower (or whole bouquet!) for her this Mother’s Day. Research shows that flowers can help us feel happier, more energized and more compassionate toward others. Flowers also differ in several ways: in the colors we see, the scents we smell and even the way they feel on our fingers.
What do you want your mom to think of when you give her your flower? How do you want her to feel? What colors, scents or textures do you think will help her to think and feel that way? Use materials at home to make all sorts of colorful paper flowers to show mom how much you love her.
Supplies
- Tissue paper
- Printer or construction paper
- Origami paper (optional)
- 3 ”flower” stems (examples: stick, straw, rolled paper tube).
- Scissors
- Glue
- Tape
- String or stapler
- Scent to add to flower (optional)
Instructions
DAISY
Step 1: Cut an 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper in half the long way.
Step 2: Fold about an inch of the paper up and crease. This will be the line you cut up to.
Step 3: Leaving the shorter length of paper as a base for the flower, cut equally spaced strips up to the crease. This should create a single piece of paper with many even flaps on one end. These are the petals.
Step 4: Place your stem at one end of the flower’s base, with petals pointing upwards. Keep the paper as straight as you can and begin rolling to wrap the petals around the stem. Glue or tape the end to secure.
Step 5: Curl the petals outwards with your fingers to finish!
PEONY
Step 1: Stack 3 square sheets of tissue paper. Full sized sheets can be used, they will make a very large flower.
Step 2: Fold the sheets together like a paper fan, folding one direction and then the other until the sheets are a narrow strip.
Step 3: Staple or tie the middle of the strip to keep the pieces together.
Step 4: Use scissors to cut rounded edges on either edge of the strip.
Step 5: Fold the strip in half and hold it by the crease. Pull the sheets of paper apart to open up your flower, keeping the creased base in your fingers.
Step 6: Glue your stem to the base of the flower.
LILY
(As folded by origami artist and maker Michael LaFosse)
Step 1: Begin with a square piece of paper. Fold your square in half, corner to corner, crease and unfold. Repeat for the opposite corners and unfold. You should now see the center of the paper where the creases meet.
Step 2: Fold each corner of the square to the center and crease.
Step 3: Turn the folded square over and fold each new corner to the center.
Step 4: Turn the paper over again and fold the corners to the center one last time.
Step 5: Lift each point from the center and fold back so it partially overlaps the edge of the square.
Step 6: Turn the piece over and fold each flap back to create triangular petals.
Step 7: Lift the center-most flaps and fold back to create a second ring of triangular petals.
Step 8: The lily can be finished as is or glued to the top of a stem.
You can add scent to your finished flowers by spraying lightly with perfume, placing them in a box with tea or potpourri, dabbing a tiny bit of soap or lotion on a petal.
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