MAdrianne: How To Make Paper Flowers

There is something I love about making paper flowers. Maybe it is the total mindless simplicity of it. Or maybe it's the flashback to highschool when every year at homecoming time the classes would have "flower parties" to make thousands of flowers to cover our class homecoming parade float. At any rate, I love making them and I need something to add some pizazz to the centerpieces for a church event I am planning for Friday night, and decided these would do the job just perfect.

I started by taking a sheet of tissue paper and cutting it into four equal strips. The width of your strips will by the diameter of your flower. If you want bigger flowers, cut the paper into three instead of four strips, or whatever works for you. I then stacked four sheets on top of each other and accordian or fan folded them.

When finished, tie them in the middle with a piece of string and cut of the ends to form triangles.

Then carefully start seperating the layers, pulling towards the center. I was making one-sided flowers to set on a table, so I pulled each layer to the same center. If you want to hang them, I like to use a minimum of 6 sheets of paper and pull the first three to one side, then the next three to the other side so that they are rounded.

Here one-half of the flower is done. Now you need to pull up the layers on the opposite side, towards the same center.

And Voila! You have your flower. This one I made by mixing two colors of green. Others were all just one solid color. Personally, I've found I like them better if I don't mix overly contrasting colors, but play with them as you like! They are wonderful for decorating any kind of shower or party. A few months back I made big white ones and hung them from the trees with little glass jars with candles in them for my niece's birthday party and they looked magical.