Tissue Paper Flowers

April showers bring May flowers.  Get crafty and create your own tissue paper flowers to decorate around your house or for your next party.  The instructions listed below show just how easy this activity can be.

Materials:

• 3 Sheets of Tissue Paper (20\”x26\” or 20\”x30\”)
• 3 Pipe Cleaners or other Flexible Wire
• Scissors

Optional:

• A Ruler or Measuring Tape
• Ribbon to decorate the Vase
• Scotch Tape/Glue to attach the Ribbon to the Vase
• A Vase

Prepare you tissue paper in layers of three unfolded sheets flat on a surface. Stacking them on top of each other. Place the tissue paper in front of you horizontally.

Fold-in the bottom edge one inch.

Then flip it over and fold it back on the other side. Continue folding your way up the paper one inch at a time creating an accordion-like look.

Fold that accordion into three.

Place a pipe cleaner in the middle of each third. Position your pipe cleaners in different directions so all your flowers will not be identical. The colors will alternative with the varying direction of the fold of the tissue paper.

Twist the pipe cleaner around the tissue paper to secure the flower to the stem.

Cut the tissue paper along the folds you originally made.

Round the edges on each end of your three flowers. You\’ll probably need to trim the outer edges a bit more than the inner edges to even them out. It is optional to save and collect paper trimmings to add as a decorative confetti in the bottom of a vase.

At this point your tissue paper flowers will take up more space and be more fragile. When holding your pip cleaner (stem), gently open up the accordion (flower) and begin pulling the top layer straight up all the way around the flower. If the flower does not stay open, you can use glue to hold the edges of the flower together. Be careful not to rip the paper.

Separate the other two layers by pulling the middle layer straight up toward the top layer, while pulling the bottom layer straight down.

Finally, flip the flower upside down and gently move the stem to the edge applying gentle pressure, pressing the bottom layer down toward the middle layer.

If you want something different, add a fun tissue paper pattern in your flower.

For your next birthday party, buy balloon print tissue paper instead of buying balloons. Surprise all your guest with these creative decorations and party favors.

Share your spring flowers with us on Instagram or Facebook with hashtag: #liliguanafun

Happy Planting!