DIY Origami Flowers

If you’re looking for something a little bit different for table decoration and therapeutically hands-on in preparation for the big day, why not try DIY Origami Flowers? Whether it’s enlisting your mum, or rounding up your friends for one last hurrah(without too much hurrah), paper flowers can end up being used to add colour and excitement and at the fraction of a cost of traditional flower arrangements.

We’ve chosen our favourite origami flower and carefully plotted out the instructions.

TULIPS

1. Placing the coloured or patterned side up, fold the square in half, then in half again, as shown in the diagram. Crease well and then open out.
2. Turn the paper over so the plain side is facing upwards. Fold diagonally in half in both directions. Crease well and then open out.
3. With the plain side facing upwards, bring the two centre fold edges to the other centre fold, as shown in the diagram. Flatten the paper and stand with the loose edges flat.
4. Now, fold the bottom corners of the front flaps up to the top corner. Turnover and repeat on the other side.
5. Turn the front flap to the left, like turning the pages of a book. Repeat on the other side.
6. Flatten again and, now, move the upper edges of the folds towards each other and tuck one flap into the other for each of the edges.
7. Flatten and make sure the distances between A and B are equal.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 on the back of the model.
9. Blow into the base of the tulip to inflate the body of the flower.
10. Peel down each petal to expose the bulb in the centre.

And there, you have a DIY Origami Flower.

For a simple stem you can use silver wire, or try your hand at a green origami stem.

STEM

1. With the uncoloured page facing upwards, crease your paper in half, diagonally.
2. Fold your paper out and fold the corners into the diagonal crease.
3. Keep these folds and fold the upper edges into the centre fold.
4. Repeat another fold of this edge into the centre.
5. Fold your paper in half lengthways.
6. Fold your paper in half widthways.
7. Peel the outer piece of paper, or leaf, from the stem and reverse the centre fold to give your leaf shape.

To attach the stem to the flower, the tip of the stem should insert into the base of your flower or use wire through the centre to create stability.

We’ve had some fun with the colours. Check out some more of our Favourite DIY Paper Flowers for inspiration.