Welcome to part 2 of this paper flower tutorial. Roses are probably the most popular flower. This paper variety is easy to make, and many of the steps are the same as the Water Lily we made in part 1. Let’s try this together.
Inspiration – Red Rose
Supplies
Supplies:
Construction Paper – 9” x 12” sheets in red & green
Stick Glue & Craft Glue
Scissors, Pencil & Ruler
Measure & Cut White Paper into a 9” x 9” Square
The original sheet size is 9” x 12”. Cut 3” off the length, making a 9” x 9” square.
Fold Paper in Half
Fold the paper in half and then fold it in half again, creating a smaller square.
Draw Guidelines
Draw an “X” from corner to corner across the square. Trace a 1” coin (I used a quarter) in the center of the square.
Petal Experiment #1:
Draw Flower Petals
Lightly draw one petal in each quadrant, narrowing toward the center of the flower as shown.
Cut Out the Flowers
Carefully cut out the flowers, for a total of four. In the photo above, the flowers are stacked one on top of the other with four petals each. Please save the paper scraps for a future step.
Create a Support Ring for the Petals
Cut a 9” long x 1/4″ high green strip to form a circle around the center of the flower. Glue the ring together using stick glue. Test-fit the first flower inside the ring. Upon doing this, I realized the petal shape would not work. This led to the next experiment.
Petal Experiment #2:
Reshape the Petals
Using scissors, round the ends of the petals, creating a four-leaf clover shape.
Test-Fit a Flower in the Support Ring
This new shape works well in forming the layers of the rose. On the right is a test-fit of the first flower inside the green support ring.
Glue the Ring to the Base
Using craft glue, attach the ring to the base flower.
Glue First Layer Inside Ring
Add craft glue to the center of the ring and push the flower down inside it. Turn the flower so the petals do not overlap.
Conceal Support Ring at Base of Flower
Bend each of the four bottom petals up to cover the support ring. Glue in place with craft glue. After they dry, adjust petals as desired.
Top View of Rose in Progress
The petals form a pretty frame around the center of the flower.
Create the Flower Center
Create the center of the rose, shown on right, by bending the petals upward around the center, using a rubber band to temporarily hold its shape. Adjust the interior petals as needed for desired appearance. Most roses have a spiral center. Glue the petals together so they will stay in place after the rubber band is removed.
Test-Fit Flower Center
Set the new flower center in place and apply craft glue to the bottom. Allow glue to dry and then carefully remove rubber band.
Progress Photo
Just to recap, this rose now consists of three layers – bottom, middle, and center. We still need petals to fill in around the center, and some at the base.
Use the Last Flower
Glue the last flower to the bottom of the rose. Be sure to turn the flower so the petals will not overlap with the previous layer.
Leftover Paper Scraps
These paper scraps are leftovers from cutting the roses.
Round the Ends
Stack the four pieces on top of each other and then round both ends. Cut them in half for a total of eight petals, which we will use to fill in the center of the rose. The rounded ends are the tops of each petal.
Complete Flower
Add a little craft glue to the bottom of each petal and insert each around the central flower core. This completes the red portion of the rose. Now we need a few leaves.
Creating the Leaves:
Inspiration – Red Rose with Leaves
We are going to make the small leaves, which wrap the rosebud before it opens.
Draw Guidelines
Measure 1/2″ x 9” long strips and draw guidelines on green paper.
Accordion Fold the Paper
Simply fold the paper accordion-style to create three layers of paper.
Draw the Leaves
Draw a long, pointed leaf on half the folded green construction paper, as shown above. Fold the paper in half again and cut out the leaves for a total of six.
Fold the Leaves
Fold each leaf lengthwise and then bend approximately 1/2″ of the bottom to attach to the underside of the rose.
Glue on the Leaves
Using craft glue, attach each leaf creating a star pattern on the bottom of the rose.
The Completed Paper Rose
This completes our project, a bold and beautiful rose. You can place these on a table or attach them to a wall. If desired, you can paint skewers green and glue one to the bottom of each rose to create a lovely bouquet, which never needs watering. I hope you enjoyed learning how to make paper flowers and will give it a try. Good Luck!
In case you missed it, here’s a link to part 1, Paper Flowers: Water Lilies.
Thanks for Reading & Happy Crafting!
