A fellow blogger and dear friend, Elvira, requested a post about making paper flowers. She wants to use them as dining table decorations as well as mementos for her guests to take home. This post teaches how to make paper Water Lilies and will be followed by a separate post on making paper Roses. Let’s try this together.

Inspiration – White Water Lily

Supplies

Supplies:
Construction Paper – 9” x 12” sheets in white, green & yellow
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 & Draw Guidelines

Fold the paper in half and then fold it in half again, creating a smaller square. Trace a 1” coin (I used a quarter) in the center of the square. Lightly draw four petals diagonally, extending from each corner to the center of the circle as shown.

Cut Out the Flowers

Carefully cut out the flowers, for a total of four. In the photo above, each flower has two separate layers, with four petals each.

Add First Layer to Base Flower

Place one flower on the table and then add another on top. Turn the flower so the petals do not overlap.

Add Second Layer to Base Flower

Place another flower on top, ensuring petals are spread out as shown.

Add Third Layer to Base Flower

Place the last flower on top. This allows you to see the fullness of the flower prior to assembling it. If you prefer, you could glue these together as is and skip down to the section describing how to create the flower center. I want the lily to have a strong three-dimensional presence, which is achieved in the following steps.

Create a Support Ring for the Petals

Cut a 9” long x 1/4″ high white strip to form a circle around the center of the flower. Glue the ring together using stick glue. Now use craft glue to 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.

Glue Second Layer Inside Ring

Glue the next flower inside the ring, ensuring the petals do not overlap with the previous layer.

Glue Third Layer Inside Ring

Glue the last flower inside the ring. You can crease some petals or curl them with your fingers.

View of Flower from Above

The petals form a pretty frame around the center of the flower.

Create the Flower Center

To create the flower center: cut a 9” long x 1” high strip of yellow paper. Cut triangles along the top, ensuring you do not cut the lower half. Accordion fold the strip.

Glue Yellow Center Inside Flower

Hold the accordion folded yellow strip in the center and adjust it to fill the space. Glue with craft glue. You will probably have to hold it until the glue begins to set.

Water Lily Against Green Background

Lilies and lily pads drift upon the surface of the water. Next, we will make a lily pad.

Inspiration – Lily Pad

Create a Lily Pad

Using a half-sheet of green construction paper, draw and then cut out a lily pad.

Water Lily on Lily Pad

Conceal Support Ring at Base of Flower

Bend each of the four bottom petals up to cover the support ring. Glue in place with stick glue. After they dry, adjust petals as desired.

Finished Lily Against Blue Background

A blue tablecloth creates the illusion of water.

Add Details to the Lily Pad

Using a green marker, add a small circle on the lily pad and contour lines extending out to the edges. Outline the perimeter too. Although it’s not necessary, you could add some creases to the lily pad to create even more dimension.

Water Lily on Finished Lily Pad

Completed Project

I hope you have enjoyed learning how to make paper water lilies. Your tablescape will be festive and your guests will be surprised by your creativity. These are easy to make and so much nicer than store-bought decorations. You could also use them as place cards by writing each guest’s name on the lily pads.

Thanks for Reading & Happy Crafting!