Crepe Paper Flower Tutorial

I like our staff to be able to hang out away from work, so I recently hosted a little fiesta at my house for the Lulus.  The countertops were piled high with mexican food and margarita glasses, but I found a little room for some simple decorations, which I made in about 2 minutes flat.  These crepe paper flowers are perfect for Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day Brunch, or any time you want to add a little pretty to your table - cheaply and quickly!  Want to make some of these crepe paper flowers with me?

Let's gather some supplies:
rolls of crepe paper, green pipe cleaners, scissors, and a pretty can.  All of the supplies are from the shop (direct links below the project) - and I bought the jar of salsa at the grocery store.

Cut a section of crepe paper about 4 inches wide.  Fold it into quarters lengthwise.  Now, cut out a scalloped circle shape from the 4 layers of crepe paper.  Nothing too precise!

Grab a pipe cleaner and bend one end toward itself to make a little stopper for the petals.

Begin to add your petals onto the stem - the tip of the pipe cleaner should easily pierce the paper, but if you have trouble, you can cut a little slit with your scissors.   Add petals to the stem as full circles, or you can change things up a bit - fold some into halves or quarters before placing them.  When you get towards to stop, form them into a shape you like.  The elasticity of the crepe paper allows them to scrunch nicely.  Add all four petals to your flower and arrange them around the stem.  They should stay in place on their own - especially once they're in a nice bunch.

Repeat until you have as many flowers as you'd like.  You can twist the stems together to make a little bunch or make a big bouquet.

Aren't they sweet?

source guide & credits

tutorial, photography: shop sweet lulu
featuring the lovely hands of Jena Selph

crepe paper (shown in peachy, fuchsia, and orange)
all purpose scissors
plush pipe cleaner assortment (shown in chameleon)