How to Make Paper Flowers | Pink Peony

Paper flowers are a beautiful way to create long-lasting bouquets for home décor, gifts, or special occasions. They are made from a few simple materials, so you don't need a large collection of craft supplies to make them.

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to make paper peony flowers in five easy steps. Once you learn the process, you can create an entire bouquet or experiment with other types of flowers. You can also check out our guide on how to make paper daisy flowers to learn another style.

Let’s get started.

Materials Needed to Make Paper Flowers

Before you begin, gather the following materials to make your paper peony flowers:

• Pink cardstock paper for petals
  

• Green cardstock for the starburst center and leaf stem cover
  

• Floral wire for stems
  

• Yellow pom-poms for the flower center

• Glue (hot glue or craft glue works best)
  

• Scissors (or a die cutter or CriCut if you have one)
  

• Pencil or bone folder to curl the paper

• Hole punch for the stem base layer
  

• Artificial stem covering, paper tube, or straw (optional) 

Step 1: Cut Your Petal Layers and Centers

Start by cutting the petal shapes for your flower. Each layer should have about six wide petals, and each flower will use five layers total: three large and two small. You can do this with scissors, a die cutting machine, or a CriCut. 

Next, cut the leaf layers that will be used to cover the wire stem. You’ll need two pieces to sandwich the floral wire in between (don’t worry—we’ll walk through that later). These layers should mimic the shape of the pink petals but be much smaller. Use a hole punch to create a hole in the center of one of the green leaf layers.

Finally, cut your starburst center. Start by cutting a small circle, then trim small triangles around the edges to create a starburst shape.

Step 2: Curl the Petals

Next, give all the pink petals some dimension by curling them. (This is the same technique used to curl ribbon with scissors.) Hold a pencil or bone folder in one hand and grip a petal near its base with the other. Press the tool against the petal and slide it along the paper while gripping firmly to create a curl. Repeat this process for each petal on every layer. 

You can curl the petals more or less depending on how open you want the flower to look. Go over each petal a few times until you achieve your desired shape. 

Step 3: Glue and Attach the Petals

Now it’s time to assemble the flower. You can use hot glue, craft glue, or a glue stick—whatever you have on hand.

Start by gluing together the three large petal layers, stacking them one at a time and staggering the petals so they don’t line up directly on top of each other.

Next, attach one small petal layer on top of the stack. Once these layers are dry, flip the flower upside down so the curved petals face downward.

Finally, attach the last small petal layer to the bottom of the flower so it curves in the opposite direction. This makes the flower look more full and realistic. 

Step 4: Create the Stem

To make a stem, take a piece of floral wire and fold it in half. Then bend the top ½ inch to create a small flat “bed” for the flower to rest on.

Take the green leaf layer with the hole in the center and slide it onto the wire. Once it reaches the flat bed at the top, apply glue and place the second green leaf layer on top, sandwiching the floral wire in between. 

Next, glue the bottom of the flower to the top green leaf layer. 

For a more realistic finish, slide an artificial stem covering, paper tube, or straw over the wire to thicken the stem. You can also wrap the wire with floral tape.

Step 5: Create the Flower Center

Take the small starburst-shaped paper and glue it to the center of the flower. Then attach a yellow pom-pom on top of the starburst.

Your Paper Flower Is Complete!

 

Want an Easier Way to Make Paper Flowers?

Check out the Gathered Blooms Craft Kit from Crafted by Concord & 9th.

This kit includes pre-cut petals and all the materials needed to create a bouquet of 12 paper flowers (5 peonies and 7 daisies), plus a beautiful champagne-finish vase.

It’s beginner-friendly, and perfect for anyone who wants to skip the prep work and jump straight into the fun of making. Watch the tutorial video here.