Painted Paper Flowers

Bring modern elegance into your home by crafting your own painted crepe paper flowers! Our paper flower, inspired by the poppy, is perfect for home decor, special events, or simply brightening up a room. By painting white crepe paper with Chroma Craft Colors, you can customize the color for any occasion. In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the process of creating a gorgeous crepe paper poppy, step by step.

• White heavyweight crepe paper
• Floral wire
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun
• Small foam ball (for the center)
• Floral tape (optional)
• Chroma Craft Colors – Fuchsia, Queen Bee, Wasabi, Four-Leaf Clover
• Note – Not all craft colors are the same! Chroma Craft Colors are a lightfast, quality craft acrylic, and has the ability to “stretch” with the crepe paper without cracking.

Step 1: Prepare Your Petals

1. Cut the Crepe Paper – First, cut about 8-10 petal shapes from the white crepe paper. Our petals are rounded and a bit irregular, so they don’t need to be perfect. Each petal should be about 2 to 3 inches tall.
2. Paint the Petals – We used Chroma Craft Colors in Fuchsia and Queen Bee to paint the paper. We used water to thin, which is something we wouldn’t typically suggest, but we wanted the paint to flow easily on the ridged paper. It’s okay if the paper isn’t evenly coated – a bit of variation will make the petal look better! Paint both sides – the back should be lighter, so don’t use as much paint. Let dry.
3. Stretch the Petals – To give your petals a more realistic look, gently stretch the crepe paper along the top edges of each petal. This will create a soft curve, mimicking the natural shape of real petals.
4. Shape the Petals – To give the petals more dimension, twist the base of each petal slightly to create a slight fold. This will add texture and volume to your finished flower.

Step 2: Create and Wrap the Stamen

1. Paint the Stamen Strips – Cut a crepe paper strip about 4-5″ long and 1″ wide. Paint using Chroma Craft Colors Wasabi on the bottom and Queen Bee along the top, thinning as necessary. Let dry.
2. Cut the Strips – Use scissors to fringe one side of the strip, cutting about halfway down to create thin stamen-like threads.
3. Wrap the Stamen Around the Center – Paint a small strip with Four-Leaf Clover. Take a small foam ball, wrap it with the green crepe paper, and secure it with hot glue. Then, wrap the fringed Wasibi/Queen Bee strip around the base of the center ball, gluing it in place as you go. The yellow fringe should extend outward, resembling the stamen. You can trim the stamen pieces to adjust the length and shape as needed.
4. Attach the Stamen to the Stem – Insert a wire into the base of the foam ball (now covered in stamen), securing the wire with hot glue if necessary. This will serve as the stem for your flower.

Step 3: Assemble the Flower

1. Attach the Petals – Begin attaching the smaller petals around the stamen center, using hot glue. As you work your way outward, use larger petals and overlap them slightly to create a full, rounded flower.
2. Layer for Volume – Continue layering petals until you achieve the desired fullness. Adjust and curl the petals to make the flower look more natural.

Step 4: Add the Stem and Leaves

1. Cut and Paint the Stem – Cut a strip about 12-14″ long and 1″ wide. Paint one side with Four-Leaf Clover. Let dry.
2. Wrap the Stem – Wrap the wire with the green painted crepe paper from the base of the flower down to the end of the stem.
3. Make the Leaves – Cut long, pointed leaves from green-painted crepe paper. Add floral wire to the back of each leaf for support, and attach them to the stem with the glue gun. Position the leaves as desired. Wrap with green painted crepe paper to cover.
4. Optional – If you don’t want to wrap your wire, use green floral tape instead

Step 5: Final Touches

• Fluff the Flower – Adjust the petals by fluffing and shaping them to give your poppy a more open, full appearance. You can even gently ruffle the edges for added texture.
• Display – Your beautiful crepe paper poppy is ready to be displayed! Place it in a vase, use it as part of a larger floral arrangement, or even attach it to a gift or piece of decor for a personalized touch.

Tips for Success:

• Choose High-Quality Crepe Paper – Using high-quality, thicker crepe paper will give your peony a more lifelike texture and appearance. We used an Italian 180 gram crepe paper for this project.
• Experiment with Colors – While poppies are often red or orange, they also come in other shades like coral, pink, yellow and even blue. Feel free to experiment with different colors and paint the crepe paper to create unique variations. Click here to see all 72 lightfast Chroma Craft Colors!
• Patience is Key – Take your time assembling the petals and shaping the flower to get the best result. Don’t rush the process—it’s all part of the fun!

Now that you know how to make a crepe paper poppy, you can create an entire bouquet of these beautiful, handmade flowers. Whether for a special occasion or as a year-round decoration, these paper flowers will add a touch of elegance to any space.

Happy crafting!