Tissue Paper Flowers are simple, quick, and inexpensive. They are a thoughtful hand made gift that is easy to customize, looks beautiful, and can last a long time. You can whip up a dozen flowers in about an hour. It's a perfect gift or decoration for Valentine's Day!

To get started you'll probably have most of these items already laying around your house, if not you can find everything you need at your local $1 Store or Craft Store. This is what you need to make one dozen tissue paper flowers. One piece of tissue paper makes one flower. It's easiest to make the flowers in multiples of three. Adjust what you need based on how many flowers you want to make.

You'll Need:
12 Sheets of Tissue Paper (20"x26" or 20"x30")
12 Pipe Cleaners or other Flexible Wire
Scissors
A Vase

Optional:
Ribbon to decorate the Vase
Scotch Tape to attach the Ribbon to the Vase
A Ruler or Measuring Tape

Step 1: Prep Your Paper

Lay three sheets of unfolded tissue paper down on a flat surface. Stacking them on top pf each other.

Step 2: Fold Your Paper

Place the tissue paper stack in front of you portrait style. Take the bottom edge and fold in over one inch. Then flip it over and fold it back on the other side. Continue folding your way up the paper one inch at a time.

When you are done folding your tissue paper stack should look like an accordion.

Step 3: Make Your Flowers

Fold that accordion in half and fold an inch and a half of a pipe cleaner around it. Then twist the pipe cleaner together to secure the flower to the stem.

Take two more pipe cleaners and attach them the same way, on each side, about 6-7 inches away from the center. The paper color at the top of the pipe cleaner will be your center color and the color at the base of the stem will be your bottom color. By placing the pipe cleaners in different directions you'll get opposite color combinations for your flowers. If you position your pipe cleaners all in the same direction your flowers will all be identical.

Cut the paper into three equal sized pieces (about 6-7 inches long), the pipe cleaners should be in the center of each of the pieces. Adjust your pipe cleaners if necessary.

Cut rounded edges on each end of your three flowers. You'll probably need to trim the outer edges a bit more than the inner edges to even them out. Catch paper trimmings in the bottom of the vase for decorative confetti.

This is a great stopping point, if you want to prep all your tissue paper up to this point in advance. After this point your tissue paper flowers will take up more space and be more fragile.

Step 4: Fluff and Finish Your Flowers!

While holding your stem (pipe cleaner), gently open up the flower accordion and begin pulling the top layer straight up all the way around the flower. Be careful not to rip the delicate paper. You usually can't tell if it's been ripped.

Separate the other two layers by pulling the middle layer straight up toward the top layer, while pulling the bottom layer straight down.

Finally, flip the flower upside down and gently run you fingers from the center stem to the edge applying gentle pressure, pressing the bottom layer down toward the middle layer.

Step 5: Arrange Your Flowers!

For the first layer slightly bend your flower stems into the vase so your flowers are facing outward. Do the same with the second layer. For the top slide one to three more flowers on to the top. Adjust your flowers as necessary till you are happy with your arrangement(s).

*If using ribbon it to decorate your vase. Cut a strip of ribbon and use double sided scotch tape to secure it to the vase.

Have fun making your flowers! Play with different color combinations. Reds and pinks are great for Valentine's Day. You could also use one yellow for the center and two white sheets to make Daisies. Use yellow and brown to make Sunflowers. The possibilities are endless!

Contact me if you have any questions.