Mothers Day Flower Chrysanthemum: Paper Flower DIY

As promised, with Mothers Day just around the corner I thought I would give you a quick and easy Tutorial using coffee filters.  These are my take on the old fashion 'Mum' as they are known or the Chrysanthemum.

Materials and Tools

• Approximately 12 large coffee filter papers
• Floristry wire
• Parafilm (floristry tape explained here), green if you want the realistic stem, alternatively - use white
• Paper scissors for filters only
• Garden scissors or wire snips for the wire

First step is to cut your templates from the coffee filter papers, smooth them out with your hand then fold in half, quarter and again.  Depending on how thick you want your petals to be or what shape you want them in. 

Cut around the corners to shape your petal on all twelve filter papers.

Step two, make your petals:  Fold all filters out flat, leaving one aside for the base.  Take the remaining filter papers - make one petal at a time by folding the filter in half and then roll around to get your curved petal. 

Take a wire and lie it against the back base of your petal, giving one side a shorter tail. Pinch together and then wrap around.

It is a far easier way to manipulate the flower petals when constructing a flower rather than gluing your paper together.  The wires also form your stem so you don't have to use a stick.

 

Step three, once all your petals are made wrap the wire stems in parafilm.  Pull the tape from the roll and ease it gently onto the bottom of petal base to cover the wire, working your way half way down the stem, stretch and wrap as you go.

Step four, assemble flower - take one petal and put in the middle to use as your base (I used two filter papers to make a thicker inside petal), add the next four around then another layer until you have used all your petals. Squeeze stems of petals together as you go, the parafilm will make them stick to each other.

 

Trim stems to desired length with garden scissors or wire snips, then wrap the whole bunch of stems in parafilm to neaten.  This is where a florist would then bound the stems in ribbon to complete a wired 'bouquet', but for our paper flower we will add the backing petal. 

Take the last filter you set aside and cut a hole on the middle (easiest to snip when it is folded up ready to cut petal shapes). Poke the flower stem through the last filter paper and dab a few dots of glue.... (shhhh).... to the open filter so it sticks to the base of your petals and hides the mechanics. 

Ta daa!! You're done, give as a gift, make bigger or smaller, use cupcake wrappers for individual flowers (I would then use a 24 or 26 gauge wire), use them as a table centre, a gift topper, dye them... you're only limited by your imagination.  Enjoy!