Making tropical flowers out of paper takes only the most basic origami skills. There are a number of ways to make them, but origami is one of the simplest. You need very few supplies and can often make do with what you have on hand to create these beautiful flowers.

Steps

  1. Gather all of your materials: Consider starting with 6-inch-by-6-inch paper for origami flowers. You will also want a large, flat work surface. Stamping inks, markers or chalks can all be used to accent your tropical flowers.
  2. Fold paper in half: On the horizontal axis, color side in.
  3. Fold the top right corner down to meet the bottom edge. Then fold the bottom right corner up to meet the top edge, and unfold creating an “x.”

  4. Fold the bottom left corner: You want the corner to meet the center of the “x.” Do not unfold.
  5. Fold: The same corner out to the left outer edge.
  6. Fold: Turn up the bottom right corner so that it lines up with the fold from step 4, as pictured.
  7. Make a mountain fold: When you fold the paper away from itself. Do this along these two edges, as pictured.

  8. Cut: Trim the paper along the line shown below, and unfold completely.


  9. Re-crease: Fold the paper along the existing folds so that the center fold of each petal sticks out toward you, and the creases between the petals point downward.
  10. Petals: Starting with the top petal, fold the two adjoining petals in toward the center crease, and proceed to collapse all the petals.

  11. Mountain and Valley Folds: Folding the paper behind, away from itself, make mountain fold that runs parallel on one edge, and a valley fold (folding the paper forward, into itself) that runs parallel to the other edge.
  12. Gently open the paper: Coax down the creases where the petals overlap. Press down the center so the flower lays flat.
  13. Finished.

Tips

  • If desired, add detail with chalks, watercolor paints or markers.
  • Use full sheets of scrapbook paper for easy origami.
  • Use floral wire and tape to create stems for your paper flowers.