Mexican Tissue Flowers 

Mexican Tissue Flowers 

Bright and long-lasting—Mexican tissue paper flowers add sunshine to indoor parties, outdoor buffets or your bedside table.
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Change the colors to fall goldens and winter whites, and you can enjoy these flowers all year long. Plus, the folding technique is so simple that this makes a fun craft to enjoy with a child. Decorate the leaves with colorful felt-tip pens, or lightly spray the finished flower with your favorite cologne or perfume. Fill a vase with multicolored blooms, lay one at each place setting as a take-home favor or use one instead of a bow to decorate a Mother's Day gift. The handmade token will be truly appreciated.

Materials (for one flower) 

  • 4 sheets pink tissue paper, 6" x 12" each
  • 4 sheets lime green tissue paper, 6" x 12" each
  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Green pipe cleaner
  • Color marker (if desired)
  • Spray perfume or cologne (if desired)

Instructions 

image 1 image 2 image 3 image 4
step 1Cut the pink tissue paper into 6" x 12" rectangles and stack in a pile of four sheets.
step 2Keeping the pile together, fold the sheets along the 6" side, making 1" folds back and forth, like a fan. When you are finished, the folded tissue paper should be a rectangle measuring 1" x 6".
step 3Round the four corners off by cutting with a scissors.
step 4Fold the long edge of the pile in half so that it measures 1" x 3". Using the scissors, carefully make 2 diagonal cuts at the fold, each 1/4" from the edge, approximately 1/2" in length. (Note: be careful that you do not cut the folded tissue paper in half.) Open the fold back to its 1" x 6" shape. The shape should now resemble a bow tie.
step 5Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the lime green tissue paper. Instead of step 3 (rounding off the corners), cut three sets of diagonal notches on both ends so that each side appears like a fork.
step 6Repeat step 4 with the lime green tissue paper.
step 7Fold a green pipe cleaner in half. Then place the folded pink tissue paper on top of lime green tissue paper and fasten together with the folded pipe cleaner. Squeeze the tissue paper in the middle and twist the pipe cleaner around to tightly secure the flower. This step also creates the stem of the flower.
step 8With extreme care, fan out the pink paper on both sides of the pipe cleaner. (Be extra gentle: you do not want to rip the delicate tissue paper!) Slowly separate each of the four pink sheets, gathering each one toward the center. Behold your flower!
step 9To create the leaves, fan out both sides of the lime green paper, but don't separate the sheets as you did with the pink paper. You want to leave the leaves thicker.
step 10Gently shape with your hands until you achieve your desired form.
step 11For a delicate scented effect, spray your favorite perfume or cologne in the air and then waft your flower through it. (Be careful not to spray directly on the paper as doing that may make it wet.)

comments (29)
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recent comments
6/29/2010 , 
ana  n.
i was trying to find ideas to decorate my four year olds room she will love this we will make a bunch and string them up in her room :)thank you
6/18/2010 , 
Irene  D.
HOW COOL! I had totally forgotten about tissue paper flowers. I used to LOVe making them as a kid! I'll be diving into the tissue paper stash this weekend!
6/13/2010 , 
Deb  S.
Thanks for refreshing my memory. Seems like yesterday when we made 100's of these to decorate our cars for High School Class Day! They will brighten my son's high school graduation party and send off to college (school colors of course!)

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