How to Make Mexican Paper Flowers

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: June 1, 2021 Approved

Mexican paper flowers are decorations made from crepe paper or tissue paper. These are cheap and easy to make, perfect for children's craft projects and party favors.

Steps

1
Roll green paper into a stem. Lay out a sheet of green tissue paper. Pick up one corner and roll it into a tight cylinder. Continue rolling, pressing down the paper to keep it as tight as possible. Now you have the stem for your flower.
2
Tape the stem. Wrap a small piece of tape around the final corner of the paper "stem."

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3
Stack four sheets of tissue paper or crepe paper. This looks best with paper in two or three bright colors. Cut the paper to 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 in) for a medium–large flower, or try out other sizes.
4
Fold the stack accordion-style. Starting from a short side, fold the stack of paper over about 2.5 cm (1 inch). Crease the paper, flip the stack over, and fold it again in the other direction. Keep folding in alternate directions, as though you were making a paper fan. Continue until the entire stack forms an accordion fold.
- Optionally, trim the ends into a point, rounded end, or V-shaped notch. These effects create a flower with distinct petals, instead of a fluffy carnation. You can even make a second layer in green paper, cutting it into sharp points to form leaves.
- If you are using paper much smaller or larger than the size mentioned above, adjust the size of the fold to match.
5
Crease the center of the paper. Keep the paper in a 1-inch wide stack. Fold it in half so the two ends meet. Crease it to mark the center, then unfold it again.
6
Tape the stem around the center. Place the stem against the crease mark. Fold it over the paper so it touches itself on the other side. Secure the stem with tape.
- Tie a ribbon or wire around this instead if you want to hang the flower. Cut two small notched at the center first to secure it.^{[1]
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7
Fan out the accordion folds. Gently separate the layers of tissue paper. Spread them out on all sides to form a round flower.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I use just two sheets of tissue paper?

Brightfire

Community Answer

You can use as many or as little as you want. The more you use, the fuller the flower.