Origami flowers are the perfect solution when using real flowers is not desirable. They last much longer than real flowers and are a unique alternative to silk faux flowers that often gather dust.
Flower Choices
Roses are a popular choice for people who want to create flowers using origami techniques. While they are a beautiful and common design, remember that origami is only limited to your imagination and folding skills. Choose to make different flower varieties from origami, like:
- Tulips
- Lilies
- Cherry blossoms
- Carnations
- Lotuses
Making the flower head is perfect for placing on mantels and desktops, but you may want to add some leaves and stems if you plan to make an origami flower bouquet.
Origami Papers
Before folding an origami flower, choose your paper carefully. Papers with small printed patterns can be too busy if you are making a complicated design or plan to put the flower in a bouquet. Papers with pastel rainbow effects or fading can look stunning in a flower figure. Experiment with different colors and paper designs to create pretty origami flowers for a gift or home decoration.
Paper is not the only medium for making flowers. Try using fabric origami techniques to make a small bud. Add a barrette or pin to create a nice hairpiece or broach. Delight your visitors with a pretty towel origami flower when they walk into the guest bathroom. Pay the babysitter with some dollar bill origami flowers for a special treat on her birthday or Valentine's Day.
Flower Folding Instructions
Flower diagrams are available in origami books; you can also learn origami by taking classes. Look online to find videos and diagrams to make origami flowers:
- Origami-Instructions.com has instructions for an easy sunflower, tulip and rose. More intermediate designs, like the lily and lotus, are also available.
- Easy Peasy and Fun shows how to make tulips.
- Origami-Fun has instructions for a rose and lily, along with a basic stem, flower and blossom.
- Oriland's Plant section offers flower designs like the bellflower and jasmine. Learn to make modular flowers and two kinds of leaves, also.
- Martha Stewart has a video that shows how to make a beautiful origami poppies.
Origami Flower Uses
Flowers are a stunning addition to any home decoration scheme. Make them in black and white for a mod look or make them in red, blue and yellow for a child's playroom. Choose appropriate flowers, like roses at a wedding or sunflowers on an enclosed porch. Use your folded flowers in the following situations:
- Weddings: Attach matching flowers to programs, menus or favor boxes. Put them in vases for fuss-free centerpiece decorations. Create hand-held bouquets and boutonnieres with paper flowers.
- Wall Decorations: Pin or glue flowers to a piece of fabric in a shadow box. Fill a hanging pot with origami flowers instead if live flowers that need attention.
- Table Décor: Place a single flower head on a mirror inside a china hutch or bookcase. Make flowers in holiday colors and swap them out for easy holiday decorating. Fill a small basket with your flowers for a coffee table piece.
- Gifts: Glue a flower head to the top of a gift instead of using a bow. Ship gifts and use flowers as the packing peanuts instead of the Styrofoam kind.
