How to make Giant Tissue Paper Flowers

Decorating for Spring is something I look forward to all Winter! Even though I love Summer with the hot weather, somehow Spring always seems to renew how I feel. The house gets a good cleaning, the fresh air and the beautiful flowers begin to bloom.

After making the Tissue Paper Flowers last year, and loving how they turned out, I knew I wanted to use them as inspiration for the Spring Mantel. But they needed to be bigger and better than before. Then I spotted the Giant Paper Flowers on Design Sponge and knew right away what I wanted to do.

It did take us some time to figure out how to make the Giant Tissue Paper Flowers, and they definitely are not a quick project. But the results are splendid…

And when I say Giant…they really are…

This tutorial will work for any size flower that you want to make, but ours stand about 8 foot tall, 7 foot tall and 4 foot tall.

Let’s gather our supplies…

Giant Tissue Paper Flowers Supplies

• Kraft Paper 
• Chicken Wire – we bought this at our local Tractor Supply store, you could also find it at a home improvement store (or Amazon of course!)
• Wire – 20 gauge – found in the floral supply area
• Tissue Paper – any color is fine – you will need 2 packages of green only, then at least 10 sheets of colored for EACH flower
• Tape – regular scotch tape is fine, I have floral tape in the photo, but found it didn’t work well
• Ready to use Concrete Mix– found at a home improvement store
• Glue – any kind
• Mod Podge – not shown
• Sponge paint brush – not shown
• Plastic cups
• Spanish Moss – for the inside of the flowers, available in the floral supply area

First you will need to make the bases so that the concrete can set up, it will take at least 24 hours to set.

How to make Concrete Bases

• Ready to use Concrete Mix
• 1/2 cup water – we colored it purple just so you could see the water more clearly
• Plastic Cups

Instructions

1. Fill the cup with concrete
2. Slowly pour in water, carefully stir with a popsicle stick or wooden skewer and level with stick
3. Gently squeeze the sides of cup to help blend together
4. Let set 24 hours until completely hard

Next you will need to form the stems. Again, any size will work.

How to make Giant Flower Stems

• Chicken Wire
• Wire cutters
• Heavy gloves
• Plastic Cups – empty
• Craft Paper
• Green Tissue Paper
• Mod Podge – we used a matte finish
• Large sponge brush

Instructions

1. When working with the chicken wire, it’s best to wear heavy gloves.
2. Roll out the chicken wire, cut 1 foot wide by the length you want the stem
3. Form around the plastic cup for the base and roll into a cyclinder
4. Cover completely with craft paper, tape if necessary
5. Thin the Mod Podge with a little water, wrap the stem with green tissue paper, securing with Mod Podge on ends
6. After the entire stem is covered with tissue paper, coat it with Mod Podge, this helps secure any loose ends and makes the stem look uniform in color.
7. Let dry several hours

Now the leaves…

How to make Tissue Paper Leaves

• Green tissue – same colors or 2 different is fine, cut into 12 x 14 inches
• 20 gauge wire – 4 pieces
• Mod Podge
• Sponge Brush

Instructions

1. Form the wire by twisting 2 pieces together, and add the cross pieces and continue to twist
2. Spread a thin layer of Mod Podge, watered down a bit, onto 1 layer of tissue
3. Lay down the wire, making sure to leave a few inches of wire showing on the bottom and then cover with another piece of tissue
4. Let dry about 30 minutes
5. Cut out leaf leaving a few inches of wire out on the bottom

Note – we found it easier to glue the pieces together then cut the leaf, so that you don’t have to try to match up the edges

Now it’s time to make the flowers.

How to make Giant Tissue Paper Flowers

• Tissue Paper – cut into 3 sizes, 4 pieces each of small and medium, and 8 pieces of large size – just cut them freehand is fine
• Tape – after taking this photo, I found that regular scotch tape worked better than floral tape
• Yellow Tissue Paper for the centers – cut 4 circles {I used a cereal bowl for a template}
• Spanish Moss
• Glue

Begin with the smallest petals, pinch the bottom together and then tape.

Continue to add the petals, by pinching the bottom together

And tape around the bottom.

After the flower is complete, with all the petals added, now it’s time to make the centers.

How to make Giant Tissue Paper Flower Centers

1. Working with 2 of the tissue paper circles, pinch around the edge forming a groove
2. Repeat with the other 2 pieces, but make them a little smaller by pinching a little more tissue paper
3. Glue together the 2 sets and then glue a small handful of Spanish Moss on

Then glue the center into the flower, and form the petals.

Important Notes on the Tissue Paper Flowers

• These flowers are different than the ones I made last year.
• I think both flowers turned out well, however, next time I think I will go back to my other way of making them, but still add the centers.
• I liked that they were a little fuller last year.
• Both tissue paper flowers take LOTS of patience, so take your time.
• Don’t get too discouraged, the flowers seem to take on a life of their own and kind of flow in a certain direction, in the end, they turn out fine.

We have the stems, leaves and flowers…now let’s put them all together.

How to create the Giant Tissue Paper Flowers

• Turn the concrete filled cup upside down and place the stem on top
• Using a zip tie, attach the flower to the top
• Carefully poke the wire from the bottom of the leaf into the stem {you may need to secure the leaves to the stem with a dot of glue}

These Giant Tissue Paper Flowers will become part of my Spring Mantel soon, but I think they would also be great for a shower, in a nursery or little girl’s room, or even a garden party.

So tell me…do you love them? Be sure to let me know when you make them and feel free to share a picture on my Facebook page!