Red and Gold Paper Flowers with a Printable Template

In this paper craft tutorial, we show how to make giant red and gold paper flowers! We worked with vibrant shades of cardstock for the petals, ranging from dark red to deep orange, as well as gold glitter paper, and embellished the edges of the petals with gold accents.

Instructions

1) Create the base

To make the base, glue the template on a piece of cardboard and cut out. The hexagon shape helps to space out the petals evenly.

Tip: If you want to hang the flower, make a small slit near the top of the circle and insert a piece of ribbon.

2) Use the template

Print out the petal template and cut out the five petal sizes. Trace each template with a pencil and cut out the petals. For one flower, you need: 6 dark red “XL” petals, 6 red “L” petals, 6 light red “M” petals, 6 dark orange “S” petals, and six gold “XS” petals.

3) Paint the edges of the petals

Apply a small amount of gold acrylic colour onto a piece of cardboard and pick up a small amount of colour with a sponge brush. Then going from the edges inward, apply a thin layer of gold to the petals. Use the paint only lightly, so the paper doesn’t crinkle and allow to dry completely before proceeding with the next step.

4) Shape the petals

Fold each petal lengthwise in half and cut a small slit into the middle at the bottom. Using hot glue, create an overlap. Handle the glue carefully as it can be quite hot. Curl back the top edges using a pencil and roll each petal two-thirds up to make the paper more bendable.

5) Build the centre

To make the centre, gather six to seven wired mini bauble ornaments and twist the wires into a tight bundle. Shorten to 5 centimetres or two inches.

6) Assemble the flower

To assemble the red and gold paper flowers, add a dot of hot glue to the bottom of the “XL” petals, and stick them around the hexagon. Allow the petals to overlap slightly. Add the next row of petals, the “L” petals, in-between the first. Continue this process with the “M”, “S”, and “XS” petals. Add a generous amount of hot glue into the centre of the flower and adhere the bauble ornaments.

Tip: To remove any glue strings blow over the flower with a hair dryer until the strings disappear.