How to Make a Hanging Paper Floret

These decorations can be very festive and made out of lots
of different materials.

You can use all different colors like the one I have shown here or just a few colors, or all the same color. There are six pieces of material needed to build them, so let your imagination run wild!

If you are planning on using these over and over, you will want to use a higher quality material so they last. I am doing mine in construction paper which is not known for durability and the colors will fade over time.

You can also scale them up or down to make little ones or huge ones. The one I will be making today is our of 8 ½” square paper. It results in a decoration that is 24” tall and 24” wide.

If you think this is going to be fun and something you are going to use, don't forget to vote for it! Thank you. :)

You will want to plan a little bit about the color(s) and material you will use. There are six pieces of material/paper in use, so you an alternate 2 or 3 colors easily, or use all different colors as well. The stiffer the paper, the longer it will hold up.

Other tools you need:

cutting mat

craft knife (you can use scissors, but it is more difficult)

pencil

metal ruler (especially if you are using a craft knife)

glue (Use something that works well with the paper/plastic you are using for you floret)

string/ribbon (to hang your finished piece of art)

whole punch

stapler

You can make this any size you want. You do need to have all six pieces of paper be square.

I was using construction paper, so I decided to make it 8 1/2" square.

One trick I have found to make something square without folding it and leaving a crease, or measuring is to

(1) turn one sheet of paper 90 degrees and overlap it across the others.

(2) now you can draw a line or cut along that piece of paper and it will have the same width and height

Since my material is very light weight and easy to cut, I stacked them all up at once and cut them all at once. With a thicker paper, you may need to cut them one at a time.

You will be making any number of concentric cuts from the middle to ALMOST the center of the paper. This is a little like making snow flakes.

To find the center and to ensure I don't cut too far, I draw a light line with my pencil between two opposing corners.

If you want the cuts to all equal, take the height of your paper and divide it by 6. This will tell exactly how wide each cut it. You can then measure and make light marks with you pencil to guide your cuts.

I like to keep it simple, and just the width of my ruler for each cut. I can line my rule up along the edge of the paper for the first cut, and then along the last cut for the next one. Each line will be perfectly straight and it goes quicker, not having to make marks or measure anything. If I want to make a larger floret with wider cuts, I use a wider rules.

Make two cuts.

The first cut runs from just short of the center line your drew, to the center of the adjacent corner.

The second cut goes from the opposing corner along the center line to the center of the same adjacent corner.

Keep making cuts being careful not to cut to the center line you drew down the paper

Repeat that same process on the other side of the paper. Be careful not to cut to the center line, or you have to start over.

It should look something like the image above.

Glue one side of the corners with your glue of choice and fold every other triangle up. Stick the corners together. Leave the other triangles flat on the table.

Fold the remaining triangles the other way and stick the corners together.

I find it easier to glue all the corners before I start folding. It keeps the glue in the right spots and my hands cleaner than trying to fold and apply glue at the same time.

Make 5 more of those same petals to your floret

Use whatever other colors you want.

When they are all done, they should lay nicely next to each other.

grab three of the petals and staple them together.

I found that my glue did not hold. If you are using a different glue or material, you can use a different technique to attach them if you like.

When done, you should have two sets of three petals each,

You now need to connect the petals together where they touch at their points (their widest spots).

Again, I used staples with the paper and glue I had, it made the best choice for me.

Try to line up the petals nicely, or your finished floret will look a little crooked when complete.

It is now time to put the two sets of petals together into one floret.

Pick two of the end petals and connect them to each other just like you did in the last step.

You will have a row of petals now.

Staple the bases of the two petals sets together.

Connect the last two petals that only have a petal connected to one of their sides together with staples.

This completes the floret shape!

Choose the petal that will be at the top.

Use a whole punch to create a hole.

Run your ribbon or string through the hole and secure it.

Hang and enjoy you decoration(s)!.

Your friends will be amazed that you created this yourself!