How To Make A Flower With Your Child

Children love to do crafts – especially with a parent or other much loved adult. This article has 3 instructions on how to make a flower. Paper flowers can be any color, don’t need water, and will keep for a long time. So get out your scissors and get your imagination going.

1. Flower Pins

You and your child can wear these pretty pins and give them as gifts. Here’s what you’ll need:

* Buttons (this is a great craft for using up spare buttons)
* Craft foam in various colors
* Hot glue gun
* Safety pins in various sizes
* Scissors

First, let your child cut out flower shapes. The only rule is that the flower shape has to be big enough to have a button glued to the middle of it and a safety pin glued to the back of it. Once the shapes are cut out, glue the button to the center. Next, cut out a button-sized piece of craft foam. Run a bead of hot glue down the middle of this circle and press the back of the open safety pin into it. When it dries, you should be able to open and close the safety pin. Pretty!

Variation: Attach a magnet to the back instead of a safety pin to make flower magnets.

2. Egg Carton Tulips

These can be as elaborate or simple as you choose. If you only have foam containers, just use the color of the foam for the flower color, or use acrylic paint (tempura or “poster paint” won’t stick to foam). Here’s what you’ll need.

* Empty cardboard egg carton
* Watercolors
* Paintbrush
* Green pipe cleaners or drinking straws
* Scissors
* Craft knife
* Glue
* Vase

Cut the egg carton into individual cups. Cut each cup into petal shapes. It doesn’t have to be strictly tulip shapes; you can cut triangular or long oval petals, too. Use the watercolor to wash the egg cups in subtle color, using a darker version of the same color (or a different colour) along the petal’s edges. Let the color on the petal edges bleed into the main color.
When dry, cut a little slit in the bottom of the painted cup, using the craft knife. Poke the pipe cleaner or straw up through this slit. Secure on the inside with a bead of glue.

Variation 1: Glue a small ball of yellow tissue paper into the bottom center to create a realistic look.

Variation 2: Instead of attaching a stem, use hot glue to attach tulips into a wreath. Glue green paper leaves between the flowers.

3. Flower Wreath

This is a good craft for young and old alike. You’ll need:

* “Grapevine” craft wreath or foam ring
* Various colors of tissue paper
* Green construction paper
* Hot glue gun
* Scissors

First, cut leaf shapes from the construction paper. Then, cut or tear the tissue paper into rough squares, about 4 inches square. Crumple the squares of tissue to form flowers. You can layer colors if you like for multi-colored flowers. Attach the crumples to the wreath using the hot glue, and intersperse the flowers with green leaves.

Now you know how to make a flower! These can be great gifts to give and memories to keep.