Materials: Paper Flowers

Discover the materials you need to create a wide range of flowers and incredible botanical art with artist and maker Eileen Ng

Everything starts with detailed critical observation of nature: her shapes, textures, colors and surprises. Then the best part is getting everything you’ve learned down onto paper: by using the paper itself to create lovely flowers and plants so fresh they look real.

British artist and maker Eileen Ng is based in Madrid and goes by the name of Eileen Handmade (@eileen_handmade). She shows you the basic materials you need to get started in this fascinating art.

Learn more in the video:

Essential materials for creating paper flowers

1. Crepe paper

Eileen recommends using three types of crepe paper: heavy, medium and light. Each type allows you to create different kinds of flower petals.

2. Green card

Card is simultaneously rigid and flexible. It’s the perfect foundation for shaping the leaves for your bouquets. You can use almost any type of card, except for very thick styles that are difficult to manipulate.

3. Scissors

Here there are only two things to look out for: they have to be clean and sharp.

4. A small spatula

This tool (or anything else fine and rounded) is really useful when it comes to giving leaves and petals a more curved shape.

5. Dry branches

These will support the plants you create. Make sure they’re not too thick or too dry, to ensure they have enough flexibility.

6. Wire

Wire is a good substitute if you haven’t got any branches. And in any case, wire is great for helping you create details like the petiole, the central ‘stalk’ connecting the leaves to the main stem.

7. Gardening shears and wire cutters

Garden shears can help cut the dry branches you’re going to use in your creations. And wire cutters are essential if you’re using wire.

8. Liquid glue

Basic glue, like the glue you use to stick paper, is fundamental for keeping the flower petals in place.

9. Florist tape

This will be useful for binding leaves, flowers and stems. So it’s probably best to use a green version.

If you liked these tips, remember you can learn how to capture the beauty of nature using something as simple as paper in Eileen Handmade’s online tutorial: Paper Flower Craft Techniques.

You may be interested in:

- Advanced Papercraft Techniques: Designing with Paper
- Paper Cutting Techniques for Storytelling
- Basic Botanical Pressing Techniques

English version by @studiogaunt