Build a Crepe-Paper Peony for a May Gift
A single crepe-paper peony looks at home on a wrapped gift or in a dry bud vase. Three sizes of petals give the flower a cupped center and a looser outer edge. This version uses a rolled paper stem, so there is no floral wire to cover.
Cut one flower’s worth of paper
- Pink crepe paper for five 3 by 4 cm, five 4 by 5 cm and six 5 by 6 cm petal blanks
- One 3 by 8 cm strip of yellow crepe paper for the center
- One 12 by 20 cm sheet of green construction paper for the stem
- Scissors, ruler and white craft glue
Cut the pink blanks so the crepe ridges run along the longer dimension. Round the top corners of each blank into a petal and taper the bottom corners. Hold each petal with both thumbs near its middle and stretch gently sideways to form a shallow cup. Keep the bottom centimeter unstretched for gluing.
Assemble from the center outward
- Roll the green paper tightly from one 20 cm edge to the other to make a 20 cm tube. Glue the final edge and hold it until it stays put.
- Cut fringe about 2 cm deep along one long edge of the yellow strip. Wrap the uncut band around the top of the stem, gluing it as you roll. Let the fringe flare above the stem.
- Glue the bases of the small petals around the yellow band, overlapping the sides slightly. Add the medium petals just below, placing them across the gaps. Finish with the large petals, again staggering the joins. Hold each ring briefly before adding the next.
Shape it after the glue grabs
If petals slide, wipe away excess glue and hold the base until it no longer shifts. If the flower looks flat, cup the remaining petals more deeply and leave their top edges unglued. Once dry, fan the outer ring gently with your fingers. Store the finished flower away from damp surfaces, where the crepe may bleed or lose its shape.
