Welcome to our Floral Origami Craft Ideas blog post.
If you've bought one of our Floral Origami sets, you will have found a QR code linking to this page.
Origami Sets
Below we've included three different floral origami tutorials. One is traditional, and two are more contemporary in style...and just as much fun. Trust us when we say that we have the papercuts to prove how much we've enjoyed using our own origami sets to create these finished photos - helped out liberally by our three children!
In addition to this are three further floral paper craft projects.
Our origami kits contain 30 sheets featuring six different patterned papers. Each paper uses one of our signature designs adapted from floral paintings.
We have chosen models and projects which should be suitable for beginners and older children. We'd love to see what you make! Tag us at #floradoreorigami
Floral Origami Guides
Traditional Lotus Flower
The lotus flower is a classic origami design and once mastered, quick and meditative to complete. This design looks great in an ensemble along with other lotus flowers and can be strung together side by side or even hung vertically to beautiful effect.
Tulip Head
This is another traditional design focusing on the head of the flower. When combined with the video below it creates a wonderful design. For a contemporary twist on this origami, why not thread the origami flowers through the top and bottom of each flower to create a different kind of floral decoration.
For younger children, a great idea for practicing fine motor skills and concentration is to create the tulip head and then stick this to a green paper straw to create a very simple flower. You could also use the template below to cut out and stick leaves to the tulip in a contemporary re-working of an origami classic.
Floral Envelope
This design focuses on the paper itself and lets the floral design shine through. The design makes for an excellent way to add interest to small gifts and / or cards. We use these for invitations and even thank yous with tiny original paintings inside! Advanced designs are available on the internet which substitute the central envelope catch from a diamond to a flower.
Flower Holder Pot
We cannot take any credit for this design, but wanted to share it here because we love it. If you're feeling bold, give this a try!
Flower Pot by Paper Kawaii
Floral Paper Craft Ideas
Floral Wreath
These wreaths look beautiful hung in windows, displayed on picture shelves or even hunge on your front door. Cheap to create and everlasting, these wreaths suit so many occasions throughout the year.
1. Find an old cardboard box. breakdown the box and measure out a circle with a diameter of 36cm. Cut this out so that you're left with a nice sturdy circle.
2. Decide how thick you want your wreath to be. We recommend cutting out a hole inside your original circle so that your width is 12 cm all the way around and your inner circle is also 12cm in diameter. This is your basic wreath structure. The final step here is to bore a small hole at the top of the wreath. This is where you'll hang your ribbon and is good to be aware of now as you think about the composition of your wreath.
3. Using our templates below as a guide (right hand click and save this template. You can then go ahead and print the template), cut out 30 of each sized flower. We've included small, medium and large shapes as well as leaves.
4. Using a strong craft glue, begin to arrange the flowers to cover the entirety of the cardboard. Start with the largest shapes/petals at the bottom of each flower moving to the smallest petals at the top. Look to create a balance of larger shapes and then leaves and smaller petals as you move around the wreath.
5. Arrange the leaves to fill any gaps and ensure that you cover the edges of the cardboard. For maximum impact, ensure that the leaves and petals have a slightly undone look. Mix up the patterns, add drama through contrast and don't be afraid to get 3D with your petals. Fold up the petals to create a decoupage effect.
6. Once you're happy with your composition, thread through a ribbon and hang in pride of place.
Flower Power Paper Chains
Who said paper chains were exclusively for Christmas?!
Take our origami set and turn it into a joyful, vibrant set of paper chains, with enough floral pattern to transform any room at any time of year. You can even add in a flower shape to the paper chain to really give the design impact.
Each origami sheets will become 5 paper chains or (almost) one paper chain flower.
1. Simply divide one of your origami sheets into 3cm wide strips and cut them apart. You should end up with 150 strips if you decide to use the whole set.
2. Start by creating a loop from your first chain. Secure it with sellotape or a strong craft glue. Wait a second for the glue to dry and then thread through your next chain.
3. Every third chain, add a paper flower exactly as you'd add to a normal chain loop. To create your flower ;
3a. Take six strips and fold each so that they make a loop. Glue each strip's ends together. These are your petals.
3b. Layer these on top of each other and glue down to create the flower shape. If the glue doesn't hold, whip out the stapler to secure the petals, keeping the staples hidden.
3c. Add a circle of patterned paper (make sure it's different to create contrast!) on the front and back.
4. Your chain will grow quickly. Be sure to mix up the different patterned sheets to give your paper chain an organic, eclectic look.
5. Hang anywhere and everywhere and wait for the compliments to come your way.
Bunting
Use your origami paper to create an eye-catching 15m long paper bunting decoration. Perfect for indoor parties (or outdoor parties where you don't expect rain - can you tell Floradore is based in Cornwall and we spend a lot of time thinking about rain?!)
1. Cut a 20 metre long piece of string or ribbon, depending on where you'll be hanging your bunting. We love the romantic look of ribbon for indoors. You'll want extra ribbon / string to secure the bunting in place.
2. measure out your bunting spaces. You could choose to space each paper out by 50cm. If that gap seems to big, we recommend using two origami packs so that each paper triangle need only be 25cm apart.
3. One you're happy with your spacing, lay out the papers underneath the ribbon. Glue the half of the paper which sits below the ribbon.
4. Fold over the top half of the square to sit exactly on top of the glued piece. Smooth down firmly into place, ensuring that the ribbon stays flat the entire time.
Further Resources
Take a look at some of these ideas for origami and paper florals. They run the gamut from florals to animals via paperchains and stars.
This website is absolutely packed with guides. It also has tips and tricks for paper conversions and sizing up models to make large origami.
Paper Kawaii has a great selection of more unusual, contemporary designs complete with photo tutorials. We love their seasonal designs and more complicated succulent and pot plant origami models.
A huge range of videos, Insta' reels and origami tutorials with a constantly updated selection of witty (and impressively complicated) and news-relevant designs.
Beautiful, contemporary designs and Insta' account with excellent monochrome colour palettes and in-person workshops and kits.
Crafting Authentic Paper Flowers by Sophie Longhurst
A great resource for creating paper flowers and bouquets. This books guides beginners through paper choice, structure and putting flowers together. Oh we can but dream that any of our creations should EVER look half as good!
