Monochrome is a really big trend for 2016, and I just absolutely love this striking black and white look! I decided to try my hand at updating the look of feminine and soft paper flowers to a bolder, more dramatic aesthetic as a nod to this trend. With the help of my genius stylist friend Laura, we came up with these paper flowers inspired by the iconic genre of Pop Art. We used black and white flowers (and some silver glitter) along with a couple pops of color. This tutorial will teach you how to make three types of paper flowers that you can bundle together in a beautiful floral arrangement. They are not only easy or cheap to make, but they add a bold and chic style to your home decor, wedding cake or table decor!– Erin from BerinMade Paper Goods

Materials and Tools

Black Crepe Paper

White Crepe Paper

Floral Wire (cut to 4″ lengths)

Cotton Balls

Cotton Swabs

Scissors

Floral Tape

Rubber Bands

Black Marker

Making the Flower Centers:

For the first part of the tutorial, we will show you how to make three types of flower centers:

• Pom-Pom Center: Use scissors to “fringe” a 2″ x 4″ strip of black crepe paper, then fold the stripe into quarters. Fold and twist a 4″ length of floral wire so that it doubles in strength. Place in the center of the folded crepe paper about half an inch down. Wrap the crepe paper around the wire and secure with floral tape around the stem.
• Balled Center: Roll a cotton ball between fingers to compress slightly. Wrap floral wire in half around the cotton ball and twist to make a strong stem. Place the cotton ball in the center of a 2.75″ square of black crepe paper. Wrap the crepe paper square around cotton ball and secure with floral tape.
• Little Bud Center: Cut one cotton swab in half and tie the two halves together with a rubber band around a 4″ length of floral wire, folded in half and twisted to create a strong stem. Hide the joint with floral tape.

Making the Petals and Leaves:

Step 1. To make the petals, fold a 12″ strip of crepe paper into sixths. Use the template to cut out the petal shape. Unfold the paper petal strip, wrap the petals around your chosen flower center and secure with floral tape.

Step 2. For petals made from white crepe paper, line the outside of the petal with a black marker. You can also add stripes to the flower petals using the black marker. Wait until the marker ink is dry before wrapping the petals around a flower center.

Step 3. Gently sculpt each petal with thumb and index finger to shape. Arrange petals by gently pulling so that they are evenly distributed.

Step 4. To make the leaves, cut leaf shapes from the crepe paper ranging from 2.5″ – 3.5″ in length. Wrap the leaves around the floral wire by pinching the bottom of the leaf and securing with floral tape.

Now you’re ready to use these beautiful blooms! Group them into lovely floral arrangements for parties, or even use them as cake toppers or on favor bags and boxes!

Cake & Cookies: Cakes by Robin

Photo Credit: Jeremy Tan