Can you imagine how much fun to make your own bright paper sunflowers!  They have a large cheerful presence!  A single bloom adds a touch of colour, while a whole bunch make a joyous statement.

The blooms are longlasting and self-sustaining.  Therefore there is no need for water!  There is a variety of options for the centres too.  A space for individual creative expression!

Here are the full instructions and a video tutorial. Have Fun!!

Paper Sunflower

 Create your own Paper Sunflowers

You will need:

  • Thin yellow card (project board). For the petal rounds.  Available from stationery stores.  You may also use thin white board and paint it yellow.
  • Cereal box card – This is used for the centre of the flower. The plain grey or brown side will be decorated.
  • Corrugated board. You can use cardboard from a delivery box.  You will cut 3 circles from this, and it will help to fill and stabilize the inside of the flower. 
  • Wire – I used a piece of fence wire.
  • Green florist tape – You can leave the wire as is for a more industrial look, or cover it with the green tape.
  • Masking tape – you will need a small piece to wind around the very top of the wire you will be using for the stem. This is to give the PVA glue something to grip onto when constructing the flower centre
  • Glue – I use wood glue or (PVA glue)
  • Scissors
  • Stapler – for attaching the pattern to the board while cutting the pieces out.
  • Pliers – for bending over the wire at the top of the stem.

Paper Sunflowers
Paper Sunflowers
Paper Sunflower

How to Assemble Your Paper Sunflower :

The Petals

  1. Firstly, print out the sunflower pattern sheets.
  2. Start with the petals. Use the stapler to secure the pattern pieces onto 2 sheets of yellow card.
  3. Cut out 2 each of both the small and the large petal rounds.
  4. Alternatively you may like to use white card and paint the petals yellow with acrylic or watercolour paint.  Note – I also tried painting some with a paste of turmeric and water.  I sealed this with a layer of hairspray.  It had a lovely rich texture.
  5. Create the petal rounds. Place some glue on the tab on each round, and secure underneath the adjoining petal. 
  6. Carefully glue together both of the small petal rounds and both of the large petal rounds, alternating the petals.
  7. Gently bend the petals back.
  8. Glue the small petal layer onto the large petal layer
  9. Next make the inner support from corrugated card. Staple the pattern to the board, and cut out the 3 circles. It is quite tricky to cut through the thick card.  Don’t worry about this being too neat, as it will be completely hidden in the finished product. 
  10. Use a thick needle to pierce a hole in the centre of the 2 smaller circles.

    The Stems

  11. Make the stem of the flower – Because you need to create a surface for the glue to stick to you will need to wrap a small piece of masking tape around the top tip of the wire. Use pliers to bend the tip over. (1 -1,5cm)
  12. Thread the opposite side of the stem through the medium sized disc, then the smaller disc.
  13. Push these right up to the bend in the wire at the top of the stem. Apply glue to the top of the middle-sized disc, and attach to the largest disc.  This will incorporate and secure the top of the wire stem.  Hold firmly in place until the glue is set.  You may like to use a bull-dog clip to help you.
  14. Back to the Petals. Use the thick needle to pierce a hole through the centre of the petals. 
  15. Thread the base of the wire stem through this. Apply some glue to the inside of the petal rounds, so that it sticks securely to the support discs as they are pushed up.
  16. Use the pattern piece to cut the sunflower centre out of cereal box card.

Decorate the Sunflower Centre

17.  Use your imagination to decorate the sunflower centre. There are a number of different options:

  • Use a permanent marker and doodle a seed-like concentric circle pattern
  • Use a paper hole punch to cut some black paper circles.  These can be glued onto the sunflower centre
  • Print out an inspirational graphic and glue that onto the card centre.
  • Use wood glue to glue concentric circles of sunflower seeds onto the sunflower centre
  1. Once the flower centre is complete, glue it onto the sunflower.
  2. Lastly – finish off the stem by binding it with some green florist tape.
  3. Go Ahead!  Make many more!!!

Paper Sunflower Pattern

Time to get started!

Download and Print your Pattern Here!

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Paper Sunflower

Paper Sunflower Pattern

Time to get started!

Download and Print your Pattern Here!

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