These colorful paper flowers for Cinco de Mayo are fun and easy to make. While orange marigolds are customary for Day of the Dead, you’ll find Cinco de Mayo flowers in every color of the rainbow.
The annual celebration of Cinco de Mayo (held each year on May 5th), commemorates the anniversary of Mexico’s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The Mexican people celebrate this holiday with colorful fiestas, or parties, with family and friends.
Dahlias, the national flower of Mexico, are often used for Cinco de Mayo decorations. These large, pom pom shaped flowers come in nearly every color you can imagine.
My colorful paper flowers will make the perfect “faux” dahlias for your Cinco de Mayo decorating!
Make your own colorful paper flowers for Cinco de Mayo
You Will Need:
- Tissue paper in bright colors (one sheet per flower)
- Green chenille stems (a.k.a. pipe cleaners, one per flower)
- Scissors
Directions:
- Fold the long edge of your tissue paper in half, so that the short ends meet.
- Fold it in half again, the same direction. You should have a long, skinny rectangle.
- With one of the short ends facing you, accordion fold this rectangle into folds that are ½” to 1” wide.
- Next, twist a pipe cleaner around the middle of your folded accordion, twisting the ends into a stem.
- Cut about ¼” off each end, then cut a “V” shape into each of the ends.
- Pull out your accordion so that it forms a circle.
- Carefully pull up the first layer of tissue paper as far up as it will go, all around the circle.
- Repeat with each layer until your flower is fluffy and full!
You can make flowers in a variety of sizes just by following these general directions. If you save gift wrap tissue (like I do!) making flowers is a perfect use for those pieces that may not look “fresh” enough to wrap a gift.
Try layering different colors to make multicolor flowers. These colorful paper flowers make fun gift toppers in place of a bow, too!
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