The Japanese art of making an origami flower ball always seems like a fitting thing to do at Christmas. It’s peaceful and calming, almost meditative to work on, and it makes a beautiful decoration when finished!
As with many origami projects, this origami flower ball ornament looks much more difficult than it is. It’s really just the same simple sequence repeated over and over and then glued together. And as with all origami, precise folding and creasing is the key!
What you’ll need to make your Origami Flower Ball
An adult should do the gluing using a glue gun, and a good quality glue gun will make all the difference! Elmer’s sponsored this post to let me try out their new Craft Bond Glue Gun and Less Mess Glue Sticks. I found this easier to use than my other glue guns. The glue is noticeably less stringy and drippy, plus the glue gun itself rests securely on it’s stand and doesn’t fall over every time you set it down – definitely a plus! And the insulated nozzle stays cool while you’re using it…. with all this gluing I didn’t burn myself even once!
You will need:
- 60 sheets of *origami paper (I used 6″ x 6″ squares to make this fun, giant flower ball, but you can use any size square and make yours smaller or larger.) You can also cut your own paper, but that’s a lot of cutting and they have to be perfect squares! *Avoid using foil paper for this project…. the points and edges will crinkle every time you set the ball down as you’re gluing it together. I learned this the hard way!
- Bone folder for making sharp creases (This is optional – I just use the side of my thumbnail!)
- Elmer’s Craft Bond Glue Gun
- Elmer’s Craft Bond Less Mess Glue Sticks
- Ribbon for hanging
- Elmer’s Glitter Glue Pens (optional)
- Origami-instructions.com offers very clear instructions for making these flowers. I thought about posting my own step-by-step pics, but why reinvent the wheel?! You can watch the video or follow their step-by-step photos…. or both! (There are lots more projects on Origami-instructions.com, so be sure to bookmark or pin this page for later!)
- The second half of this video will show you how to glue your flowers into a ball using a glue gun. (In the first half of the video, they use Elmer’s School Glue to make their flowers, but I find it faster and easier to just use a glue gun for the whole thing.)
This origami flower ball is made from 12 flowers glued together, with each flower consisting of five ‘petals’, and each petal being made from one square of paper. That means you’ll need to fold 60 petals to make one origami flower ball…. so you better start folding! (Note: I used 3 packs of this origami paper to create my origami flower ball with a variety of reds, although it’s hard to tell that from these photos!)
How to make your Origami Flower Ball, step-by-step
This project is great for ages 10 and up, but some students may not have the patience to make more than a single (five petal) flower. The origami flower ball makes a perfect group project for a classroom of students to create together, or to make at home as a family. And if you’re lucky enough to have snow days where you live, this would be an ideal way to celebrate an unplanned day off!
I like to add some glitter glue to each flower for a little ‘bling’! (Tip: Don’t put the glitter glue on too thick or it will take a long time to dry!) You can also hot glue a small button or bead to the center of each flower if you want.
Try these additional ideas
- Glue a single flower onto a straw as you assemble it…. then repeat to make a bouquet!
- Combine different colors together in a single flower or make each flower a different color and combine them into a flower ball or bouquet.
- Origami flowers also make a lovely gift for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or birthdays!
See my Christmas Project Collection for more fun things to make during the holiday season!
*this post uses affiliate links
So cute! and so fun!!