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Based on a video by Pearl's Crafts
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A paper dahlia looks complicated, but every petal is the same small cone. Roll a stack of them, glue them around a paper circle in rings, and the flower builds itself. In this tutorial Pearl of Pearl's Crafts shows how she makes the cream dahlias for her wedding flower backdrop. They look lovely on a wall, a mantel or a party table, and they cost very little to make.
Cardstock in the 65 to 80 lb range holds a crisp cone and does not droop on a wall. Pearl uses a shimmery champagne pearl cardstock, which catches the light along every petal edge. Plain matte cardstock works too and is cheaper. Thin paper is easier to roll, so you can skip the curling step, but the flower will be softer and less sturdy. One 12 x 12 sheet gives 16 petal squares.
Pearl cuts her petals in a kite shape from a 3 inch square on a cutting machine. Gluing the shorter sides together gives each petal a deeper V, so you see further into the flower. If you cut by hand, plain 3 inch squares work well and are much faster. Placed side by side, the two flowers look very similar.
The base circle sets the size. A 7 inch circle with 3 inch petals makes a flower roughly 10 to 12 inches across. For a small dahlia, use a 4 inch circle and 2 inch squares. For a giant backdrop flower, try a 12 inch circle and 5 or 6 inch squares. Keep the petals about a finger width apart on the first ring, whatever the size.
Rolling the petals is the slow part. Pearl cuts a big stack, curls them all, then glues them all, and only assembles once she has enough for four flowers. It feels far quicker than making one flower start to finish, and the petals come out more even.
Hot glue a loop of ribbon or a sawtooth hanger to the back of the base circle. For a backdrop, attach flowers to foam board or a sheet of cardboard with glue dots so you can rearrange them.
Mix dahlias with paper roses and giant paper flowers for a full backdrop, or start with our guide to easy paper flowers. For a rounder, folded look, try paper rosettes.
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How to make a paper dahlia step by step: roll cardstock petal cones, glue them in rings around a base circle, and build a full flower for a backdrop. An easy project: about 2 hours. Materials cost about $3 to $10. You need 7 things, including cardstock, hot glue sticks and paper trimmer or scissors. The 9 steps start with cut the Paper Dahlia Petals and Base Circle and curl the Edges of Each Dahlia Petal With a Bone Folder.
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Cut a 7 inch circle from plain paper or cardstock for the base. It sits underneath the flower, so any color is fine. Then cut 64 to 72 petal pieces from your cardstock. Pearl cuts kite shapes on a cutting machine, but 3 inch squares give almost the same flower and are quick with a paper trimmer. Cut a few extra.
A paper trimmer gives straighter, faster squares than scissors.
Cardstock is stiff, so curl it before you roll. Hold a petal square and draw the bone folder along the two edges that will meet, the way you would curl ribbon with scissors. The paper relaxes into a gentle curve. That makes rolling easier and stops the cone from creasing or showing hard lines.
Using thin paper? You can skip this step.
Hold the petal with the two short sides pointing toward you and line up the point at the bottom. Put one small dot of glue near the tip and a second dot at the inner corner. The second dot keeps the inside corner from popping out once the flower is assembled, which keeps every petal looking neat.
A liquid glue pen gives tidy dots and a few seconds to adjust.
Roll one side over the other, keeping a finger inside, and press the glued edges together. Hold for a few seconds until it grips. Check that the tip comes to a sharp point. The bottom half gets glued down later, so it does not need to be perfect. Repeat until you have a full stack of cones.
Stack finished cones inside each other to keep them tidy while the glue sets.
Before gluing anything, arrange petal cones around the edge of the base circle, points facing out. Place them a little over halfway onto the circle and about a finger width apart. Pearl's flower takes 16 petals in this first ring. Move them until the spacing looks even all the way round.
Laying out first saves you ripping off petals that ended up crooked.
Pick up one petal, pinch the bottom of the cone flat, and add a small line of hot glue to the flattened part. Press it onto the base circle where it sat in your layout. Work your way round the ring the same way, keeping that finger width gap between each petal for the next layer.
Watch your fingers. Hot glue sticks to skin and burns fast.
Lay out the second ring inside the first, setting each new petal in the gap between two petals below. Flatten the base of each cone and glue it down. Tilt this layer up a little more than the first so the flower starts to rise. The staggered placement is what gives a dahlia its tight, layered look.
Flatten several cones at once while you lay out the ring.
Keep adding rings, each one smaller and set further toward the middle. Stand the petals more upright with every layer so they point up and out. Fill gaps as you go. It is fine if the spacing is not perfect. You can see some uneven gaps on Pearl's flower and it still looks full once it is done.
Step back now and then to check the flower looks round from above.
Close the middle with a few final petals standing almost straight up. Tuck them between the inner ring and glue at the base so no paper circle shows. Fluff and nudge any petals that lean the wrong way. Your paper dahlia is done. Make a few in different sizes and group them for a backdrop.
Slightly smaller cones fit the center more neatly.
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How to Make a Paper Dahlia (Easy Cardstock Flower)
E6000
E6000 Craft Adhesive, Clear (3.7 oz)
The industrial-strength craft glue that bonds glass, wood, ceramic, metal, fabric, and concrete. The one adhesive most craft projects reach for.
OLFA
OLFA 18" x 24" Self-Healing Cutting Mat
The pro-standard cutting surface. Gridlines for square cuts, self-healing so blades never leave grooves, and big enough for paper, fabric, and leather.
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