Five helpful tips for making pimped-out paper flowers

Susan Beech, the paper artist behind A Petal Unfolds, is an expert at making even the limpest sheet of crepe paper come to life and blossom into an elaborate floral design. Her popular Brighton-based workshops teach the basics of the craft, but here she shares her top tips on how to master the art.

1. It’s impossible to suck 

I haven’t seen a paper flower that sucks yet. I love how everyone at my workshops makes their own choices with the flowers they make – the colours they choose and how the flower will look. They all have a lovely quality to them – that’s paper flowers for you.

2. Get online and hone your craft

There are lots of online tutorials when you start off making paper flowers.

3. Experiment with your supplies

When you’re starting out, I would recommend experimenting with different papers and just have fun with it. And use a really good craft glue, such as Aleene’s turbo tacky glue.

4. Consistency is NOT the key

Don’t make things too uniform – keep it natural looking by varying the number of petals on each flower.

5. Leafy greens are as important to your design as they are to your diet

Foliage is as important to concentrate on as the flower itself –  it makes everything look more realistic.

What crafts are you involved in? Tell us about your paper-based pursuits in the comments below, and be sure to tag @khoollect in your pics.