Giant paper flower
THIS HUGE, DECORATIVE BLOOM IS A SUNFLOWER YOU CAN ENJOY ALL YEAR
YOU WILL NEED: Assorted colours of tissue paper Scissors Fuzzy pipe cleaners
1 Carefully stack approximately 12 sheets of tissue paper, lining up all the edges carefully. The flower pictured uses four yellow sheets for the centre, these are stacked on top, then two or three white and then six sheets of orange. (To make smaller versions, just omit the inside yellow pieces and use fewer sheets, cut smaller, for the outer petals.)
2 Start to fold all sheets over at the same time in 5cm folds. Now fold back the other way, and repeat accordion-style until you have folded all the paper.
3 Unfold all the paper carefully and take out the yellow paper that will be used for the centre of the flower. Fold the yellow paper back in pleats, then fold the folded paper in half widthyways. Trim off half of the unfolded ends.
4 Make 5cm-long cuts into the trimmed edge of the folded yellow paper.
5 Now fold the white and orange sheets back up together and fold in half widthways. Trim the unfolded edges together with a rounded edge for your petals. If you find them too thick to trim all together, do half at a time.
6 Carefully unfold all of your papers, place them back in their original stacked order and then fold them back up all together in the concertina style.
7 Fold this in half and wrap a pipe cleaner through the centre of the folded tissue paper. Twist to secure.
8 Starting with one side of the yellow paper, gently pull out and fluff up one piece of the tissue. Separate each piece as you work through the layers of the tissue paper. Be careful not to pull too hard on the papers as they rip easily.
9 Continue on the other side, gently separating and pulling up each piece of tissue paper and fluffing it until you have a full flower shape.
Adapted from Decorate for a Party by Holly Becker and Leslie Shewring (Jacqui Small)