DIY Paper Magnolia Blossoms

Flowering trees are one of the best parts of spring, don't you think? Their blooms announce the passing of winter and bring color to bare branches. Even after they're done blooming, the loose petals decorate the ground. Unfortunately, flowering tree branches don't last very long in captivity, or in a vase in your home. I came up with this project so you can make long-lasting flowering magnolia branches yourself. They will last you all spring, or even multiple years worth of springtimes if you'd like. 



Here's what you'll need:

• Crepe paper in white, light pink, and green
• White wrapped floral wire
• Spray adhesive
• Watercolors
• Light green floral tape
• Branches. These came from my mom's garden but you can also purchase them in the floral section of the craft store.
• Hot glue gun

Cut two pieces from the white and light pink crepe, about 8" x 12". Spray one side of each with the spray adhesive (spray outside or in a well ventilated area over newspaper).  Press the two pieces together, making sure the grain of the paper is going in the same direction.

Paint on some pink brush strokes on the pink side of the crepe. This is meant to accent the base of the petals, so keep the brush strokes on one side. Let dry.


Cut out the petals from the crepe with the grain running vertically. Each flower needs 6 petals. I made mine in two sizes: the petals on the larger blossom are about 2.5" long, the smaller about 2" long. Gently stretch the center and crimp the base of each.


Bend the end of a piece of wire over a couple times with pliers. Wrap two petals around the wire, facing each other, with a 4" length of floral tape. Add two more petals, facing each other, overlapping the first two, and then add two more. Gently fold the petals outward.


Wrap the wire around the branch and trim the excess. For smaller blossoms, bend the wire near the base of the flower over a couple times and trim the wire. Hot glue onto the branch.


Cut a bunch of leaves, about 1/2" long. Hot glue the leaves around the bases of each flower. Add a couple small bunches of leaves and petals on the branch to make buds.


Arrange the branches in a simple vase and enjoy!