How to Make a Paper Sunflower with a Fringed Center

A paper sunflower is two rings of pointed yellow petals with a thick fringed center rolled from a single brown strip. The center does most of the work: once it is rolled and fluffed, even plain petals look convincing. The sizes below make a flower about 6 inches (15 cm) across and are starting points to scale up or down.

What you need

• Yellow cardstock, 65 lb (176 gsm): one letter-size sheet
• Brown paper for the center: text weight or light cardstock, up to about 120 gsm, so it rolls without cracking
• Green cardstock for two leaves
• One 18 gauge floral wire or a wooden skewer for the stem, plus green floral tape
• Scissors, pencil, ruler, tacky craft glue
• A low-temperature glue gun (optional, for attaching the stem)
• A skewer or pencil for curling

Recommended paper: medium cardstock for the petals so they stand out from the center without flopping, and a lighter sheet for the fringe. Heavy cardstock fights back when rolled into a tight coil.

Cut the pieces

1. Trace two circles on the yellow cardstock. Make one 6 inches (15 cm) across and one 5 inches (13 cm) across. Inside each, lightly draw a 2 inch (5 cm) circle in the middle. This inner circle stays uncut and holds the ring together.
2. Mark the petals. Divide each ring into 12 roughly equal sections with light pencil marks on the outer edge, like the hours on a clock.
3. Cut pointed petals. From each mark, cut a narrow V down to the inner circle, so each section becomes a petal that is wide in the middle and comes to a point at the tip. Trim the tips into soft points instead of sharp spikes.
4. Cut the center strip. Cut a brown strip 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide and about 22 inches (56 cm) long. Glue two shorter strips end to end if the sheet is not long enough.
5. Fringe the strip. Snip along one long edge, about three quarters of the way across, with cuts roughly 1/8 inch (3 mm) apart. Leave the other edge intact as a spine.
6. Cut two leaves. Draw a pointed oval about 3 inches (7.5 cm) long on green cardstock, with a short tab at the base, and cut two.

Shape the petals before gluing

Flat rings make a flat flower. Give each petal two quick shapes:

• A center crease. Pinch each petal lightly along its length, from base to tip, so it forms a shallow V. This is what makes sunflower petals look ribbed.
• A slight backward curve. Draw the tip over a skewer so it bends gently away from the center. Curve the larger ring a little more than the smaller one.

More ways to add movement to stiff paper are covered in the guide to curling, cupping and creasing petals.

Assemble the flower

1. Stack the rings. Put a thin ring of glue on the uncut center of the larger piece and press the smaller ring on top, rotated so its petals sit over the gaps below.
2. Roll the center. Starting at one end of the brown strip, roll it into a tight coil with the fringe pointing up. Add a dot of glue to the spine every couple of inches so the coil cannot unwind. Glue the tail down firmly.
3. Check the size. The finished coil should be about 1.5 to 2 inches (4 to 5 cm) across and cover the uncut middle of the petal rings. If it looks small, glue on a second strip and keep rolling.
4. Glue the center in place. Spread glue on the flat base of the coil, set it in the middle of the petals and press for about thirty seconds.
5. Open the fringe. Push the outer fringe outward with a fingertip and leave the middle tight. The outer rows should lean over the petal bases and hide the join.

Add the stem and leaves

1. Prepare the wire. Bend the top 3/4 inch (2 cm) of the wire into a flat loop at a right angle to the stem, like a small foot.
2. Attach it. Glue the loop to the back of the flower with hot glue or a generous amount of tacky glue, then cover it with a 1.5 inch (4 cm) green cardstock circle so the join is hidden and reinforced.
3. Wrap the stem. Stretch green floral tape and wind it down the wire at an angle. Lay a leaf tab against the stem partway down and wrap over it; add the second leaf a little lower on the opposite side.

A sunflower head is heavy for its size. If the stem bends, tape two wires together. The guide to wire stems, floral tape and leaves shows the wrapping motion in more detail.

If something looks wrong

What you see	Likely cause	Fix
Center unrolls or telescopes upward	Too little glue along the spine	Push it flat, run glue across the base and hold until set
Petals look like a starburst cutout	No crease or curve	Pinch and curl each petal, even after assembly
Gaps between petals	Rings lined up instead of offset	Add a third ring behind, rotated to fill the gaps
Fringe cracks when rolled	Paper too heavy	Switch to text-weight paper for the strip
Flower tips forward on the stem	Small glue area at the back	Enlarge the wire loop and add the cover circle

Variations

• Two-tone center. Roll a short dark brown or black strip first, then continue with a lighter brown strip around it.
• Shaded petals. Rub a little orange chalk pastel onto the petal bases before stacking the rings.
• Fuller flower. Add a third ring 7 inches (18 cm) across at the back.
• No stem. Leave the back flat and use the flower on a wreath, a wall or a gift.

A few stemmed sunflowers in different sizes make a strong focal group, and the guide to arranging paper flowers in a vase explains how to set their heights.