DIY paper flower bells

I’ve received a ton of questions about the paper flower bluebells and pink bells that we featured in our bridesmaid party shoot for BHLDN and I’m most happy to show you how I made them. I based the tutorial off of Morgan Levine’s lily of the valley tutorial on Martha Stewart. I love the versatility created with color and shape. They’d be wonderful as centerpieces for a party or even as decoration in your home. I’m going to be making some for my mantle! 

Click below to see the full tutorial! 

Materials:

• • crepe paper in ombre pink (to make the pink flowers). There are two shades. Try this one or this one.
  • green crepe paper 
  • crepe paper in ombre blue (you can buy it here OR we made our own. See below)
  • blue spray paint in darker shade (if you make your own ombre paper)
  • glue gun
  • terra cotta pot
  • half circle floral foam for bottom of pot
  • floral wire
  • cable wire

To make ombre crepe paper

1. I made our blue ombre paper out of a light blue crepe paper and darker blue spray paint. Start by laying out the paper on a surface you aren’t afraid to ruin. Weigh it down if necessary.
2. Lightly spray the edges on both sides of the paper.
3. Let it dry overnight.

To make the flower 

1. 1. Start by creating the bells. I make an accordion fold with my crepe paper about 1″ wide and 11″ tall. The grain goes vertically. 
   2. Cut the tip of the accordion fold to a point.
   3. Unfold the paper and curl each tip out.4. Stretch out the base of the paper a bit. Not too much.

5. Wrap the paper into a cylinder and glue the two ends together.6. Take a piece of floral wire and glue it inside the cylinder about 4″ up.

7. Squeeze the bottom of the flower and glue it together squeezing as you hold in place.

8. Go inside the flower with your fist and gently shape the inside so it creates a bulbous shape.

9. Cut a 3/4″ strip of green paper against the grain about 7″ and stretch it out.

10. Glue the green paper to the base of the flower and twist around the wire and down the stem.

11. Make about 5 of these bell flowers.

To make the flower pot

1. 1. Stick a piece of floral foam in the base of your pot.
   2. Shape a piece of cable wire in the base of the foam and shape it to create the arch of the flower. I didn’t use cable wire. I wound a number of wires around itself to make it stronger then I extended each one so that it reached my desired length.
   3. Attach the first flower at the end of the arch. Use another piece of green crepe to attach it to the wire.
   4. Add in the next flower with green crepe paper stem paper.
   5. Continue adding in flowers until you get to the bottom of the pot.

Click on the next page to see how to make the leaves 

To make the leaves

1. Cut out two leaves from the entire width of the crepe paper with the grain going vertically.
2. Attach pieces of wire with glue gun to the bottom of the leaves to create the shape.

Voila! Please let me know if you have any questions! 

Photos by Jessica Peterson