Learn How to Make Large Crepe Paper Daisy Flowers with this Step-by-Step Photo Tutorial, and Download my FREE Giant Daisy PDF template.
I'm excited to share how I created this giant daisy flower using crepe paper. I'll share all the supplies and tools I used, along with some tips and tricks, and step-by-step photos to help you recreate this flower.
Let’s get started on making these beautiful giant daisy flowers!
When my daughter asked me to make giant flowers for her birthday, I jumped at the opportunity to take on a new project! These giant flowers are gorgeous and make for great party decor.
Table of Contents
How Big Are These Daisy Flowers?
The stems of these giant flowers are made of 3/4" PVC pipe, and they vary in height from 3' to 7'. The base is a solid round of concrete that's covered in moss and securely holds the flowers in place. The actual flower itself measures about 34" in width or just shy of 3'. If you'd like to make this smaller, you could easily shrink the template and create smaller flowers as well.
Daisy Flower Variations
You can create several different styles of daisy flowers using this tutorial and template. The pink flower that's featured in this tutorial is based on the gerbera style of daisy that features an extra row of disk florets that's slightly longer to create a full ruffled effect.
This white daisy is made with the same template, but I slightly altered the tips to be more pointed instead of rounded and used white crepe paper to resemble a more classic daisy flower.
What is Crepe Paper?
Is this your first time working with crepe paper? Don't worry—I've got you covered with everything you need to know! Crepe paper is a textured paper with stretch that is ideal for making realistic-looking flowers.
You've probably used crepe paper streamers before, right? It's very similar to that, but we'll be using giant rolls of it in a heavier weight to create these flowers.
Click here to read my Crepe Paper Resource Guide to learn more about what crepe paper is, how to cut it, all the different weights, and where to buy it.
Related - How to Make Giant Crepe Paper Poppy Flowers
Related - Giant Wooden Butterfly
What Type of Crepe Paper is Best for this Project?
The best crepe paper to use depends solely on the project you're making. For this project, both light-weight and heavy-weight crepe paper were used to make these flowers.
Heavy-weight crepe paper has more structure and flexibility which makes it ideal for the petals of this daisy.
Light-weight crepe paper is delicate and is best for the center of the flower such as the disk florets and the sepals.
Typically, crepe paper is sold in weights of 180 grams and 60 grams. 180 grams is what I used for my petals. I recommend using a combination of 180 grams and 60 grams to create the disk floret.
I recommend high-quality crepe paper for the petals. However, you can save a little bit of money on this craft by using a cheaper crepe paper for the sepal and disk florets. I used less expensive ones that I found from Temu and Amazon. Be sure to read this post before ordering crepe paper!
Where to Purchase Crepe Paper
Carte Fini - I purchase the majority of my crepe paper directly from Carte Fini. Their quality is unmatched when it comes to crepe paper and the paper is always consistent in color and stretch. I use the 180lb paper for the petals of my daisy flower.
Amazon - Light Weight
This is light to medium-weight crepe paper with minimal stretch. It's great for making projects that don't require a ton of stretch and it's less expensive than other options. I use it for the center (disk florets) of my Daisies, wrapping my pvc pipes, and for some of my leaves. However, I don't recommend it for petals, you'll want a higher-quality heavier crepe paper for petals.
Amazon - Heavy Weight
Here's another great Amazon option: a thicker Italian crepe paper that's available on Amazon. This crepe paper has great body and stretch but it does take a bit longer to ship so be sure to order it ahead of time.
Related - Everything You Need to Know About Crepe Paper
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Supplies Needed:
For this project, you will need the following supplies:
- 1-2 Rolls Heavy Weight Crepe Paper (for petals)
- 1 roll of 19.5-inch x 98.5-inch crepe paper will give you enough room to cut all large petals. If you're careful you can cut the remaining smaller petals from the leftover crepe paper.
- 1 Roll Light Weight Crepe Paper (disk floret, center)
- You may want to purchase a few rolls in different shades of yellow and orange and light green. You could also purchase one single color and use pan pastel or floral spray to change the color.
- 1 Roll Green Crepe Paper (sepals)
- Select a darker green for your leaves/sepals and stem
- 18 Gauge White Floral Stem Wire 16 inch Package of 50
- Fine-Point Hot Glue Gun
- Hot Glue Sticks
- Craft Scissors
- Wire Cutters/Pliers
- Clover Clips
- Finger Guards (optional but helpful)
- A PVC Pipe Coupler or Wooden Dowel
- This will connect the flower to the PVC pipe stem
- 2.8” Foam Ball
- Floral Spray or Pan Pastel & Sponges (this is optional but adds depth to the flowers!)
- This is the least expensive place I've found to order Floral Spray from.
- Large Daisy Flower PDF Template
Read this post to learn how to make the PVC pipe stem and concrete base!
Before purchasing any of the supplies for this tutorial, I recommend reading the entire blog post from start to finish so that you understand what each supply is needed for!
Download the Large Daisy Flower PDF Template Here!
Step One: Print Giant Crepe Paper Daisy Flower Template
First, download and print out the Giant Daisy Flower PDF Template.
Once you've downloaded the template, print out all six pages.
When done printing, collect the four numbered pages and check the test square on the first page to ensure it measures 1 inch.
If the test square doesn't measure one inch, reprint it using the "Actual Size" option in print settings or adjust the scaling until the square measures one inch. If it's one inch, you can tape the template together in order 1 through 4, lining up the stars as you go.
The template includes A Large Petal Piece, A Small Petal, center layers numbered 1 through 5, and a Sepal Piece.
Step Two: Cut Out Petals, Sepal, and Floret
Cutting Large Petal
Now, it's time to cut out all the giant daisy flower pieces from the template.
For the petals on this flower, I’m using a heavy-weight (180-gram) high-quality crepe paper.
One giant Daisy takes one 19.5-inch x 98.5-inch crepe paper roll. The correct material for the petals is necessary for the flower to hold its shape nicely.
The grainline marking on the pattern should run perpendicular to the lines that run along the length of the crepe paper. Following the grainline will give your petals a great amount of stretch across the petal from side to side, allowing you to shape easily.
You can do this by hand with a pair of scissors or you can speed the process up by using a rotary cutter and cutting mat.
I cut out 14 of these large petals but you can cut as many as you would like for your flower.
Once the large petals have been cut out, twist them back and forth using both hands to wrinkle them. This helps the material look less perfect and adds some nice texture.
Repeat the same steps with the smaller petal. I cut 13 small petals for my flower.
Something to keep in mind is that every flower is different, so you might find you need more or less than what I show in this tutorial based on how you assemble it. Don’t be afraid to cut a few extra petals if you’re new to this material, as it might take some getting used to and it's nice to have an extra in case of an accident.
Cutting Centers
Next, we need to cut our centerpieces (you can use a lower-quality crepe paper and save some money).
For the disk florets or the center of the daisy, I provided the measurements I used on the template. It tells you the length of strips you will need for each layer.
For example, for layer 5, you cut a 28” x 2.5” strip of crepe paper.
- Layer 4: Cut 1 34” x 2” Strip
- Layer 3: Cut 3 38” x 1.5” Strips
- Layer 2: Cut 1 21” x 1.13” Strip
- Layer 1: Cut 2 60” x 1.6” Strips
These measurements are just a reference I used to create my centers. Yours may be different from mine, depending on how big or small you want your flower center to be. Keep in mind if you increase the size of the disk floret you will need to cut more petals.
Once you have cut all your strips, grab one of the layers and its matching template, and fold up the crepe paper so it’s the same length as the template.
I like to clip my template into place and cut out my pieces following the cut lines of the template. You can also trace the template onto your strip before cutting.
On the Center Layer 1 piece, you may have noticed the fold line running through the center of the cut lines- fold the strip in half, take your scissors, and make little snips down the middle of the strip.
Cut Sepals
Finally, cut out the sepal pieces out of green crepe paper using the template provided.
After cutting out all of your pieces, the next step is to prepare everything that we’ve cut.
Step Three: Prepare Daisy Flower Pieces
This next step is optional, but it brings your flowers to life! A floral spray or pan pastel adds color to your petals, sepals, and disk floret pieces.
I prefer to choose a color for the petals that is a few shades darker and apply it to the base. This creates a nice contrast and mimics the natural look of daisies.
For the center layers, add a touch of color to the tips.
Pro Tip: You can do a quick Google search of daisies to get inspiration on where to add color to your crepe paper.
Now, let’s move on to creating our large and small petals.
Large & Small Petals
To create the large petals, lay one piece on the table in front of you with the right side facing upward.
Let’s refer back to our petal template to start folding these. Fold the petal backward along the outermost fold line. Then, bring the fold line towards the center to match the other fold line- This creates a pleat that adds some volume to the petal.
Secure the crepe paper in place under both folds with hot glue.
Repeat this with the remaining large and small petals.
Adding Wire to Large Petals
Now let’s add the wire to our daisy petals.
Lay the petal out in front of you with the wrong side facing downward. Place a wire down along the center of the petal.
Secure the petal at the top and the bottom with a small dot of hot glue. Then run a small line of hot glue along the the length of the wire.
I gently push my wire just slightly to the left as I do this so it goes right underneath where the wire wants to lie. With the tip of the glue gun press the wire firmly into the glue along the length of the petal. You can also use a silicone finger guard to do this.
Repeat this process with all of the large petals, and place them in a large stack.
Shaping Petals
Now, we can begin shaping the petals.I like to bring the base of the petal (about one inch) over the edge of the table and bend it backward away from itself. Then, I shape the other side of the petal inward.
You can get creative with this part and shape your flower however you want! Remember that flowers at different stages are shaped differently, so feel free to get creative!
If you’re making multiple flowers, it looks best if all of your flowers look slightly different so they aren’t too uniform.
Centers
Now let’s move on to prepping the centers. Take Layer 1, fold it in half, and glue the raw edges together. Then snip little cuts all along the length of the rectangle.
For Layer 2 & Layer 3, I like to fringe them by twisting the pieces with my fingers. This will separate the cuts and give them shape. I also shaped it so the ends curl inward.
For Layer 5 you can create little pleats or folds to give this layer more volume.
Doing this will add more shape and dimension to your flower giving it a bit of a ruffled effect.
Shape Sepal
To prep the sepal, stretch the crepe paper slightly and curl it inward.
Roll Centers
After preparing all of the flower pieces, it’s time to roll all of our centers.
I’m just going to warn you now that this part is a bit monotonous. I usually do it while watching my favorite TV show at night.
Starting with Layer 1, take one end of the strip and roll it around the smooth end of a paintbrush adding hot glue as you go. It’s helpful to use a fine-tip glue gun while doing this so you don’t end up with too much glue.
Once you’ve completed one strip, grab the next strip, add a dot of hot glue to one end, attach it, and continue rolling.
Next, let's add the second layer. Using the same technique, wrap the second layer around the first layer. The layer is slightly longer and should curl over the edge of the first layer.
Take your 3rd layer and wrap it around the second layer. I wrap some of the first few sections so they bend inward, and then the next few bend outward, and continue wrapping until you finish wrapping the 5th layer and watch your center grow.
Next, let's assemble the base.
Step Five: Assemble Base
To attach my flower heads to their stems I use a combination of a PVC pipe coupler on the back of the flower and attach it to the PVC pipe stem to connect them. You could also use a wooden dowel instead of a PVC pipe coupler. Refer to my Giant Poppy Flowers tutorial to learn how to make the stems and the base.
To create the base of the flower cut a styrofoam ball in half. Then hollow out a small opening on the rounded side for the PVC coupler to fit inside of. It should be slightly smaller than the coupler.
I like to place the opening just slightly off center so that once the flower is attached to the PVC pipe the face of the flower won’t be looking straight upward.
Add hot glue to the inside of the hole, then firmly insert the coupler into the hole and seal it with hot glue around the edges.
Use plenty of hot glue to secure the foam ball to the center of the daisy.
Step Six: Assemble Daisy Flower
Add Small Petals
After assembling the base, we can glue all our flower pieces together. Starting with the smaller petals, evenly space them around the entire center, and securely glued them to the back of the center.
Add Large Petals
Next, glue your large petals, spacing them out evenly and filling any negative space.
You might find it helpful to mark the placement for the large petals before you start gluing them to ensure they end up evenly spaced.
Another method is to layer each one on top of the one next to it or add them randomly.
I insert the end of the wire directly into the foam ball to add extra support to each petal.
If you end up with gaps, you can always cut an extra petal to fill it in.
Once you’re happy with the placement, add extra glue to adhere them into place, ensuring they are completely secure and won’t fall off.
Add Sepals
Flip the daisy over so it’s facing downward, and add the sepals to the back of the flower with plenty of hot glue. They should be overlapping each other.
Then, cut a small length of green crepe paper and use it to cover the tip of the PVC pipe coupler.
Flip the flower over so the right side is facing upwards, and shape the petals until you're happy with the result.
Finished Crepe Paper Daisy Flower
Once your flower has cooled completely, insert it into the PVC Pipe stem, and you'll have a giant standing flower!
Want to learn how to make the base and stem? Click here to find out how!
And there you go, a Giant Crepe Paper Daisy Flower! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and have a lot of fun making this daisy flower.
Don't want to forget about this project? Save it to Pinterest!
Check out these other blog posts if you want to learn how I made the giant poppy flower, fabric flower, and butterfly prop.
- How to Make Giant Crepe Paper Poppy Flowers
- How to Make a Giant Standing Organza Fabric Flower
- DIY Giant Wooden Butterfly Cut Out Party Prop
Happy crafting!
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