{crafts} Seed Paper Flowers For Summer Wedding Centerpieces & Bouquets

Weddings can come with a flurry of materials that are often tossed after the event, so finding some waste-free alternatives to a few key elements is a great way to make your celebration more eco-friendly.

Flowers are one element that can be particularly wasteful since there are a lot of resources and emissions involved in growing and shipping them and they don’t last very long. That’s why paper flowers (preferably made from recycled material) are an excellent alternative for bouquets and centerpieces. They last longer than real flowers and won’t wilt in the sun if your wedding is outdoors on a hot day. They can also save you tons of money since real flowers can get pricey.

To make sure there is no waste left behind, use seed paper so you can plant the flowers in soil after to grow a garden of wildflowers! It’s made from 100% post-consumer and post-industrial material and will biodegrade when planted in soil.

Take a look at this tutorial to learn how to make basic seed paper flowers for centerpieces and bouquets:

Here’s What You Need

• Seed paper (We used pastel pink, pastel blue, pastel lavender, and white)
• Scissors
• Glue
• Pencil
• Wooden skewers

Step 1: Cut paper into several 10×10 cm, 7×7 cm, and 4×4 cm squares using paper in a variety of colors.

Step 2: Fold one of the large squares corner-to-corner to make a large triangle. Fold twice more to create a smaller triangle.

Step 3: Trace a semi-circle onto the triangle. Make sure the semi-circle is along the “open” and “folded” sides of the triangle, as this will create your petal shape.

Step 4: Cut along the semicircle line. Unfold the paper, showing a 2-dimensional, 8-petal flower shape.

Step 5: Cut off one of the petals. Glue the two petals on either side of the gap together, to create a 3D flower.

Step 6: Now it’s time to get creative! Using the other squares, repeat steps 2-5 to create smaller 3D flowers. Add the smaller flowers to the center of the larger flower, for a layered look. You can also keep the smaller flowers separate to add different sizes of flowers to your bouquet. Using different shapes of paper, add different colors and layers to your flower. Remember to have fun with it and be creative!

Step 7: To attach a “stem” to your flower, add a drop of glue to the bottom of your flower and attach a wooden skewer.

Last, simply arrange your seed paper flowers in a bouquet or in a vase to use as a centerpiece.

Note: When you’re ready to plant the paper flowers, you can remove the skewer and put it in a compost bin. The seed paper can be planted under a thin layer of soil in a spot that gets plenty of sunlight and moisture. 

You can buy seed paper sheets for your eco-friendly paper and gardening projects from Botanical PaperWorks. We have a variety of seed options including wildflower, herb, and veggie, and over 25 seed paper colors. Join our mailing list to receive emails with freebies, projects, coupons, green living tips, and decor ideas and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest