The New Art of Paper Flowers

October 21, 2024
This eye-catching if demanding debut manual from paper artist Nguyen shows how to create flowers from crepe paper. Breaking down basic techniques, Nguyen describes how to make realistic leaves by joining two pieces of green crepe paper so their grains run diagonally away from each other, and how to curve crepe petals by gently rolling them between one’s fingers. Unfortunately, the scant photo illustrations and sometimes vague directions make certain techniques difficult to follow, such as those for modifying the color of paper. Among the easier projects is the pansy, which requires painting purple accents onto large red petals and attaching them to green wire stems covered in floral tape. The more advanced foxglove involves painting dots on enough petals to create 30 florets, and the dahlia requires cutting out and curling 80 individual petals of varying sizes. Nguyen also describes how to incorporate the flowers into wearables and floral arrangements, including a headpiece and a heart-shaped bridal bouquet. The flowers are stunningly realistic, though readers may need quite a bit of practice before theirs resemble Nguyen’s. This challenges and rewards in equal measure.