Get Your Flower Fix Any Time of Year with these Faux Tutorials
Fall is a time to pile on comfy textures, introduce richer color palettes, have fun with Halloween decor or just fill your home with pumpkins. The downside? Fresh, seasonal flowers are now few and far between, unless you have a strong passion for mums.
While you can count on silk flowers, the selection at most craft stores is often two seasons ahead of what you might currently need and tends to feel a bit fussy. Instead, it’s better to just make your own to create the precise look you want. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite DIY blooms (and foliage!) that would make a welcome addition for your fall and winter decor, from simple eucalyptus paper leaf wreaths like the one from
This stunning paper magnolia bouquet by Lia Griffith was originally made for a summer centerpiece. However, the muted colors definitely are fall-appropriate.
The House That Lars Built is another favorite source of ours for incredible DIY paper flowers. These charming paper parrot tulips are a lovely reminder of spring blooms, but their white-and-red color scheme is very appropriate for the upcoming holiday season.
Before you start with an impressive project, nail down the basics of working with crepe paper as you create these DIY crepe paper peonies from Gathering Beauty.
For a houseplant you will never be able to kill, make this charming paper Peruvian Maidenhair fern from The Apple of My DIY.
Or, you can create your own crepe paper succulents in this DIY from Ashland Crafts.
Swedish blogger Helena Lyth made these simple paper cherry blossom branches using coffee filters. Though you’ll have to translate the page to read the instructions, the step-by-step photos are simple to follow on their own.
Pocket of Posies offers up a tutorial for making a floral garland that makes a fabulous decoration for birthdays, but it can work any time of year. Make it in rich colors like burgundy, orange and plum for a more “fall” look.
Dreamy Posy offers a ton of templates and instructions for making flowers out of everyday materials — like the coffee filters used to make these gorgeous ranunculus flowers.
These fun faux zinnias from The Decorated Cookie start with a recognizable fall item: pinecones. The easy tutorial also makes a great rainy day craft idea for kids and adults alike.
Claire from Pillar Box Blue also up-cycled something familiar to create her paper roses. This time, the material of choice was a map. It’s a quirky cute idea that is also a good way to try your hand at floral crafting.
Playing with scale also yields very charming results, like these oversized flower votive holders created by Ohoh Blog for Dream a Little Bigger.
For the ultimate fall flower DIY, follow the instructions from Scissors and Sage to create blooms made from autumn leaves. Just imagine how gorgeous this would be with a brilliant range of red, orange and yellow leaves.
If the fall color is a little disappointing in your neck of the woods, no worries. Just make your own colorful leaves for a DIY wreath by Country Hill Cottage.
Of course, The House That Lars Built has the perfect paper fall leaf garland. You can use this through October and November as an indoor above-the-door swag, mantel decor or as a runner down your table.