Cricut Paper Flowers for Beginners
If you haven’t tried making Cricut paper flowers, you’re missing out on one of the best (and easiest) crafts. Paper flowers are perfect for cards, posters, and gift tags. I’m sharing several designs from Cricut Design Space to get you up and running with any Cricut machine, including the Cricut Joy.
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Many tutorials show how to make giant paper flowers for bridal showers and special events. I’ve written articles about tissue paper pom-poms and DIY paper roses that look great for party decor and centerpieces.
For this project, I wanted to push my Cricut Joy to the limits to show a wide range of flowers you can make in various styles…even with the smallest cutting mats.
If the Cricut Joy can make flowers as large as 3-4 inches in width, imagine the possibilities with larger machines like the Cricut Explore 4, Cricut Maker 4, or Cricut Venture.
Just increase the size of each of these designs to create bigger flowers if you have a larger machine.
I hope no one will shy away from this craft. You can literally start making flowers in just 5-10 minutes. All designs are linked to Cricut Design Space too (see below).
Watch This Tutorial (2 Mins)
Watch the brief video below to learn how to assemble all the flowers featured in this tutorial.
Types of Cricut Paper Flowers
There are many different styles for Cricut paper flowers. Here are some of the basics, from easiest to hardest:
- Layered flowers – These designs are simply layers of petals that nest inside each other to form a flower. The pink hibiscus with the yellow center and the two succulents fit into this category.
- Rolled flowers – These designs are cut as a single spiral shape that you roll up into a 3-D flower shape. The four smaller flowers fit into this category.
- Combination – Some designs have a center rolled shape and petals that you attach individually from the center. The purple rose uses this structure.
Best Designs for Paper Flowers
Many years ago, Cricut offered only 10 designs for paper flowers (using the old cartridge system). Now, there are countless designs you can make!
I’ll link some of my favorites, which you can find under my profile in Cricut Design Space.
Follow Me on Cricut DS!
To see many pre-formatted designs, you can follow me on Cricut Design Space. I have blog tutorials for many of the projects listed there too.
How to Make Cricut Paper Flowers
To make paper flowers, you’ll need colored cardstock, craft glue, and a few tools like a quilling tool.
I like 65 lb cardstock because it’s thin enough to shape the flowers, but you can also use a heavier weight like 80 lb, depending on your project.
Supplies
- Cricut Joy or any other Cricut machine
- Cricut Joy Cutting Mat or Cricut Joy 4.5 x 12″ mat
- Colored cardstock
- Craft glue (preferred), hot glue, or roller adhesive
- Paper quilling tool
- Distress ink or acrylic paint (optional)
- Blending brushes (optional)
Some crafters enjoy using hot glue when working on paper crafts, but I’ve recently discovered a precision glue I love. It has multiple tips for fine details, making it easier to work with small petals.
Formatting the Designs in Cricut Design Space
For this tutorial, I used several designs from Cricut Design Space, several of which are free. For the designs that are not free, you can either purchase a Cricut Access subscription or buy the designs a la carte.
Cricut Design Space Flower Templates
To preview all of these designs, please see this post in my Cricut Design Space profile.
If you plan to do regular Cricut crafting, I highly recommend getting a Cricut Access subscription since it saves money in the long run.
Cricut Paper Flowers – Troubleshooting
Cutting Mats
Some patterns with multiple layers and petals may require a longer cutting mat or multiple batches to process all of the shapes. Follow the prompts in the software to load materials in batches, if necessary.
Multi-colored Flowers
Some of the flowers require different colors across all of the layers. Simply change the colors in the software to determine which layers you want to cut on the same color cardstock.
Resizing the Designs
If you don’t see any option to select a cutting mat, you may need to shrink your design to fit your mat. In some cases, you can use Cricut Smart Paper to load the material directly without a mat.
I typically choose Medium Cardstock (80 lb) as my Base Material for paper flowers.
If your machine is not cutting through your flowers, add more pressure to your cut settings. You can also choose a lighter-weight material setting if the blade is cutting into the mat.
Assembling a Cricut Rolled Flower
- After cutting the design, gently pull the cutting mat away from the paper (as opposed to pulling the paper and bending it).
- Starting at the outermost end of the spiral, insert the paper into the small slot of the quilling tool. Begin gently rolling the flower in toward the center of the spiral.
- Glue the rolled spiral onto the bottom tab.
- For larger flowers, shape the petals by bending the outermost petals back away from the center.
Tip: Adding Texture
For added dimension, use distress ink or acrylic paint to dab paint onto the edges of the petals. This gives a nice variation in color that looks more realistic. A blending brush or pouncer works well for this technique.
Ways to Use Paper Flowers
Paper flowers can add a special touch to greeting cards, gift tags, or party decor. You can even gather a collection of paper flowers for home decor like DIY wreaths or banners.
Here’s a look at a mimosa bar decor and bridal shower decor using paper flowers and tissue paper pom-poms.
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