DIY and Crafts: Crepe Paper Hibiscus

Crepe Paper Hibiscus

If you want to bring the tropics to your own home this summer, the best way to add some island flavor is by crafting beautiful tropical blooms for your home decor. In the past I designed a vibrant ombre hibiscus with bright oranges and hot pinks. As much as I love the color, vibrant hues do not always fit well incorporated into some home decor styles. My updated crepe paper hibiscus includes a new leaf design and an elegant white color scheme. I also used a special new technique to fuse two sheets of crepe paper together!

Crepe paper is a perfect material for making hibiscus flowers because it resembles the natural texture of the blooms. Hibiscus blooms are larger than many other flower blooms, and each flower features only 5 petals. Part of why I wanted to redesign this flower was to create an updated version with my extra fine crepe paper line. While the extra fine paper is gorgeous for highlighting intricate details of flowers, it isn’t always the best for larger petals because it can become flimsy. To work around this, I decided to fuse two sheets of crepe together so that the petals could be thicker. The key material for this technique is stitch witchery, which is basically a glue for fabric. You can find stitch witchery at any local fabric store. It comes in rolls similar to tape or in bolts just like other fabrics.

Fuse the crepe paper together by cutting a sheet of stitch witchery the same size as your two sheets of crepe. For this crepe paper hibiscus bunch, I used the White color from my line for the petals, Vanilla for the centers, and Cypress for the leaves. Place the stitch witchery between your crepe pieces, then cover with a cloth napkin. Iron the paper with the cloth napkin between the iron and the crepe. Once the stitch witchery melts, the paper is successfully fused! I love this technique because it allows you to create crepe at any thickness that you want. You can also use this technique to create your own double sided crepe!

After your paper is fused, print the PDF template below. Use each piece of the template as a guide for cutting your crepe, making sure that you are cutting with the grain of the crepe. Next, follow the crepe paper hibiscus photo tutorial to craft your blooms. Because the blooms are big, one flower can be such a beautiful accent by itself. You can wear one in your hair, or you can make a whole bouquet to display in your living room. It all depends on how you want to add your tropical accent to your life!

Browse all of our crepe paper projects to find plenty of other blooms you can make with this gorgeous material, and head over to our crepe shop to pick out your colors! I would love to see the crepe paper hibiscus flowers that you are creating, so please share your photos with me on Instagram using #DIYDreamingWithLia or emailing them to hello@liagriffith.com. Always feel free to write in with paper flower or other project suggestions, I love to surround myself with as much inspiration as possible! See you soon ~ Lia