An intro to the versatile and colorful dahlia paper flower by Kate Alarcon of The Cobra Lily

Dahlias are one of the most interesting flowers to make from paper. They come in so many drastically different varieties, ranging from very tiny delicate balls to bold flowers the size of dinner plates. Some look like colorful fireworks, others like sea creatures and still others like a honeycomb. One of the reasons for all this diversity of form is actually in the dahlia’s genes. Most plants have two sets of chromosomes. Dahlias have eight. This allows for more genetic combinations and variations, which is why cultivars of the same flower can vary so dramatically.

That jewel-like color and luster of dahlia petals also have a scientific explanation.

The visual intensity is partly to compensate for the fact that dahlias don’t attract pollinators using scent but only color. While a rose might lure a bee by using a sweet perfume, a grassy-smelling dahlia must rely on its good looks.

To tackle this amazing paper flower tutorial, I left the blooms to Quynh. She has created tons of realistic varieties and shaped thousands of dahlia petals. I took on the dahlia buds, which can look bizarre with the random way the petals unfurl. To see what I mean, check out all the buds I pinned on our Pinterest board.

You can have lots of fun with these dahlias. You can add similar tones on top of a single color of crepe paper, which will create variation but keep things cohesive. You can also use UV spray on your green extra-fine crepe to give the bracts that translucent look, but Design Master Olive Bright could be used instead to achieve the same color. These dahlias are so much fun to play with!

Some things to keep in mind as you make your flower:

The dahlia has around sixty petals. You can add glue to several at a time, allow the glue to slightly absorb, and apply them all at once. 

• For a variegated finish, try Quynh’s special technique for painting and stretching crepe.
• I think the coolest takeaway from this tutorial is the shaping tool Quynh discovered and her method for creating the perfect dahlia petal edge. It takes a little bit of practice to get the hang of, but this tool is going to be a staple on my worktable. Such a great skill to learn.

Don’t forget to share your amazing paper flowers with us! We’d love to see what you create! 

Share it with the hashtag #theposeybox

Happy Making!