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Origami Flower -Beautiful, Easy and Fast to Fold

Origami flowers are usually easy to make and have the added benefit of not wilting –as quickly anyway, as natural flowers. They can be perfect gifts or used as festive decorations.

This six-petal flower is made with three rectangular units tied together with a piece of wire or pipe cleaner. It is informally known as the ”Pipe-cleaner Flower” and can be completed in the blink of an eye.

The following video demonstrates how to make this model. Additionally, you’ll learn how to embellish the flower and pick up a few tricks on coloring various papers for striking results.

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Some History of the Pipe-Cleaner Flower

The exact origin of this flower is not known, but according to several sources, it might have Mediterranean roots.

Gay Merrill Gross, a well-known author of origami books, learned a version of this flower in Israel, in 1976. That model was made with three squares and a long strip cut from the silver paper that lined cigarette packs. The three squares were used for the petals and the strip was twisted around the petals to hold them together and form a stem.

In a meeting at Lillian Oppenheimer’s Origami Center in New York City in 1979, Gay taught the flower to several people. Subsequently, the flower was made with rectangular pieces of paper and tied with a pipe-cleaner. The idea of using a pipe cleaner was most-likely implemented by Becky Berman, an art teacher.

Diagrams for the version shown here appeared in the OrigamiUSA 1991 Annual Collection. It is listed as a Modular Flower (Neo-Traditional) with diagrams by Mark Kennedy.

The flower from cigarette paper appeared in 1986 in the Italian book Fiori in Origami, by Guido Gazzera and identified by the name Margherita (Daisy). In this book Guido shows the petal units folded from three squares of paper, and the stem made from a twisted strip of the same paper. He also shows another unit, added below the flower, to make two leaves.

Yet another version of this model –made with cigarette foil paper, is found on the British Origami Society website. The caption reads: This design was folded by a barman in Cyprus! Diagrams by David Brill, 2000.

In her book Money Gami*, Gay Merrill Gross has featured some lovely versions of this flower under the name of “Mediterranean Daisy”. She shows how to make the flowers with different kinds of paper currency.

In another blog post here at Origami Spirit, I feature an origami sunflower of my own design based on the pipe-cleaner flower. The petals of my model have additional folds, and features a large octagonal center and a stem leaf.

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Tips and suggestions for making the pipe-cleaner flower

  • This six-petal origami flower is made with three rectangles of paper in the proportion 2:1, and a piece of wire.
  • In the video, the flower is demonstrated using kami paper, a thin paper made especially for origami.
  • All kinds of papers can be used to make this origami flower: recycled paper, regular office paper or fancier papers such as “Tant Paper” or onion skin paper would make good choices.
  • The finished flower shows only one side of the paper, so it is not necessary to use paper with a different color on each side.
  • To learn the model try using three rectangles of 6 × 3 inches (15 × 7.5cm)
  • Cut in a half a square of paper to obtain two of the desired rectangles.
  • Three squares, cut in half, result in six rectangles which is enough for two flowers.
  • Pipe-cleaner, craft wire, or any other flexible wire is perfect to use for this flower.
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Flowers made with colored recycled paper and beads at center

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Flowers made with black-and-white patterned papers and beads at center

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Paper to make these flowers was colored following a process described in the following video.

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29 thoughts on “Origami Flower -Beautiful, Easy and Fast to Fold”

  1. Leyla – Thank you so much for sharing your creative gift and time with your subscribers. I love to check out what you’re making next. You give me ideas for flowers on my porch this spring. I love the real thing but it’s fun and very satisfying to create something. I think God has put that in each of us because we reflect His image. God bless you

    Reply
  2. I am still so pleased that you make instructions so clear. Your narrative coordinates perfectly with what you show, and you don’t make any assumptions. Your relaxed voice is encouraging to try your creations.

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  3. Hello… I just wanted to say thank you for these wonderful video’s … I really enjoyed watching them. You a very good teacher . You explain everything so well and you make it look so easy… I can’t wait to try all these flowers…Hugs Cookie Merchant

    Reply
  4. Leia, I wrote you my son’s web-site. Thank you for teaching this lovely flowe.. So simple and beautiful. so happy i can teach my 7 y/0 students how to fold it. I put it in an origami container, made several of them and gave them s a gifts (Going to email you a picture).

    Denise

    Reply
  5. Leila,

    I left my son’s web-site.

    I love this flower. so simple and beautiful. I am so happy I can teach it to my 7 y/o students. I made several of them with the leaves put them in a an origami container and give them as gift. Everyone loves them. Going to send you a picture. Thanks so much!!!!

    Reply
  6. Note about the version in BOS website :
    Before his publication in the website, says in the year 2000 (so the copyright date), the diagram has been published in the BO Mag 110 from Febuary… 1985 !
    The model has been collected, in November 1984, by a couple of BOS members during their honeymoon in Cyprus.

    Reply
  7. La simplicidad y la belleza de esta pieza son fascinantes! Estoy deseando que llegue el girasol y la hoja también! ¡Qué hermosa hoja! Gracias Maestra Leyla!

    Reply
  8. What a charming flower! So many possibilities to vary this beautiful posy! Fantastic tutorial as always, Leyla. I also found the history of this little posy very interesting and thorough.
    Thank you Leyla,
    Rosemary

    Reply

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