How to Make an Origami Flower for the Day of the Dead – Leyla Torres

This origami flower and leaf makes a marvelous head ornament when creating a “Calavera Catrina”, a cultural Mexican icon and an integral part of the of the Day of the Dead celebrations.

If this origami flower is made with orange paper, it looks like a flower known as Spanish Eye (Thunbergia Alata). There is a slight difference between a real flower and the model though, as the origami version has four petals, not five. The dark center of the origami model is made by inserting a tiny black paper square and then locking it with a few folds.

The language of flowers expresses many different sentiments. In addition to making a marvelous head ornament for an origami skull, this origami flower can be used to embellish a greeting card such as birthday, get well, sympathy, or thank-you card. It is also holds its own as a stand-alone model.

The following video will demonstrate how to make this flower and leaf.

Tips and suggestions for making the origami flower and leaf

The origami flower and the leaf are both made with square pieces of paper.
A 6×6-inch (15x15cm.) square is perfect for learning each of these models.
If you are making a flower as an accessory for an origami skull, use a square whose side measures one third the side of the square used for the skull. (Shown in the video)
The dark center of the origami flower is made by inserting a tiny black paper square and then locking it with a few folds.
Make the leaf with a paper of the same size as the flower.
The finished origami flower and the leaf show only one side of the paper. It’s not necessary to use paper with a different color on each side.
Both the flower and the leaf are flat. To flatten them after folding leave them under a book overnight.