Kusudama Flowers from Book Pages
Fold 5–6 paper units from old book pages, glue them into a ball, and stem with floral wire and tape. About 3 hours for a small bunch.
What You'll Need
- Old paperback pages
- PVA craft glue
- Floral wire 20 gauge
- Floral tape
- Craft scissors
- Ruler 12 inch
- HB pencils (pack)
Floral wire and tape are the specialty buys; use pages you already have.
Each flower is 5 or 6 identical folded units glued into a ball (kusudama). Uncoated paperback pages fold cleanly; glossy magazine stock does not. Budget about 3 hours for a small bunch, mostly folding.
Cut squares
Pull pages from a paperback. Mark 3×3 or 4×4 inch squares and cut them. One flower needs 5–6 squares the same size. Five flowers at 6 units = 30 squares.
Keep one size per flower. Mix sizes between flowers if you want a mixed bunch.
Fold one unit
1. Fold the square into a triangle, long edge at the bottom.
2. Fold the left and right bottom corners up to the top point (kite). Unfold those two corners.
3. Open each of those flaps and squash them into diamonds.
4. Fold the top corners of each diamond down to the center.
5. Fold the whole unit in half so the two main points meet; the small triangles tuck inside.
That’s one petal unit. Repeat until you have 5 or 6 per flower.
Glue a flower
Glue 5 or 6 units side to side into a ring, then close it into a ball. Hold each joint until the PVA sets. Let the flower dry before stemming.
Hot glue is faster and easier to burn fingers on. PVA is slower and cleaner on thin paper.
Stem
Push a 20-gauge floral wire into the base of the dry flower with a drop of glue. Wrap the wire in floral tape, stretching the tape as you go so it sticks to itself. Bunch stems in your hand; no ribbon required.
