Learn how to make DIY cherry blossoms from paper with my free patterns!
When I lived in Japan in the late ’80s, I was invited to a hanami 花見 party (a picnic under the cherry blossoms). The party was full of mystery and the heady scent of spring. It’s a treasured memory of mine. And it’s time once again for the cherry blossoms, which are due to blossom any day now in Kyoto, the city I lived). So let’s celebrate with some pretty paper cherry blossom flowers!
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Cherry blossoms in Japan are called sakura (さくら) and they are a metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life, probably because they come and go so quickly. The wonderful thing about paper cherry blossom flowers is they’ll last SO very much longer and you can enjoy them year-round. Paper flowers are fun to make and look amazing as decor for your home or a party.
The park I picnicked under the cherry blossoms is called the Maruyama Park, and it’s famous for its cherry blossoms. Here are some of those gorgeous cherry blossoms at the park:
I’ve tried to capture all the pretty pale pinks and bright spring greens in these paper versions of the cherry blossom. I’m really pleased with the results of my cherry blossom DIY. And the best thing is that they’re easy to make!
By the way, you could easily use white paper and call these apple blossom flowers, if you prefer! (If you like apple blossoms, be sure to check out my pop-up apple tree card.)
I can’t wait to show you how to make paper cherry blossom flowers! Let’s dive in! This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Read my full disclosure policy.
Paper Cherry Blossom Flower Materials
- 65 lb. pastel shimmer cardstock OR crepe paper OR tissue paper (I used DCWV Shimmer Pastels card stock and extra fine crepe paper)
- Glue (precision art glue or a hot glue gun)
- A way to cut out your paper (I used a Cricut Explore Air to cut the card stock and a Cricut Maker to cut the crepe paper)
- Design #94 – The free SVG/DXF/PDF cut files/patterns (they are in my resource library — to get the password to it, fill out the form at the bottom of this post)
How to Make Paper Cherry Blossom Flowers
First, cut out your cardstock, tissue paper, or crepe paper using Design #94 which is the free SVG, DXF, or PDF files in my resource library. Feel free to resize the cherry blossom to meet your needs, but note there are two different sizes of petals and you should try to keep their size the same relative to one another. Also, note that there are two different centers—one is more detailed and complicated, and works better for larger cherry blossoms.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you’re not sure how to upload an SVG file to Cricut Design Space, or you’re having issues (such as getting a message that says “unsupported file”), please watch my free training series, SVGs Made Simple. It will help you SO much!
Shape the petals gently with your fingers, pressing them up slightly and/or folding/cupping the petals, to give the petals more depth.
To make your paper cherry blossom flowers as I did, glue the larger petal under the smaller petal. You can line them up or rotate them so the petals show better. Some cherry blossoms have just five petals, though, so feel free to not stack them if you prefer.
Shape a center stamen piece (star shape) so the stamens stick up a bit. Now glue the sepal to the middle of the top of your petal.
Glue a leaf or two underneath the paper cherry blossom flower.
Here’s a finished paper cherry blossom made with shimmer cardstock.
And here’s a finished DIY cherry blossom flower made with extra fine crepe paper.
Aren’t they lovely?
And that’s it—your paper cherry blossom flower is complete. You can use these paper flowers to decorate a card or even put them on a real branch, just the way real cherry blossoms grow. Here is a branch with some of my paper cherry blossoms. I’ll be keeping this pretty branch out on display all spring.
Looking for cherry blossom decor ideas? I actually made these paper cherry blossoms for another purpose—to decorate some paper Japanese lanterns I made. If you’d like to make these gorgeous lanterns, head on over to the tutorial to get the free patterns!
Free Cut Files for the Paper Cherry Blossom Flowers
You can get the password to my resource library that has ALL of my free cut files in it by filling out this form:
If you make these paper cherry blossom flowers, I’d really love to see them! You can email your photos to [email protected] or post them in our Facebook group and I will include them on this page for the world to see!
Love,
More Paper Flower Tutorials & SVG Cut Files
View all my paper flowers here.
Want to remember this? Save the Paper Cherry Blossom Flowers to Your Favorite DIY Pinterest Board!
Thank you for another beautiful project!
Just wanted to say thank you. I have made the Cherry Blossom Lantern as a wedding card for some lovely young friends who are keen on all things Japanese. The lantern looks beautiful and wasn’t too difficult to make. I am very grateful for the effort you put into making all these resources available.
Having been in Washington DC on 9/11/01 and the year afterward, the cherry blossom festival in the following spring, and the daffodils that grew along Rt. 50 across from the Pentagon were the symbols that lifted my heart. Spring’s gift was more welcome after the tragic fall and the winter-long grief. Both flowers bring a special remembrance that brings me renewed confidence that tomorrow will come, the sun will rise, and life does indeed go on. Yes, I will make cherry blossoms. Thank you, Jennifer.