How To Make a Crepe Paper Floral Garland for Christmas

Instructions

STEP 1: GET MY FREE PAPER FLORAL GARLAND DESIGNS

First, download my Paper Floral Garland designs from my free library -- look for Design #551. Alternatively, you can use the Save This Project form near the top of this post and the design link will be emailed to you.

The SVG file includes designs for one 8” wide poinsettia (12 red bract or “petal” pieces and two bright green stamen pieces), six green holly leaf pieces to make a 6” wide holly stem, and two green rectangular pine needle pieces for a single 7” tall pine branch. You will notice that the poinsettia bracts (the red shapes) and the holly leaves are oriented diagonally in the file. This ensures that the grain of the crepe paper is running in the correct direction when the pieces are cut.

Upload the file to Design Space to get started.

TIP: If you’re not sure how to upload, go to jennifermaker.com/svgs to learn how to unzip and upload SVG files.

STEP 2: PREPARE YOUR DESIGN

CRICUT DESIGN SPACE

1. Open Cricut Design Space and click “New Project.”

2. Click “Upload” and then “Upload Image.”

3. Click “Browse.”

4. Select the SVG file.

5. On the Prepare to Upload screen,  it will say “Cut image” with the design preview.

6. Click “Upload.”

7. Find your design in Recent Uploads and add it to the Canvas.

8. Click the minus (-) sign to zoom out and see the entire design.

9. Click the Ungroup icon.

10. Duplicate any pieces you would like to cut more of by selecting the layer and clicking the Duplicate icon. 

NOTE: For my 6’ garland, I made five poinsettias, six holly stems, and eight pine branches. If you would like to do the same, you will need to duplicate both sets of poinsettia bracts and stamens four times, the holly leaves five times, and the pine needle pieces three times (or seven times if you would like fuller branches).

11. Change the color of any pieces based on the crepe paper colors you’ll be using by selecting the layer, clicking the color swatch next to Operation, and choosing a new color.

12. Your layers are ready to cut!

IMPORTANT: Do not rotate any of the pieces on the Canvas or the Prepare Screen. If you do, your crepe paper grain will not be facing the correct direction on your cut pieces.

13. Make sure the correct machine is selected in the top right.

14. Click “Make It.”

15. If prompted, click "On Mat," choose your mat size, and click “Confirm.”

16. On the Prepare Screen, you should have 16 mats if you’re making the same garland I am (two red poinsettias, two white poinsettias, one dark red poinsettia, six sets of holly leaves, and eight pieces of pine needles in two different greens).

17. Move the pieces on the mats so nothing extends below the horizontal 10” mark. Select an object you’d like to move, click the three dots in the upper left, choose “Move object,” and select a new mat of the same color with open space to place it. Remember, do NOT rotate any of the pieces.

18. Select the first mat again and click “Continue.” 

CUTTING

1. On the Make Screen, click “Browse All Materials.”

2. Search for and select the Fabric setting “Medium Fabrics (like Cotton).”

3. Leave the Pressure at Default and select the “Remember material settings” box.

4. Hold your crepe paper roll horizontally (so the lines are vertical) and use scissors to cut a piece slightly wider than the area your first mat's pieces cover. Do NOT stretch the paper.

5. Place your cut piece face up on a StrongGrip machine mat.

IMPORTANT: Make sure the grain of your paper is running vertically on the mat. Also make sure you’re using a clean, sticky mat.

6. Roll a brayer along the entire piece of crepe paper with firm pressure to fully adhere it to the mat.

7. Load your Rotary Blade into Clamp B.

8. Press the flashing “Load/Unload” button to load the prepared mat into your Cricut. 

9. Press the flashing “Go” button to begin cutting.

10. Before unloading your mat, check to see if the cut went all the way through. If not, press the start button for another pass.

11. If everything cut smoothly, unload the mat, flip it over onto your work surface, and gently roll it back to release the paper.

TIP: Try to remove the pieces by pulling them away from the mat in the same direction as the paper grain so you don’t stretch them. You can also use a spatula to carefully remove any intricate parts and scissors to cut away any small areas still attached to the paper sheet. If you have trouble with any of your cuts, check out my Cricut Tips & Tricks for Cleaner Cuts.

12. Follow steps 4-11 to cut and remove the rest of your pieces.

TIP: As you remove pieces from the mat, organize them into separate stacks for each flower, holly stem, and pine branch.

STEP 3: ASSEMBLE YOUR PAPER FLORAL GARLAND

POINSETTIAS

1. Use wire cutters and a tape measure or ruler to cut a piece of floral wire about 8” long for the flower stem.

2. Grab the two stamen pieces and shape them. Stretch the very tip of each stamen (the rounded part) horizontally to widen it at the top.

3. Apply a line of glue a few inches long at one end of the straight bottom edge on the smaller stamen piece.

TIP: If your crepe paper isn’t the same color on both sides, add glue to the front/pretty side and wrap the stamen piece so the back side is facing out. This way, when you look at the attached and fluffed stamen from the top, you’ll be able to see the pretty side of the paper.

4. Attaching just the glued section, wrap the stamen around one end of the floral wire piece.

5. Continue wrapping the stamen around the wire, adding more glue as you go.

6. After the entire small stamen piece is attached, add glue to the larger stamen piece and wrap it around the small one.

7. Follow steps 3-5 to wrap the large stamen piece.

8. Cut a piece of floral tape 8-10” long and give it a gentle stretch to activate the stickiness.

9. Wrap the floral tape around the bottom of the attached stamen pieces to secure them to the stem.

NOTE: Pull gently as you wrap – this encourages the tape to stick to itself.

10. Fluff the stamen pieces by separating them from each other and gently pushing all the tips outward.

11. Cut three 6” pieces and three 8” pieces of floral wire for the three small and three large poinsettia bracts.

12. Straighten the wire pieces if needed before attaching anything to them.

13. Find the 12 bract half pieces and match them up along their straight edges to create three small bracts (petals) and three large bracts. 

NOTE: Make sure the paper grain for each bract is lined up so it makes a “V” shape like the veins of a real flower.

14. Apply a line of glue to the straight edge of one small bract half, about 1/16” from the edge.

15. Attach a 6” long wire piece to the glued area starting approximately ½” below the tip of the bract. Allow it to dry for at least 15 seconds.

NOTE: Be careful not to stretch the bract piece as you attach the wire. If the piece is curled, you may need to hold it in place with your fingers until the glue dries.

16. Apply another line of glue on top of the attached wire section and at the very tip of the piece.

17. Place the straight edge of your matching small bract half on top of the glue, starting at the bottom of the bract and sandwiching the wire between both pieces.

NOTE: The overlapped area in the center of the bract halves should be about ⅛” wide.

18. Set the assembled bract aside to dry completely.

19. Follow steps 14-18 to attach the rest of your bract half pairs, making sure to attach small bracts to 6” wire pieces and large bracts to 8” wire pieces.

20. Cut the overlapped areas at the tips of each completed bract to make a perfect point at the top.

21. Gently curve the wire of each bract outward to create a slight upward arch from the bottom of the stem to the top.

22. Shape your completed bracts by stretching the crepe paper along the outer edges of each one. Using both hands, pinch a section of the paper between your thumb and forefinger and pull outward against the grain to stretch the bract in that area and make a gentle wave in the paper.

23. Repeat step 22 along the entire edge of each bract. When finished, your bracts should look similar to mine.

24. Arrange the three small bracts around the stem piece, aligning the base of the bracts with the top of the floral tape on the stamen.

25. Cut a piece of floral tape 8-10” long, stretch it, and then wrap it around the stems of the small bracts to secure them to the longer poinsettia stem.

26. Follow step 25 to attach the three large bracts to the stem just below the small bracts.

27. Bend and arrange the attached bracts so they’re evenly spaced around the center of the stamen.

28. Your first poinsettia is complete!

29. Follow steps 1-27 for the rest of your poinsettias.

HOLLY STEMS

1. Cut three pieces of floral wire approximately 5.25” long for the leaf stems.

2. To make the leaves, follow the POINSETTIAS steps 12-21 above.

3. When you’re finished, your three holly leaves should look similar to mine.

4. Cut a piece of floral tape approximately 4” long and stretch it.

5. Grab three holly berries and wrap their wire stems together with the tape.

6. Cut another piece of floral tape 8-10” long and stretch it.

7. Arrange the three assembled leaves around the berries so each one is in between two berries and the bottom of each leaf is aligned with the bottom of the berry spheres.

8. Wrap the floral tape around the leaf stems to secure them to the berries’ stems.

9. Your first holly stem is complete!

10. Follow steps 1-8 for the rest of your holly.

PINE BRANCHES

1. Cut a piece of floral wire about 8” long.

2. Grab one of the pine needle pieces. Apply a couple inches of glue at one end of the straight bottom edge on the back of the piece. Try not to get any glue on the top part of the piece with the pine needle strips.

3. Start wrapping the glued end around the top of the floral wire, angling the strip of paper slightly downward as you wrap.

4. Continue adding glue to the bottom of the paper piece in small sections. Wrap each glued section around the wire, gradually moving down the wire until you reach the end of the pine needle strip.

TIP: It’s OK if you stretch the crepe paper as you wrap. It’s also OK if you get glue on the outside of the pine needles – it will dry clear and won’t be noticeable after fluffing the needles.

5. If you would like a longer or fuller pine branch, attach a second pine needle piece following steps 2-4 above.

6. Cut off any unused portion of your second piece with scissors, leaving about 2” at the bottom of the stem.

7. Fluff the needles after the glue is dry by pulling each one outward and downward away from the stem.

8. Your first pine branch is complete!

9. Follow steps 1-8 for the rest of your pine branches.

ASSEMBLE THE GARLAND

1. Using wire cutters, cut the thick brown floral wire to length for your garland base. Cut your piece about a foot longer than you think you’ll need. My garland is about 6’ long, so I cut 7’ of wire.

2. Loop the wire over at each end by about two to three inches. Wrap the ends of the loops around the wire base a few times to secure them.

3. Arrange your poinsettias evenly across the length of the garland. The space between them will depend on the number of poinsettias you made and the length of your garland wire. Mine were about 11 inches apart.

4. Wrap the flower stems around the garland base, leaving about two inches of stem loose at the base of each flower. 

5. Wrap the remaining stem length tightly to secure it to the garland.

6. Arrange the pine branches and holly leaves in between the attached poinsettias and at the ends of the garland as you see fit.

7. Wrap the holly stems and pine branches around the garland wire the same way you wrapped the poinsettia stems. 

NOTE: You don’t need to leave any of the stem wire loose for these – you can wrap the whole stem around the garland starting at the base of the holly or pine branch.

8. When you’re happy with the placement of everything, wrap 8-10” long pieces of floral tape in sections around the entire garland wire base to secure everything and hide the wrapped stems.

STEP 4: SHOW IT OFF!

Here is my finished paper floral garland! Doesn’t it look so real?

You can display yours on a mantel or drape it over a railing. You can even make some separate poinsettias, holly stems, or pine branches to display in a vase or around your home!