Flamingo paper flower

Download the template and print it out. Cut out the template and remember to add the arrows, so you know how to place the template on the crepe paper. The arrows only need to be added to the template, and you can easily align them with the lines in the crepe paper.

Outline the template twice on the crepe paper with a pencil and cut these out, so you have two petals. Using the glue gun, glue the centre of the two petals together along the straight side. There should be an overlap of about 0.5 cm.

Take three pipe cleaners and one metal stick. Fold one of the pipe cleaners at the middle and bend one of the sides halfway up. Glue it onto one side of the metal stick with the glue gun, so the pipe cleaner follows the metal stick. Glue the other two pipe cleaners onto the metal stick in both ends with the glue gun, so they also follow the metal stick.

Cut a band of yellow crepe paper and even it out with your fingers. Add craft glue all along the length of the band and glue the band onto the top of the folded pipe cleaner. Twist the band around the pipe cleaner.

Now cut a band of green crepe paper, event it out with your fingers and add craft glue to the entire band. Now, twist it around the other two pipe cleaners. If you band is not long enough to reach the bottom of the pipe cleaners, you can simply cut off the excess bits of the pipe cleaners and metal stick with side-cutting pliers. Now, you have a stem.

Blend a mix of green watercolours in a glass of water. Dip about half of the yellow part of the stem in the coloured water and let the stem dry. Repeat this step a few times until the stem has taken on colour and a transition from green to yellow is visible.

Once the yellow part of the stem has got a nice colour with the watercolour, you can glue your petals on it with the glue gun. This is done by cutting a notch into the middle of the petal and placing glue onto the metal stick where the green crepe paper starts. Then place the petal onto the stem, and fold it around the glue, and lightly fold down the petals.