How to Make Origami Kusudama Flowers (Quick Overview)
To make an origami kusudama flower, fold five paper squares into petals, then glue the five petals together into a single bloom. Each petal starts as a square folded into a triangle, then a diamond, with squash folds to shape it. Wrapping paper with a grid on the back makes cutting the squares quick and easy. Here is the full step by step with photos.
Making origami Kusudama flowers with wrapping paper is a fun, easy craft and they can be used in so many ways! You can make them any size by cutting different sized squares out of any thin, paper material. I’ve used newspaper, magazines, origami paper and wrapping paper which is my favorite. Some wrapping paper has a grid on the back which makes it really easy to cut squares of any size. These are great decor not just for the holidays!
Here is how you make them step by step and the supplies needed!
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Step 1: Choose your wrapping paper. I’m using a light brown paper with white snowflakes since this will ultimately be a Christmas tree ornament! I also chose this because of the grid on the back which makes it easy to cut squares without having to measure.
Step 2: Choose the size square. For this flower, I’m using a 4×4 grid on the back of the wrapping paper. Cut the squares with craft scissors or a paper trimmer. You’ll need 5 squares for each flower.
Step 3: Start with the back of the wrapping paper face up and fold point to point, making a triangle.
Step 4: Next, fold point to point from both sides so you have a diamond shape.
It should look like this now.
Step 5: Squash fold each side that you previously folded up. It should look like a kite on both sides.
It should look like this.
Step 6: Next, fold back the overhanging point to reveal the back side of the paper. Line it up with the fold beneath it. Repeat on both sides.
Now it should look like this!
Step 7: Fold over the two sides along the crease in the middle.
Should now look like this. Each one of these is a single petal. You will need five petals to make one flower. Repeat the previous steps to make 4 more petals.
Make as many petals as you like to create multiple flowers.
Step 8: Glue the folded sides together to make each petal. They should look like cones.
Step 9: Glue 5 petals together to make a flower.
Origami Kusudama Flower FAQs
What paper works best for kusudama flowers?
Any thin paper that holds a crease. I have used newspaper, magazine pages, and origami paper, but wrapping paper is my favorite. Wrapping paper with a grid printed on the back makes cutting even squares fast and easy.
How many squares do you need per flower?
Five. Each square folds into one petal, and you glue five petals together to form one flower. Cut more squares if you want to make several flowers at once.
What size should the squares be?
Whatever size you like. I used a 4 by 4 square from the grid on the back of the paper. Bigger squares make bigger flowers, so scale the squares up or down to fit your project.
Is this an easy beginner origami project?
Yes. The folds are simple and repeat the same way for every petal, so once you make one petal the rest go quickly. A little glue holds everything together.
What can I use the flowers for?
Lots of things. They make Christmas tree ornaments, gift toppers, garlands, and everyday decor. Group several together to make a kusudama flower ball.
That’s it! You just made a Kusudama flower! In the next blog post, I will show you how to make a Kusudama flower ball Christmas ornament. They are great to hang on the tree and also make nice gifts. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss it!
About the author: I’m Selene Teitelbaum, the DIYer behind Selene Builds Things. I share seasonal crafts, home projects, and beginner friendly tutorials so anyone can make something they are proud of. More about me.
