January's Flower is the Carnation - let's make a paper flower with a free SVG pattern template.
My latest project is to make a free paper flower pattern and SVG download for each months respective flower and we are starting off with the carnation. I am pretty happy the carnation was the first one to start off the year because this template is a great beginner paper flower to assemble. I am excited to make these SVGs for you to download each month as we challenge ourselves as crafters! As the year goes on, the flowers will become more detailed and vary in so many ways!
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Mobile users either turn phone or watch the YouTube tutorial here.
Materials and Tools Needed for the Paper Carnations
These flowers are semi-customizable because the color combos are nearly endless. You can make plain carnations, color the edges, or the centers!
- A cutting machine - I used my Cricut machines as well as my Silhouette portrait!
- Cardstock paper - I used both letter sized and 12 x 12 cardstock. I would stick to a lower weight (80 or less) but of course that is up to you. I made some with textured paper and some with plain.
- Hot glue or craft glue - either will do the trick! I tend to lean on hot glue when I make my paper flowers usually.
- Something to shape with - I am using a small ball tool, however you can use a dowel, the end of a paint brush or even your fingers.
- Optional: something to color the center or edged with. I used paint and a paint brush but you can use markers, alcohol inks, crayons, truly anything to make these your own!
Download the Paper Flower Pattern
Begin by downloading the free flower SVG file provided under the community SVG file site, I have recently added a search bar for the vault so everything should be easier to find!! Keyword: Carnation
You can learn how to download here for desktop and here for iPad/iPhone. Please remember to sign up for my newsletter below to grab the password to the vault.
I will be adding even more flowers throughout the year to go with the month so make sure to come back!
Find all my paper flower tutorials here.
Free SVG Template Set Up
Since I used both my Cricut and my Silhouette - I want to show both set up procedures and going forward I might do this with all my tutorials! Be on the look out for more Silhouette content and usage!!
The file will upload with eleven petals - if you want even more fullness add more by duplicating petals, however keep in mind it might start to look bulky and I felt like 11 looked nice and full.
You can resize as needed for your project and these are relatively true to size so if you make the petals 3 inches across, you will have a 3 inch wide carnation. I made my Cricut flowers around 3 inches and my Silhouette flowers around 3.2 inches.
If you resize your flower, make sure to resize the entire patten (all eleven layers).
I cut my flowers out of both 80 pound textured cardstock 12x12 size on my Cricut Maker and Explore and 65 pound paper 8.5 x 11 on my Silhouette Portrait 3. For the Cricut I used the medium cardstock setting and for my Silhouette I use the Cardstock textured setting and I bump up the blade depth by one but please always test your materials.
Assembly of the Paper Carnations
Step One: Painting/Decorating (Optional)
I should call this step .5 because its optional! You can customize your carnations with paint or alcohol inks or markers. Decorate the inside center of your carnation or the ends of the petals. The color combos are up to you! You can also leave them plain.
Step Two: Curl the Petals
Using the ball roller, dowel, finger - your tool of choice - curl the petals. I do stacks of 3-4 instead of the whole flower because the more you curl at once, the curl will be less for some. I found three or four layers worked beautifully.
You will curl four facing toward you and four facing away in an alternating pattern. This gives the petals a lot of volume and they look like they are interlocking.
Step Three: Glue the Bottom Layers
You will start with two layers of petals and glue them together to fill in any space. Do this to make 4 sets of two layers.
Next, glue the four sets together layering so petals are opposite, meaning one that is facing you is laying on top of one facing away. We are trying to create as much volume and linkage as we can. Do this with all four in the stack.
It should look like waves with some petals facing towards eachother, some away, and some interlocking.
Fluff these layers if needed a bit with your fingers.
Step Four: The Center Group of Petals
I squeezed the last three layers in with my fingers and glued them into the center, again trying to keep opposite petals next to each other in the previous layer.
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Once your center pieces are glued in, you have finished your paper carnation!!
How to Use the Flower Template
There are so many ways to use this paper flower pattern template - honestly paper flowers are such a great addition to so many crafts.
DIY Home Decor
You can make some beautiful home decor and add on any of my paper flower patterns. The carnations are a great filler flower as well if made smaller and these flowers will last and last!
Paper Flower Bouquets
Just like I mentioned above, these paper flowers will last so make someone you love a beautiful bouquet!
Cake Toppers & Cupcake Toppers
Paper flowers are beautiful on cakes toppers - they add a great 3D element and can go with so many themes.
Valentine's Day Cards and Gifts
Valentine's Day isn't complete without flowers right? So add some to your cards and gifts!
January's flower is such a beauty and I feel like carnations get a bad rep but I thoroughly enjoyed making this paper flower pattern. Don't forget to share your creations with me on social media! I love to see what you made. Paper flowers are such a beautiful way to show off your creativity and there is always something new to learn with each new SVG.
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