Tulip and Rose Flower Costumes

Print petal, calyx, and leaf templates; cut out. Trace the petal template onto salmon colored crepe paper; cut out nine petals making sure the paper's grain runs vertically.

To shape the petals, hold at the widest part; gently pull edges while pressing with thumbs to make a cupped shape. Curl the top left and right corners around a pen.

Trace the leaf templates onto green crepe paper; cut out one large and three small leaves for each sprig. Run a thin line of craft glue down the center of each leaf. Then place an 8-inch piece of 22-gauge floral wire on top of the glue. Next, fold the leaf in half to cover the wire. Let it dry before gently unfolding. 

Wrap the wire with floral tape, starting at the base of the leaf.

To make a sprig, bind two or three leaves together with floral tape. Then trim two pieces of brown-paper-wrapped floral wire to 14 inches each. Twist the wires together to form the tulip stem, leaving 5 1/2 inches on each side untwisted at the bottom. Bend untwisted segments apart to form an arc around the top of the headband; secure it to the headband with floral tape. Attach one petal to the stem with floral tape, about 2 inches above the headband. Stagger remaining petals, leaving an opening in the front for the face. Accordion-fold one piece of green crepe paper into four sections; trace the calyx template. Cut out calyx shape, leaving edges attached as shown; unfold. Wrap the calyx around the base of the tulip; scrunch and tape to the stem on top of the petals. Curl ends upward around a pen. Starting at the top of the flower, wrap the stem in floral tape, taping one or two sprigs of leaves to the stem. Bend the stem slightly downward.

Photocopy petal, calyx, and leaf templates. Trace the petal template onto pale pink crepe paper; cut out nine petals, then shape and curl. Attach the first petal to the brown-paper-wrapped floral wire, wrapping the base of the petal around the wire to form a curled rose-petal shape. Continue taping the petals to the wire, layering around the stem.

Accordion-fold a 6 inch piece of green crepe paper into four sections; trace the calyx template. Cut out the calyx shape, leaving the edges attached where shown, and unfold. Tape the calyx to the base of the rose. Then curl the calyx ends downward around a pen. Wrap the stem with floral tape. Bend the rose along the arc of the headband, positioning the bloom just past the center. Then, trim the wire stem at the tip of the headband. Secure the rose to the headband with the floral tape, adding leaves and sprigs—as described in step five. 

Photocopy petal, calyx, and leaf templates; trim off the bottom edge of the petal template where indicated. Trace the petal template onto the salmon crepe paper; cut out nine petals (if using a different size pail, cut additional or fewer petals). Shape and curl the petals. Wrap the pail handle with floral tape.

Run one piece of double-sided tape around the outside of the pail a few inches from the top edge and one piece along the bottom edge, then affix one piece to the bottom of each petal. Press each petal to the bottom piece of tape, then to the top piece, to secure, working around the pail and overlapping as you go. Tuck the edge of the last petal underneath the first.

Accordion-fold a 19 1/2 inch piece of green crepe paper into 13 sections (if using a larger pail, add extra inches and additional sections); trace the calyx template. Cut out the calyx shape, leaving the edges attached as shown; unfold. Secure it to the base of the pail with double-sided tape. Curl the edges downward around a pen. Make leaves and sprigs (as described in step four), and attach to the handle.