Flowers represent beauty, whether real or artificial. They add charm to a surrounding and this is why today we are making a decorative lotus flower from paper.

This pretty flower is easy to make, but it takes time to neatly fold the papers. The finished product can be placed on racks, tables or can also be hung anywhere with a string.

Things you need:

1. A-4 sized coloured papers, two pink one green.

2. Scissors

3. Yarn and beads (optional)

Direction:

1. Cut 12, five inches long and 2-inches wide pink paper pieces to be used as petals; and 4 same-sized pieces from the green paper, picture 2.

2. To make the petals, take a pink piece of paper first, fold it in half, then fold all four corners outward as shown in picture 3.

3. Now fold its bottom, as in picture 4.

4. Repeat ‘step 2’ and ‘3’ with all the pieces of pink and green papers.

5. After you have folded all the paper pieces, open the main fold, take three pink and one green pieces and place the green paper at the bottom and all three pink pieces on top of it, see pictures 5, 6 and 7.

6. Fold them all together, as shown in picture 8.

7. Repeat step 5 and 6 to make four sets of four petals (one green and 3 pink), picture 9

8. Hold them together and tie the centre with yarn, and separate the sets of petals, picture 10.

9. Notice that the sets of petals are closed or we can say inward. You have to open them by pushing their centre crease further in, so the petals will take their shape automatically, see pictures 11, 12 and 13.

10. When you reach the last sequence of petals that is green (supposedly leaves), you can either leave it creased, partially open or fully open, it’s your choice, picture 14.

11. Your lotus flower is ready, picture 15.

12. Put a small decorative candle in a candle holder in the centre of the flower to enhance its beauty. Moreover, you can hang the lotus by pasting three yarn strings with a tassel at the bottom.

For suggestions, you can write to ithecraftman@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, Young World, September 16th, 2021