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Dahlias are incredibly beautiful flowers, and they come in a vast array of varieties in nature. However, if you search for something like “paper dahlia” or “DIY dahlia flower,” you’ll likely find a bunch of very similar tutorials that involve cutting many identical paper squares, then curling and gluing them together.
And while there’s nothing wrong with those tutorials and flowers, I want to teach you something a little bit different.
We will make the paper dahlia look more realistic with the right petal shape while saving time by reducing the number of petals. This way, it will be both beautiful and simple—just the way I like it!
And yes, I’ve prepared free templates for you!
Also this free paper Dahlia tutorial is part of my new product called “Paper Flower Backdrop DIY Kit”. This is a templates kit for 5 different paper flowers plus templates for leaves with my detailed video tutorials, so you can easily make your own paper flower backdrop really fast. So make sure to check it out!
Okay, let’s start making it!
I cut all the petals with my cutting machine, but even if you don’t have one, don’t worry – you can easily cut them by hand. The shapes of these petals are extremely simple, so a cutting machine is completely optional.
By the way, I often get questions about what type of cutting machine I use, so I’ll answer here. I love my ScanNCut from Brother because it has a built-in scanner, and I love the quality of this machine. So I can definitely recommend it!
Sources: 1. Brother ScanNCut cutting machine 2. Tailor scissors
Let’s start by preparing the base. We need two pieces: one large and one small.
And I like to line-mark both of them with a pencil, dividing them into equal parts.
Then, I glue the small base on top of the large base, ensuring all the lines match.
This step is very important when making a dahlia flower because if you skip it and glue all the petals just by eye, the result can easily be a crooked and asymmetrical flower, and trust me, you don’t want that.
Sources: 1. Rose Quartz metallic cardstock (120 gsm) 2. Yellow thick paper cardstock (250 gsm)
It’s also very important that your base is sturdy and made of very heavy paper. Regular 175gsm (65lb Cover) cardstock will not be sufficient. So I recommend using paper with a weight of 250 gsm or heavier for the base.
The base is ready, so let’s set it aside for now and move on to the petals.
For one paper dahlia flower, you’ll need:
The number of petals needed can vary depending on how much you fold and glue each petal.
It’s also crucial to use the right paper weight for the petals. Unlike the base, the paper for the petals should be lightweight to ensure flexibility and ease of handling.
Ideally, use 120 gsm (80 lb Text) paper, though you can go up to 175 gsm. But, please, avoid using heavier paper for the dahlia petals, as it will be very difficult to work with.
To fold perfect petals without any ugly creases, prepare each petal first.
Start by curling the entire petal and then curl the corners. This process softens the paper and helps shape the petal, making it easier to fold naturally later.
I usually curl the petals using the edge of my desk, but feel free to use any method you prefer.
And repeat this for all your petals.
Let’s start with the first 10 Petals #1.
In order to achieve evenly folded and symmetrical petals, we need to fold the edges exactly in the center.
To do this – hold the petal upside down, find the center point visually, and fold the corners symmetrically towards this point. Once you’re happy with the fold, secure it in place with a drop of glue. Trust me, this method ensures your petals will be even, straight, and symmetrical.
And, please, note that only the bottom part of the petal should be folded, as the first row of petals should remain as open as possible.
Then repeat the process for Petals #2 and #3, folding only the lower part. These petals will end up slightly more closed due to their different shape.
Petals #4 and #5 I prefer to prepare later, as I like to see how many I need and adjust the folds accordingly.
I start assembling the paper dahlia by gluing the first row of 10 Petals #1.
First, I always position the petal to check its placement, then apply glue to the part where it will contact the base. And then I glue each petal exactly in the middle of each section, using the small base as a guide.
You can gently press down on the petal to help it stick better. And make sure the petal lies flat and doesn’t tilt to either side.
So, like this, carefully working and aligning each petal, I complete the first row and move on to the second row of Petals #2.
For this row, I glue the petals exactly between the petals of the previous row, making a step inside on about half an inch.
Look, first I position the petal where I want to glue it and pencil mark the exact spots where it will touch the previous row.
Then, I apply glue to three points: the tip of the petal and the two marks I made.
This method securely fixes the petal and avoids creases, bends, or crumples. I know this process can be tedious, but it ensures a neat finish and adds rigidity and stability to the flower.
Additionally, using this method, we will fix the petals not only with their tips – which is the most common approach – but also at other anchor points. And this is very important because it adds rigidity and stability to the flower.
Also be sure to try on each petal individually, as the contact points will always vary.
And this is what it looks like from the inside – petals are firmly glued and fixed in place, and everything looks very clean and neat.
The third row consists of 6 or 7 petals #3, though the exact number can vary.
Glue these petals the same way, placing them side-by-side, and stepping toward the center about half an inch again.
Now for the smaller petals. Decide how much you want to fold them; the more you fold, the more petals you’ll need for this row, and the less you fold, the fewer you’ll need.
I usually use about 3-5 petals for this fourth row.
First, I try the petal to see how high I want to glue it. At this point, I don’t longer need any marks because I can clearly see where to apply the glue.
When I get to the last petal, I try it to determine how much I need to fold it so that it fits snugly into the row.
For the final row with the smallest petals #5, I’ll fold them significantly to fit the small space left in the center. You should be able to fit 1 to 3 petals there.
And to make sure they fit perfectly, I’ll fold and glue them one at a time, adjusting as needed.
And here is the final result!
I hope that you will also try to make this paper dahlia flower with me. You can get the free templates here👇🏼.
And if you want to go further and make the rest of the flowers from the composition, then be sure to check out my “Paper Flower Backdrop DIY Kit”.
I’m Oksana and I love paper flowers and all things paper. Here at FancyBloom I design new flower templates, make paper flower tutorials, and share my ideas and inspiration for fancy and modern craft.
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I can’t wait for you to dive in!
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13 Responses
I have to say this is my favorite of all the dahlias that I have tried even ones that I regrettably purchased, yours is the best. To me I believe it to be the prettiest and easiest one out there. Thank you for making this available for free I was just about to give up on successfully making the dahlia till I tried yours.
Aww the best compliment Amanda!🥺 Thank you so much for your feedback💖
ola
eu comprei os moldes mas não estou sabendo onde encontrar. como eu faço?
boa tarde
tudo bem?
efetuei a compra pois não consigo abrir de jeito nenhum da erro
I love your work your flowers are so beautiful 😍 I want to make a wall for my granddaughters room they are 6 year old n 1 year thank-you so much for sharing your gift❤️ with us.
Hi Marisol, you’re very very welcome! So glad it was helpful for you! And wish you good luck with your project💖!
Thank u so much oksana!
Love u from Indonesia ❤🤍
Ayu, thank you, dear💞!
I love the Dahlia, great tutorial. How big is the finished flower with the template you provide? thanks so much. Laura
Thank you so much, Laura🌸 The finished flower is about 13″ in diameter💋
I love the design of the Dahlia! I was excited to make it, however you do not tell what you are suppose to resize the petals to. Your template printed everything on 1 sheet of 12×12 paper. There is no way this is going to make ~13″ flower.
Hi Brenda! Thank you for contacting me with this issue! As a rule, my templates always have the original sizes.
But, unfortunately, some programs resize files for reasons unknown to me (especially Cricut Design Space).
In the SVG templates folder you can find a file called “Dahlia paper flower (original sizes)” where I wrote all the exact dimensions in case of distortion by your program, so you can manually adjust the sizes.
If you prefer to print templates for manual cutting, then the printer can distort the sizes too. For this case, in the folder with PDF templates there is a file “How to print PDF files – Read me!”, which contains instructions on how to properly set the printer settings.
If you have any further questions or need my help, please email me at [email protected] and I’ll be happy to help!