How to make a papercraft flower crown

To celebrate the arrival of spring, have a go at creating a papercraft headdress: an affordable and plastic-free alternative to traditional flower crowns. More than just a fun activity, creative crafting can also act as a mindful experience which can calm busy minds. Plus, with older children helping their younger siblings, it's an activity that the whole family can get involved with.

Here, crafter Hannah Bullivant has used 3D flowers and bee templates from Canon Creative Park to make flower crowns with her children to wear to a springtime party. Take a look at how they got on and discover top tips for making your own unique headdress.

You will need

• Creative Park app or website
• Canon PIXMA printer, such as the PIXMA TS5340a
• Canon Matte Photo Paper
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Headband
• Glue stick, glue gun or glue dots
• String, twine or ribbon

There are a range of flower templates to choose from on Canon Creative Park, including 3D flowers, sunflowers and roses.

Small or medium templates will fit perfectly onto the base of your crown. Getting your children involved with picking the templates means they can have a unique flower crown of their own choosing. "I really enjoyed choosing the crafts," says Hannah's daughter, Frankie, who chose the 3D flowers in different colours, as well as a bee template. Meanwhile, Hannah's youngest, Auden, wanted a large blue flower.

Your design can be as simple or as complex as you want. You can add more templates or stay with a minimalist look. You don't have to stick to flowers either. You could make a butterfly-themed crown with 3D butterfly templates or the slightly more challenging 3D butterfly wall stickers. You could also use 3D heart templates or a dinosaur template for a themed birthday party.

Creative Park allows you to print straight from your smartphone, so once you've chosen your templates, print them onto Canon Matte Photo Paper.

Now you're ready to build your templates. Follow the instructions on Canon Creative Park for each template as you may have to score lines before folding. You could use a glue gun to stick your templates together, but you can also use glue sticks or PVA. Glue dots may be better suited to younger crafters, though Hannah found the glue gun worked best for her children under supervision. "Auden was OK using the glue gun, with my close supervision," she says. "The glue gun is much quicker than PVA so perfect for impatient kids!"

To make your crown headband unique, you could decorate with paint, glitter or felt tip pens. This is a great way to get children involved, as they can decorate the templates before they are folded, and adds another fun element to your craft project, especially if your children love getting the paints out. It's also a lovely way to create flower crowns as gifts, as you can decorate the templates to give them a personal touch.

Whether you're using a headband you already have, or craft wire to form a halo-style flower crown, make sure to hide your base. Hannah helped Frankie to wrap brown craft string around a metal headband and then fixed the ends using a glue gun. You could also use ribbon or leftover material. Once this is attached securely, you have your base to start sticking your finished templates onto. "Auden got involved with gusto and enjoyed all of it," says Hannah.

Once you've attached your templates to your headband – you can add as many or as few as you'd like – set it aside to let the glue dry. Then you can celebrate in style, whether that's a fashion show, a party, or a fun day out at the park.

Flower crowns are often synonymous with festivals, so why not put your papercraft crowns on and have an at-home festival with music in the garden and a tent for a picnic? "Frankie has the crown hooked over her dressing table mirror and is looking forward to wearing it for parties this summer," says Hannah.

And they're not just for children. You could make a striking version for a night out, or to wear to a birthday party. You could even give your finished flower crown to a friend or family member – incorporating their favourite colour, or a flower they love, would make it a thoughtful handmade gift.



For more papercraft inspiration, check out our Pinterest page and share your own homemade flower crowns using the #MadeWithPixma hashtag.



Written by Tamzin Wilks