Day of the Dead decorations are already beginning to take center stage in Mexican homes, as there is less and less time until November 1st and 2nd, dates on which families prepare their ofrendas to remember their loved ones. During these dates, Day of the Dead crafts made at home can change the way you decorate your home without you noticing.
One of the most representative flowers of this celebration is the marigold (cempasúchil), known for its intense orange color and its relationship with Mexican traditions. If this year you want to use them for your decoration, but you are looking for an alternative that you can preserve for longer, making paper flowers is a good option, since you can take advantage of inexpensive materials and choose the colors that best match your offering.
Therefore, today we share a guide to making a cempasúchil cross with tissue paper or crepe paper flowers. It is a simple craft that you can do at home, even with the help of your family, and it does not require special molds. You only need to prepare the flowers, cut a cardboard base, and glue them to obtain a dense cross, with volume and lots of color for this season.
How to make a marigold cross with paper flowers step by step
Materials
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Tissue paper or crepe paper in orange and yellow tones.
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Thick cardboard to create the base.
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Thread, raffia, or pipe cleaners to secure the flowers.
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Hot glue or glue suitable for paper and cardboard.
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Scissors.
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Utility knife and ruler.
Step-by-step instructions
1. Cut and prepare the paper for the flowers. Start by stacking between six and eight sheets of tissue paper or crepe paper of the same size. You can use rectangles of approximately 12 × 15 centimeters to make small flowers, although you have the option to increase the measurements if you want them to have more volume and cover a larger surface of the cross.
2. Fold the paper in accordion form. Once you have the sheets arranged, begin folding them forward and backward, as if you were making a fan. Make sure each fold measures between 1.5 and 2 centimeters in width and keep the same measurement along the entire strip.
3. Secure the center and trim the ends. When you finish folding the paper, tie the center with a piece of thread, raffia, or a pipe cleaner to prevent the folds from coming undone. Then, use scissors to round the ends or give them a slightly pointed shape, depending on the finish you want to achieve.
4. Open the layers to form the flowers. With the center well secured, open the folds to both sides until you form a kind of fan. Then, carefully separate each layer of paper and lift it toward the center, one by one, to create the flower’s volume. When finished, arrange the petals with your fingers to achieve a round and abundant shape.
5. Draw and cut the base of the cross. Now take the thick cardboard and draw a cross of the size you want for your decoration. You can make it elongated to place on a wall or more compact if you want to set it on a small offering. With the help of a ruler, mark the edges so the lines stay straight and then cut out the silhouette with a utility knife on a surface suitable to protect the table. If you want the base to have a more uniform finish, you can wrap it with orange tissue paper or crepe before placing the flowers.
6. Glue the flowers onto the cross. When the base is ready, start gluing the flowers with hot glue or with an adhesive suitable for the materials you used. The most practical approach is to start from the center of the cross and continue toward the edges, so you can distribute the flowers evenly and check how much space remains to cover.
