Full Bloom Garden Stemmed Paper Rose Tutorial with Templates

Create your own beautiful fully-stemmed garden roses!

Have you been looking for a step-by-step paper rose tutorial for beginners? This papercraft how-to will show you how to make a stunning full-bloom garden paper rose flower bouquet that is fully stemmed! You can even add supporting leaves! This paper rose is easy enough for any adventurous beginner. I am also a lover of all things Cricut, so you will see me use my Cricut machine, but you can make this everlasting paper rose craft whether you own a cutting machine or just a trusty pair of scissors. The rose templates come in PDF printables for all my crafters for either cutting option.

This basic paper rose design can be used in endless craft and decoration projects. Some of my favorite ways to display my paper roses are in a handmade arrangement, wedding bouquet, or even added to a wreath.

Supply List for Full Bloom Garden Paper Roses

1. Paper

Generally, I will always use 65-pound weighted cardstock paper. You can find this online or at local craft stores like Michaels, Joanns, etc. I do not recommend going any heavier than 65-pound cards and no lighter than 50-pound. Choose a color for your rose and then a shade of green for your leaves if you add them.

2. Cutting Tool

You will need to decide if you are cutting by hand with scissors or if you will be using a cutting machine like a Cricut. My templates come in both compatible formats.

3. Pencil or Dowel

You will also need something to curl your petals. A half-inch wood dowel, pen or pencil will work well.

4. Glue Gun

To build your paper rose, you will need to have a high-temperature hot glue gun. My favorite glue gun is the Surebonder brand.

5. Distress Ink (optional)

Adding distress ink will bring life to your flower. Have an ink dauber or ink brushes on hand if you use ink. 

6. Stem (optional)

If you plan to stem your paper rose, you will need 18 gauge wire on hand and some corsage tape. I will also use some green crepe paper strips to build my stem up. 

7. Leaves (optional)

If you want to add leaves to the rose and stem, you will need leaf cutouts, Tacky glue, and thin 24 gauge wire. You may also want to have a pair of wire clippers on hand. Join our Member’s vault to access leaf templates and many more free templates.

8. Paper Bloom Shaping Mat and Tools (optional)

This mat and toolset, as seen in the video, are optional. I designed and manufactured this because I am a paper flower enthusiast. It’s a wonderful tool and asset for your crafts if you’re doing anything with paper flowers or papercrafts.

Lastly, to make these paper roses, you also need patience for yourself and plan to have fun!

Garden Paper Rose Video Tutorial

You can watch the paper rose tutorial or follow the DIY easy paper rose instructions below.

Step-By-Step Garden Paper Rose Tutorial With Pictures

Wondering how to make an easy paper rose? Well, the answer is right here, paired with simple directions and instructional photographs. Before you begin, clear a workspace for crafting and gather all your supplies so they are available as you need them. Be sure to review each step before beginning.

Cut Out The Rose Petal Templates

Start by cutting out your paper rose templates. You can use a cutting machine like Cricut or a pair of scissors with PDF printables. I use seven rose petals per paper rose. These rose templates can be scaled to various sizes with a cutting machine. If you are using the PDF printables, I include two size variations.

Curious about Cricut crafting? Read my buyer’s guide.

Adding Distress Ink To Your Petals

After you cut out your petals, it’s time to distress them. This is optional but adds a lot of depth to the paper roses. I use Tim Holtz Distress Ink with these fine bristle brushes.

To distress the petals, ink your brush and gently rub the ink onto the petals in a circular motion on each petal point. You will want to leave the tips of the petals untouched for a lovely ombre fading color effect.

I use an ink glass board when I ink my petals. I love my Tim Holz glass media mat because it helps the ink go on with less intensity. Plus, it is easy to clean and keeps my desk surface from getting permanently discolored.

Curling Your Rose Petals

To curl your paper rose petals, use a wood dowel or a pen/pencil to wrap each petal point around the dowel so it curls. Repeat this with all the petals on 5 of your 7 cutouts. The last 2 petal cutouts will be used to make the center bud.

With 5 of the 7 petals, tuck all the petal points in the same direction and twist to get the petals to stand up.

Creating Paper Rose Leaves

Adding leaves to flowers makes the arrangement look much more realistic. I recommend 6 to 8 leaf cutouts per branch to create nice greenery, but the choice is yours.

You can use the Paper Bloom Shaping Mat and Tool Set – or any small ball-head tool – to add veins and textures to the leaves. Draw a line down the center of one of the leaves and then add little vein ridges back and forth at a diagonal to create sort of a debossed effect when we flip the leaf over. Distress ink will also add depth and realism to your leaves.

Creating Extra Paper Rose Leaf Stems

If you wish to add extra leaves to your vase of paper roses, use the 24 gauge wire to sandwich it between two leaf cutouts with tacky glue. Repeat the process with several more leaves, then build out the branch using the floral corsage tape and connect them together.

There you have it! An easy and beautiful paper rose craft project. You can make many of these for stunning bouquets or arrangements. What questions do you have about my garden paper rose flower tutorial? Ask me below!