On the morning of November 1^st , my family was busy scouring the local farmer’s market for Cockscomb to place on our Day of the Dead altar along-side marigolds and fennel blossoms. No luck. My husband suggested a bouquet of wildflowers that were beautiful, but just not right. I planned on resuming the search later that night, after spending the afternoon with my daughter at the Walter’s Art Museum.

The museum hosted musicians and dancers to celebrate the holiday. And they had several crafting stations set up so that children could create masks, decorate sugar skulls and learn to fold sheets of tissue paper into beautiful paper flowers.

My 3 year old and I were so inspired by the paper craft that we stopped to buy pipe cleaners on the way home and made a dozen more. Just right for our Day of the Dead Altar. Or if you need a flower for your hair.

Materials

• Tissue paper
• Pipe cleaners
• Scissors

From tissue paper to flower…

1. Cut tissue paper into rectangles of equal length and height, about 7″x14″
2. Neatly stack 4 pieces.
3. Fold the entire stack accordion- style beginning at the short end.
4. Fold finished ‘accordion’ in half and secure the pipe cleaner around the center.
5. Grasp pipe cleaner stem and pull each layer upwards toward the center, one layer at a time.