These coffee filter poppies are SO PRETTY! Transform a simple coffee filter into a beautiful flower in just a few easy steps.
You only need a few simple supplies to make a surprisingly realistic coffee filter flower! This coffee filter craft is super easy to make, and it’s also a great craft for Remembrance Day or Veterans Day.
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DIY Coffee Filter Poppies
Materials:
- 3 Coffee filters
- Liquid watercolour paint (red and orange)
- Green pipe cleaner
- Black pipe cleaner
Equipment:
- Small bowl (or plastic cup)
Check Out The Video Tutorial:
Instructions:
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Fold and cut the coffee filters
- Start by making a stack of 3 coffee filters.
- Flatten the coffee filters and fold them in half.
- Fold them in half again.
- Cut the corners off the coffee filters, rounding them into a curved petal shape.
- Open up the coffee filters to see a 4 petal flower shape. Place the coffee filters on a tray, still in a pile of 3.
Step 3: Paint the coffee filters
- Pour about 1/4 cup of water into a bowl or cup. Add in 30 drops of red liquid watercolour paint and 30 drops of orange.(If you're only making 1 poppy you can start with less water and, in turn, add less drops of paint.)
- Use an eyedropper to stir and pick up some of the paint.
- Drop the paint into the center of the coffee filters. Allow it to spread out before adding more.
- Continue adding paint until all the white spots are covered.
- Allow to dry overnight, or in a low temperature oven (see more details below).
Step 4: Make the flower and attach the stem
- Separate the coffee filters. Grab one of them and pinch the center with your fingertips as you use your other hand to scrunch it in.
- Continue squishing the coffee filter in until it's nicely scrunched together.
- Repeat with the 2nd and 3rd filters.
- Open up one of the coffee filters, while keeping the center pinched between your fingertips.
- Place a second coffee filter on top. Keep the centers pinched together and open up the petals, adjusting them so the petals are off-set.
- Repeat with the third filter. Keep the center bottoms of them squished together.
- Wrap the end of a green pipe cleaner around the bottom of the coffee filters, high enough that it catches all 3 coffee filter layers.Continue wrapping until the bottom point of the filters is covered and all 3 of the coffee filters are securely attached. Leave the rest of the pipe cleaner straight for the stem.
- Adjust the petals until you're happy with how they look.
Step 5: Make the center of the flower
- Cut a black pipe cleaner in half so it's approximately 6 inches long. Pinch the end of one of the halves, rolling it tightly into a spiral.
- Add hot glue to one side of the pipe cleaner circle.
- Press the circle onto the center of the flower.
- Your coffee filter poppy is complete!
Helpful Tips:
- If you don’t have an eyedropper you can use a small teaspoon or measuring spoon to drop the paint.
- We like to use a baking sheet to contain the mess of the paint, but you may also want to lay down a plastic tablecloth. If making these in a classroom, cover a large paper plate in tin foil for each student.
How long does it take for coffee filter poppies to dry?
The amount of time needed to dry the coffee filters will depend on how much liquid paint you’ve added. If you really soak the poppy coffee filters you may have to leave them overnight.
However, there are a few ways to reduce the drying time:
- Put the coffee filters in a 125F oven for 20 – 30 minutes. Keep a close eye on them and remove them as soon as they’re dry.
- Put them outside in the sun on a warm day to dry. Again, keep a close eye on them, because they’ll blow away once they’re dry.
- Place the coffee filters over a mason jar or glass. This will reduce the drying time to about 1-1/2 hours to 3 hours.
- Use a blow dryer on the coffee filters. Be careful of paint drops in the air. Once the coffee filters are partially dry, hold them in your palm to keep them from blowing away. Continue until the coffee filters are dry.
How can I make a dark red coffee filter poppy?
It’s hard to judge how deep the colour of the coffee filter poppy will be after it dries, because the watercolour paint dries so much lighter. Adding a good amount of paint to the water (darker than what you think you need) should give you a nice, dark poppy.
But if your poppies are too pale once they’re dry, you can simply follow the same process and paint them again. Adding this “second coat” of paint will make them a darker colour.
How else can I add colour to my coffee filter flowers?
If you don’t have liquid watercolour paint, you can use food colouring and make the coffee filter poppies in the exact same way. The colours just won’t be as vivid.
You can also colour the coffee filters with washable red, orange and pink markers and then drop water on them to watch the colours spread. You can also use bingo dabbers to add colour to the coffee filters.
Can I make coffee filter poppies without pipe cleaners?
Yes, if you don’t have pipe cleaners you can definitely still make these coffee filter poppies. Make the flower stem with wire and wrap it in floral tape or green fabric. Or staple a paper straw to the bottom of the flower to use as the flower’s stem.
For the center of the poppy you can use a black button or cut a circle from felt or black paper. You could also use black yarn and glue it on the center of the poppy in a spiral pattern.
What other coffee filter crafts are fun to make?
There are so many fun crafts to make with coffee filters! Try making coffee filter butterflies, coffee filter flowers, or coffee filter leaves.
You can also have some seasonal fun with our coffee filter turkey craft, coffee filter spiderwebs, or coffee filter snowflakes.
There are so many fun possibilities — be sure to check out all of our coffee filter crafts!
Use liquid watercolour paint to make these painted poppies. These DIY flowers won’t wilt or fade, and it’s so cool to watch the colour spread across the coffee filters.
You’ll want to create a whole bouquet since these coffee filter poppies are so easy and inexpensive to make!
Here’s even more coffee filter craft ideas:
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
Where to buy:
You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon, or wherever books are sold:
Amazon |  Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million | Indiebound |  Amazon Canada
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