How about incorporating sunflowers—blooming energetically toward the sun in the hot summer—into your crafts? In this feature, we’ll share creative sunflower project ideas.
You’ll find plenty of ideas, from origami to using everyday materials like paper cups and paper plates, as well as techniques that let kids enjoy interesting textures, such as stamping and finger painting.
By adapting the steps, these projects can be used with children from infants to kindergarteners.
Be sure to include this in your summer childcare activities and have everyone make adorable, energetic sunflowers together! Because we focus on ideas that emphasize children’s free expression in their creations, we use the term “seisaku” (制作, production/creation) rather than “seisaku” (製作, making/manufacturing) in the text.
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Easy and fun to make! Sunflower craft ideas (1–10)
Easy Sunflower OrigamiNEW!
Even young children who are just starting with origami can enjoy this easily! First, fold a yellow piece of origami paper in half into a square twice to make crease lines.
From each corner, fold toward the center along the creases you made.
Then open each folded section outward, leaving a small edge, and the sunflower’s petals are complete.
Next, take green origami paper, fold it once into a triangle and unfold it, then fold both sides toward the center along the crease.
Fold one of the sides toward the center once more, and fold the sharpest tip upward to finish the leaf.
Combine it with the flower you made first and display it!
The hole punch is cute! Sunflower paper cutoutNEW!
How about making sunflower kirigami out of origami paper? Kirigami is a fun craft that lets you enjoy the surprise and excitement when you unfold it.
Fold a sheet of yellow origami paper twice to make a square, and once more to make a triangle.
Fold it in half again, then use a pencil to draw the shapes and patterns of the petals.
Cut along the lines you drew with scissors, punch some holes with a hole punch, and then unfold it.
Thinking about what shape it will become as you cut—only to open it and find something completely different!—is one of the real pleasures of kirigami.
Be sure to add your favorite patterns and try making your very own original sunflower.
Paper-cut sunflower you can even make the leaves for!NEW!
With a single sheet of origami paper, you can make everything from the sunflower’s bloom to its stem and leaves! First, fold the paper in half vertically with the colored side facing inward.
Next, draw half of a sunflower—from the flower through the stem and leaves—on the paper.
Then simply cut along the lines you drew! By adding fine slits, you can show the border between the yellow petals and the brown center, as well as the veins on the leaves.
If you like, add facial features with round stickers to finish a cute sunflower!
Sunflower fan with accordion fold
Here’s a sunflower fan idea that’s perfect for summer vacation crafts or independent research projects! Use double-sided origami paper—or, if you don’t have any, glue brown and yellow sheets together—and accordion-fold it to make a paper fan.
For the handle, use a wooden coffee stirrer or popsicle stick.
Wrap the stick with a green chenille stem (pipe cleaner) to make it look like a sunflower stem! If you unwind the pipe cleaner, it can be stored compactly, so you might even impress your friends and teacher! You can also change the paper colors to create flowers other than sunflowers, so be sure to give it a try.
Sunflower with paper plates
This is a sunflower you can make using a simple paper plate! First, color the rim of the plate yellow and cut it into petal shapes.
Next, prepare plenty of torn pieces of origami paper and stick them onto the center of the plate to finish.
Depending on your child’s age, let them handle the tearing of the origami or the cutting with scissors.
For the center of the plate, you can also try other techniques besides torn-paper collage—such as sponge stamping or marble rolling—to bring out the children’s individuality and make it even more fun.
Sunflowers with braids
Here’s an idea for woven sunflowers using construction paper.
Children in the 5-year-old class who are interested can focus and work on it.
By weaving thinly cut strips of construction paper in an alternating pattern, you can vividly represent the sunflower’s seed area.
To decorate an entire wall, having lots of sunflower blooms helps create the right atmosphere.
Encourage the children to steadily make them during breaks between class activities or nap time.
A wall filled with blooming sunflowers will brighten up the feel of the preschool.
Papercut Sunflower
Kirigami is a great paper craft to recommend to kids as an origami-style activity.
Here’s how to make sunflower kirigami, perfect for summer crafts! For the sunflower petals, fold the origami paper, sketch your pattern, and cut with scissors for a clean finish.
For the center of the sunflower, use a smaller sheet of origami paper and follow the same steps.
If you punch a few holes in the folded center piece with a hole punch, the design will look even better when combined with the petal part.
Try varying the sizes, or add leaves and a stem to enjoy customizing your creation.