This artful paper flower for kids to make is magical….and scientific!

Today’s science art project is one of my all-time favorite ideas: A paper project that moves with a little help from science! In fact this paper flower for kids actually opens up when you put it in water and it’s so much fun to watch! There are lots of STEAM learning objectives packed into this project, be sure to head down to the Let’s Talk  STEAM section to see them and download our lesson plan!

This post is sponsored by Sakura of America. I have worked with them on numerous projects over the years and I am a HUGE fan of their products. They make a variety of art supplies  with my favorites being their Gelly Roll series, Cray-Pas Oil Pastels, and their Koi watercolor series. At the end of the post you can see more projects we’ve done using their beautiful supplies.

This post contains affiliate links to products.

Paper Flower for Kids: Magical Water Blossoms

Materials 

• Template printed on regular paper- do NOT use heavy weight paper!
• Koi Watercolor Pens or other water based marker
• Sensei Black Pens or other oil based pens
• Micron Black Pens or other oil based pens
• Scissors
• Tray
• Water
• Paper Towel

6-Sided Paper Flower Instructions

Tip: If you do not want to make a folded and cut (kirigami) version of the blossom, skip Steps 3 & 4 and use template 2

• Step 1 Print the paper flower templates on an 8 1/2” X 11” sheet of paper
• Step 2 Cut out individual squares along dotted line.
• Step 3  Fold along line A. Fold along line B.  Fold along line C.
• Step 4 Cut out blossoms along solid black line. Open entire blossom up.

• Step 5 Color the side with the dotted lines using Koi Watercolor Pens or water based markers
• Step 6 Turn the blossom over and add details in black permanent marker such as Pigma Sensei Pens.

• Step 7 Fold petals along dashed lines. The black details should be in the inside of the blossom
• Step 8 Place the blossom in a shallow dish filled with water.
• Step 9 As the paper absorbs water the petals will open and the color will be distributed throughout the entire blossom. The black details will remain.

• To make optional leaves Repeat steps above using the leaf template. In Step 5 color leaf tips only. Place folded flower inside folded leaf and place in water.

5-Sided Paper Flower Instructions

Tip: If you do not want to make a folded and cut (kirigami) version of the blossom, skip Steps 3 & 4 and use template 2

• Step 1 Print template on an8 1/2” X 11” sheet of paper
• Step 2 Cut out individual squares along dotted line. 
• Step 3  Fold along line A. Fold along line B.  Fold along line C. Fold along Line D.
• Step 4 Fold backwards along line E.
• Step 5 Cut along solid black line. Open blossom up. 

• Step 6 Color the side with the dotted lines using Koi Watercolor Pens or water based markers
• Step 7 Turn the blossom over and add details in black permanent marker such as Pigma Sensei Pens.

• Step 7 Fold petals along dashed lines. The black details should be in the inside of the blossom
• Step 8 Place the blossom in a plate filled with water.
• Step 9 As the paper absorbs water the petals will open and the color will be distributed through out the entire blossom. The black details will remain.

Let’s Talk STEAM

The Science

Absorption and Osmosis 

Paper is made from trees (wood) that has been ground into a pulp and dried. Plants absorb water through  a process called osmosis, this is the movement of water across a membrane from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. The process of osmosis continues until the water has reached a state of equilibrium. Since paper is made from wood fiber,  when it is placed in water it absorbs the water until it every fiber is wet. Just like a wilted plant expands and perks up when it is finally watered, the fibers in our paper flowers swell and expand when placed in water, causing the flower to open!

Diffusion

Diffusion is very similar to osmosis but osmosis refers strictly to the movement of water.  The water based inks in this project are also moving when exposed to water but they move by diffusion-  the movement of particles from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. When the flower is placed in the water the ink is dissolved by the water and flows both through the paper to the white wide AND out of the paper and into the water, leaving a trail of ink behind.

Solubility

Solubility is defined as the is the ability of a substance to be dissolved by a solvent. Water based inks like those found in our Koi markers are dissolved by water, hence water is the solvent. The black markers are pigment based and cannot be dissolved by water. That is why the black details sketched in Micron and Sensei pens remain unchanged when exposed to water. Depending on the type of pigment based ink used ,solvents may include rubbing alcohol or ammonia based chemicals.

The Art

Kirigami vs. Origami

Kirigami is the art of folding and cutting paper. It’s a variation of the more well know paper folding art technique of origami. Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper into 3 dimensional shapes without the use of cutting. If you are curious about the history of organic go here to read more. Interestingly enough Japanese paper folding use to include a cutting but when Japan opened its borders up in the 1860s the influence of German paper folding techniques caused practitioners to ban cutting in origami. There is still intense debate about wether or not cutting is allowed! Read more about the debate here. In 1962 Florence Temko coined the term kirigami in her book about folding and cutting paper shapes.

Flowers in Art

The beauty of the natural world and in particular the color and intricacy of flowers has inspired many artists. Flowers have a long history in art and many famous artists and art pieces use flowers as their subject matter, think Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers and Georgia O’Keeffe’s orchid watercolors.

Instant Watercolors

Did you know you can use a water based marker as a substitute for watercolor paint? Because water based inks dissolve in water you can brush around the pigment like paint when you expose it to water. To make a simple marker brush palette, draw a pool of color on a plastic lid with a water based marker, then dip a wet brush into it. You’ll have instant watercolors! My friend artist Janet Takahashi shared this technique with me last year, you can see more of her stunning work here.

More Paper STEAM Projects

If you enjoyed this STEAM-y paper craft here are some more educational art projects we’ve done with Sakura of America.

Click the image to go to each tutorial

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