Not every flower grows in a garden. Some start with a paper towel, a few markers, and a cotton swab! In this easy summer craft, kids create colorful flowers that appear to bloom as water spreads through the petals, helping art spread into science. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or summer camp leader, this simple project is an easy way to keep creativity growing all summer long.
Sometimes the best activities start with the simplest materials. This flower craft proves you don’t need a trip to the craft store to create something memorable. Get ready to transform everyday supplies into a colorful flower that’s almost too pretty to believe it all started in the kitchen.
As students cut, wrap, and shape their flowers, they’re practicing creativity, patience, and problem-solving, all while developing fine motor skills. The finished product is a colorful reminder that a little imagination can turn ordinary materials into something extraordinary.
Step 1: Gather Your Materials
What you’ll need:
Step 2: Fold and Cut Your Flower Petals
Fold the paper towel in half, then in half again to create a strip about 2 inches wide. Now, cut your strip in half for two flowers. Using scissors, round one edge of your strip, leaving the opposite edge squared, and make sure not to cut all the way through the strip. When unfolded, you’ll have a connected row of petals ready to become your flower.
Step 3: Color the Petals
Students can experiment with any color they would like. Use washable markers to add color near the bottom of each petal. Leave the outer edges mostly white for a more realistic look.
Step 4: Wrap Around the Flower Center
Place a cotton swab at one end of the petal strip. Beginning at one end, carefully wrap the paper towel around the cotton swab, overlapping the petals slightly as you go. This creates the layered center of the flower with the cotton swab in the middle.
Step 5: Secure and Shape the Flower
Wrap a small rubber band, a twist tie, floral wire, or a pipe cleaner tightly around the base of the flower to hold everything together. Then gently pull each petal outward, fluffing and curling them until your flower is full and blooming.
Step 6: Watch Your Flower Bloom!
Here’s the magical part. Dip just the cotton swab into a small cup of water and watch as the water travels up the swab and into the paper towel. The marker colors slowly spread outward through the petals, blending together to create a beautiful watercolor effect. It’s a simple demonstration of capillary action, the same process that helps plants move water from their roots to their leaves.
Great learning doesn’t always require fancy supplies. Sometimes it’s a paper towel, a few markers, and a cotton swab. Other times, it’s an entire room filled with hands-on STEAM exhibits that get students thinking, exploring, and creating. However you choose to inspire curiosity, we’re here to help.
You've heard of STEM before, but have you heard of STEAM? ART is the “A” in the acronym STEAM, and it is much more than just making something look pretty. Art helps students develop creativity, problem-solving skills, and confidence while learning to see the world through a different lens. Every engineer, architect, inventor, and designer begins with an idea, and artistic projects help children practice turning those ideas into reality.
Mobile Ed's STEAM Museum encourages students to explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math through engaging, hands-on activities that inspire curiosity and innovation. It's a hands-on museum that we bring right to your school!
Click the button below to contact our team and learn more about how to bring Mobile Ed’s STEAM Museum to your school or summer camp!
Project inspired by: Hello Wonderful