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How to Make a Decorative Lotus Seed Out of Crepe Paper

By Jyppe Alqui on January 21, 2013 — Updated on December 4, 2014

One of the props you can use for you Chinese New Year in-store or window display is lotus seed which you can make out of crepe paper, old newspapers and a small piece of polyfoam.

For Chinese, lotus seed symbolizes offspring and prosperity.

“Seeded in muddy waters, the lotus rises above the mud and produces beautiful and fragrant flowers. The big showy bloom may be 8-12 inches (20-30 cm) in diameter.

The flowers open for just three days. Then each petal falls silently into the water, one by one, at a short period. The large green seed head or pod remains on the top of the stalk for a long time, and gradually turning to dark color and ripe.

The seeds impeded in the cone-shape pod with flat surface at the top. The pod then reverts to the water, where it floats face down, allowing seeds to take hold in the mud. The seeds then germinate in the following Spring and give rise to new lotus plants.” Quoted from the Legend of the Lotus.

Before we will proceed into the procedure of this project, maybe you are also interested on this previous post, How to Make Plum Blossoms out of Crepe Paper.

Tools & Materials

Apple Green Crepe Paper (1×8 ft. + 1×2 ft.)
Polyfoam or Styrofoam (1×1 ft.)
Fabric String or Twine (3 ft.)
Old Newspapers (20 leaves)
Old Thick Poster ( 1 A3)
Apple Green Spray Paint (1 can)
Adhesive Tape
Glue Gun & Glue Sticks
Scissors and cutter

Procedures

Step 1. Cut the polyfoam into an irregular shape (Photo 1.a) then draw circles with dot on the center of each circle on one surface of the polyfoam.

Step 2. Using the hot tips of a glue gun, engrave or melt the section on the surface of the polyfoam following the circle and dot guides you have drawn (Photo 2).

Step 3. After engraving the circles and dots (Photo 3.a), spray that surface with an apple green spray paint (Photo 3.b). The distance of the spray paint nozzle from the polyfoam should be 1-1.5 ft. To avoid melting the material.

Step 4. Get a apple green crepe paper with about 1×8 ft. Size then glue it around the side f the polyfoam which you have prepared in Step 3 (Photo 4). Make sure to create irregular pleats while sticking the crepe paper.

Step 5. Create a second layer (Photo 5) of what you have done in Step 4. You have to do this to thicken the wrap because the crepe paper thin, but you don’t need to do this if your crepe paper is thick.

Step 6. Set aside the head part of the lotus seed (Photo 6.a) which you have done in Step 5 and make a ball of newspaper by crumpling old newspapers (Photo 6.b). For more details, here is how to make a ball of news paper.

Step 7. Get the head part of the lotus seed (Photo 6.a), then place it on you working table up-side-down then glue the newspaper ball inside it (Photo 7). Set aside to let the glue dry.

Step 8. Make a lotus stem by rolling lengthwise an A3 size thick old poster (like a tube of cardboard), fasten it adhesive tape then wrap it with apple green creep paper (Photo 8). You need about 1×2 ft. of crepe for wrapping.

Step 9. Glue the stem which you have done in Step 8 onto the newspaper ball (Photo 9.a) then wrap the other end of the crepe paper from the head part around the stem (Photo 9.b). Seal with adhesive tape.

Step 10. Get the fabric string, about three feet long (Photo 10.a) then tie it around the part where the stem and head part joined (Photo 10.b). Don’t forget to untwine the strand to show the fiber of the string.