4th of July Coffee Filter Flowers

If you're looking to add a touch of patriotic flair to your 4th of July decor, why not try making some delightful coffee filter flowers? These charming creations are not only easy to make but also a fun activity for the whole family! Simply gather some coffee filters, watercolors or markers in red, white, and blue shades, and pipe cleaners. You can make a bunch of these flowers and display them in a vase or use them to decorate your home for a festive 4th of July celebration. Let your creativity bloom and enjoy the burst of color these coffee filter flowers bring to your Independence Day festivities!

Supplies

• basket coffee filters
• pipe cleaners red, white, blue, gold and/or silver
• red and blue watercolor paint
• paintbrush
• scissors
• 2 pieces of paper towel or a kitchen towel

Crafting Tips

• Watercolor paint makes these super easy, but you could substitute food coloring if that’s what you have on hand.
• You can use any color pipe cleaners. We suggest patriotic colors like red, white, blue, silver, or gold.
• Have younger kids wear smocks or an oversized t-shirt, just in case!

How to make Coffee Filter Flowers

1. Place one of the coffee filters onto the paper plate and flatten it out.
2. Paint the coffee filter with watercolor paint. Paint some solid red, some solid blue, and others a combination of blue and red, leaving some areas unpainted.

1. Move the coffee filter to the towel and lay flat to dry. Repeat with the second coffee filter.

1. Leaving the center of the filter intact, cut the coffee filter in strips, working your way around the circle.

1. Cut a 1.5″ piece off of one end of a pipe cleaner and set aside.
2. Take the longer piece of the pipe cleaner and poke it through the center of the coffee filter. There should be about 2″ of pipe cleaner poked through.

1. Turn the entire thing upside down and grasp the filter with your fingers.

1. Gather it around the pipe cleaner and secure it by wrapping the extra piece of stem that you cut off in an earlier step. Twist it around the part you are holding and turn the flower back upright.

1. Manipulate with your finger until strips are spread out and it looks the way you want it to.