Easy Lotus Flower (or Water Lily) Craft for Kids

Looking for a fun and educational craft to add to your flower studies or a lesson on countries like India or Egypt, where the lotus flower holds special significance? This Lotus flower craft, which can also double as a water lily, is perfect for you!

Using a free printable template, kids can easily create their own beautiful paper flower, complete with a paper plate leaf for the flower to rest on.

Although the lotus and water lily are different flowers, they share a similar appearance, making this craft versatile for teaching about either one.

Whether you’re exploring a unit about flowers or diving into a cultural study where the lotus is the national flower, such as in India or Egypt, this craft is a wonderful hands-on activity for children to learn and get creative.

Lotus Flower Craft

Lotus flower craft materials

Materials

  • Lotus flower craft template (available for download below)
  • Colored paper
  • Tissue paper (yellow or white)
  • Paper plate
  • Green paint/paintbrush
  • Scissors
  • Glue

Instructions

First, download the lotus flower printable template at the bottom of this page.

Print the template on the colored paper you want for your flower, or you can trace it onto colored construction paper.

Start by painting the center of your paper plate green to create the leaf for your flower.

While the paint dries, cut out the pieces from the template. If you haven’t already used colored paper, trace and cut out the template pieces onto the colored paper now.

Next, form the flower by bending it into a circle so that the two end petals overlap. Glue these overlapping petals together to hold the shape.

Curl each petal over a pencil to make them bend downward and look more natural.

Layer one of the smaller flowers inside the larger flower, offsetting the petals. You can use two or three layers, depending on how full you want your flower to look.

Trim the outside edge of the paper plate, leaving just the circle in the middle. If you want, you can cut a small triangle out of the plate for added detail.

Place your layered flower on the paper plate leaf. Take a square of yellow tissue paper (about 4″x4″), crinkle it up, and glue or tape it in the center of the flower. This will hold the layers together and secure the flower to the plate.

Completed lotus flower craft

And that’s it—your beautiful lotus flower (or water lily) is ready to enjoy!

Completed water lily craft for kids

This activity is perfect for learning about different types of flowers or exploring cultures where the lotus flower holds special significance, like in India or Egypt.

Completed lotus flower craft for kids

With just a few simple materials and some creativity, kids can create a stunning paper flower that’s perfect for displaying at home or in the classroom.

Lotus flower craft

Lotus Flower Craft

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Make an adorable paper plate lotus flower with this easy craft for kids!

Materials

  • Lotus flower craft template
  • Colored paper
  • Tissue paper (yellow or white)
  • Paper plate
  • Green paint/paintbrush
  • Scissors
  • Glue

Instructions

  1. Download the lotus flower printable template.
  2. Print the template on colored paper or trace it onto colored construction paper.
  3. Paint the center of a paper plate green.
  4. Cut out the template pieces.
  5. Bend the flower into a circle, overlapping two petals, and glue them together.
  6. Curl the petals over a pencil to bend them downward.
  7. Layer a smaller flower inside a larger one, offsetting the petals. Use two or three layers.
  8. Cut out the center circle of the paper plate to make the leaf.
  9. Place the layered flower on the plate.
  10. Crinkle a 4"x4" square of yellow tissue paper and glue or tape it to the flower's center.

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