How to Make Lotus Flowers

Cut a 3-inch square of oilcloth or waterproof paper. These two materials work well for brooches, handbag accessories or floating centerpiece embellishments. Protected cloth or paper won't succumb to the elements easily.

Fold the square in half horizontally. Turn the material so the fold faces away from you.

Grip the lower right corner of the material and fold it up so the corner sticks up from the left side of the horizontal fold. Fold the lower left corner so it sticks up from the right side of the horizontal fold. You should have an arrow shape with a forked base.

Fold the arrow in half to the left, bisecting the forked base. This should create a slender arrow shape.

Position your scissors about ½ inch up from the bottom point of your arrow. Cut the top part of the arrow away along a shallow curve. Open up the arrow; you should have a flower shape with six long, slender petals.

Create about eight more fabric or paper flowers just like the first.

Place a sticky glue dot in the center of your first flower. Press a second flower into the glue dot, turning the second flower so its petals are staggered with those of the first flower. Continue building your flower this way until you run out of petals.

Fold up the petals of the top flower so they're vertical. Repeat with the second flower, and the third. When you're finished, the petals should open up in a textured dome shape.