You can make a water lily from a single square of paper using origami, build a realistic version from crepe paper, or grow a living one in a pond or container garden. Each approach takes different materials and time, from ten minutes of folding to a few years of patient gardening. Here’s how to do all three.
Origami Water Lily in 12 Steps
The traditional origami water lily uses one square sheet of paper and a repeating fold called the “blintz fold,” where all four corners meet at the center. The finished flower has two tiers of petals that fan outward, creating a surprisingly realistic bloom. Any standard origami paper works, but since this model stacks multiple layers, thinner paper (around 50 to 60 GSM) makes the final steps much easier. Tissue foil, a laminate of foil and tissue paper, is especially forgiving for repeated creases.
Start with the white or plain side facing up. Fold the paper in half top to bottom, unfold, then fold in half left to right and unfold. You now have a cross-shaped crease marking the center.
Fold all four corners to the center. That’s your first blintz fold. Now fold all four new corners to the center again for a second blintz fold. Flip the entire model over, then fold all four corners to the center a third time. The paper is getting thick at this point, so press each fold firmly with your fingernail.
Here’s where the flower takes shape. Partially open the two top flaps, then reach behind the model and pull a flap of paper forward, inverting it so it wraps around to the front. Bring the two corners back together. Rotate the model a quarter turn and repeat until you’ve done all four sides. These are your first four petals.
Repeat the same pulling motion on the next layer of flaps behind those petals. You’ll again lift paper from behind, invert it forward, and bring the corners together on all four sides. Once finished, flip the model over and gently peel back the remaining paper flaps as far as they’ll go. These form a second, lower tier of petals. Flip the model right side up, and you have a two-tiered water lily.
Getting the Details Right
If you want your craft to actually look like a water lily rather than a lotus, a few details matter. Water lily petals are pointed and form a star-shaped bloom, while lotus petals are rounder and sometimes ruffled. Water lily leaves are thick and waxy with a distinctive V-shaped notch cut into one side. If you’re making leaves to go with your flower, cutting that notch into a green circle is the fastest way to make it recognizable.
Crepe Paper Water Lily
A crepe paper version looks more realistic than origami and works well as a decoration or gift topper. You’ll need crepe paper in two shades of pink (or whatever petal color you prefer), light yellow crepe paper for the center, scissors, glue, and a small circle of cardstock about 2 inches across as a base.
Cut the crepe paper into strips roughly half an inch wide and 2 inches long, with the crinkles running along the length. Shape each strip into a petal by stretching the base with your thumbs to create a cupped, bowl-like shape. Then cut a small slit at the narrow base of each petal to create two tiny flaps, and glue one flap over the other. This overlap makes the petal curve upward instead of lying flat. The more you overlap the flaps, the more upright the petal stands.
Build the flower in three layers on your cardstock circle. The outermost ring uses about 7 wide petals glued flat or nearly flat. The middle ring uses 6 slightly narrower petals with a bit more flap overlap so they angle upward. The inner ring uses 6 of the narrowest petals standing the most upright. Each layer should nestle inside the previous one.
For the center, cut a strip of yellow crepe paper about 3 inches wide and half an inch tall, with the crinkles running vertically this time. Fringe the strip by snipping about three-quarters of the way through, then gently curl the fringe outward with your fingers. Roll the strip up with the fringe on top, adding glue to the uncut base as you go. Spread the fringes apart to fill out the center, and glue it into the middle of your innermost petal ring.
Growing a Real Water Lily
If your search was about the plant, water lilies are surprisingly manageable. You don’t need a pond. A large container, half-barrel, or stock tank works fine as long as it holds enough water to submerge the pot at least 6 inches below the surface. Eight to 10 inches of water above the plant’s crown is ideal.
Hardy water lilies grow from thick, horizontal rhizomes (underground stems). The easiest way to start is by buying a rhizome division or potted plant from a water garden supplier. Plant it in a wide, shallow container using heavy clay loam garden soil, not regular potting mix, which tends to float apart underwater. Cover the soil surface with about 2 inches of sand to keep it from clouding the water. To prevent the pot from tipping as the plant grows, weigh it down by placing a small bag of builder’s sand at the bottom before adding soil.
Submerge the potted rhizome in a spot that gets 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. The plant will send leaves to the surface within a few weeks. If you start from seed instead, expect germination in 7 to 14 days under warm conditions, but the plant won’t reach full maturity or bloom reliably for 2 to 3 years.
Dividing Established Plants
Once a hardy water lily has grown for a full season, you can propagate it the following spring by dividing the rhizome. Pull the plant from its container, rinse off the soil, and trim back the roots. A single healthy rhizome typically yields 8 to 10 divisions, each with its own cluster of leaves. Replant each division in its own weighted pot using the same clay loam and sand method, then submerge it again. This is the fastest and most reliable way to multiply your collection or share plants with someone else.