Poppy flowers are bright red with a dark center, making for a beautiful contrast that makes for a lovely project!

Poppies are also associated with holidays like Remembrance Day, so they are a wonderful way to honor those special days.

For more ideas, be sure to visit our other classic kids' crafts, animal-themed crafts and our main crafts page.

What you'll need:

How to make it:

1. Be sure you have something to protect your work surface such as an old plastic tablecloth or newspaper. Flatten the coffee filter with your hand and then paint it red. In some spots the paint will seep through to the other side so you should also completely paint the bottom side. Repeat for the second coffee filter and set both aside to dry. (See photo.)
2. Layer both coffee filters and then fold in half. (See photo.)
3. Fold in half once again so it is only a quarter of a circle. (See photo.)
4. Holding the folded filters at the point, cut both left and right corners off, rounding as you go. (See photo.) When you open them they will resemble four leaf clovers. (See photo.)
5. Place one filter on top of the other, offsetting so that you can see all eight bumps. (See photo.)
6. Hold filters together and poke the chenille stem through the center of both filters. Leave about an inch poking through and bend it down to secure. (See photo.)
7. Holding the "stem", gather the bottom of the flower up into a cup shape and wrap the small piece of chenille stem around the bottom of the coffee filters. Tighten to secure. (See photo.)
8. Open the flower up and glue the pom-pom to the center. Allow glue to dry completely. (See photo.)
9. Gently gather and scrunch the flower in your hand, then release. (See photo.)

Tips:

1. While craft paint will give you a vibrant red, you can also use watercolor paints, crayons, markers, or food coloring.  
2. If you don't have coffee filters or want to avoid mess, you can substitute red tissue paper or even construction paper.
3. Another fun option would be to use a black button instead of the pom-pom.