Tissue paper is one of the most underrated craft materials, capable of being crumbled, squished, folded and patched together. It’s one of our favourite materials because it’s so versatile and available in so many colours.

Tissue paper for crafts is usually 17gsm to 14gsm, so it’s as thin as regular tissue paper but can be purchased with a machine-glazed surface so one side is shiny. It’s also acid-free and chlorine-free, making it suitable for delicate arts and crafts projects.

Our favourite tissue paper craft ideas for adults make generous use of coloured tissues, to make beautifully colourful displays.

What you need

For the following tissue paper crafts, you need:

• Tissue paper (discover our tissue paper range)
• Pen/pencil
• Glue (PVA and glue stick)
• Hot glue gun
• 3″ and 2″cookie cutters
• Scissors
• Wire
• Craft decorations and items (e.g. pipe cleaners, glitter, straws)

We’ll start our list with a simple but beautiful tissue paper craft idea:

Tissue Paper Flower

What you need:

• Tissue paper (one colour)
• Scissors
• Fishing line

Tissue paper flowers make fantastic gifts and decorations. There are infinite variations to try, but our favourite (see video) takes just a few minutes with minimal resources, creating a beautiful, layered rose that’s surprisingly durable.

Round Tissue Paper Flower

What you need:

• Tissue paper (one colour)
• Coloured paper for the stem (green)
• Scissors
• Craft wire

Another variation of flower you can make with tissue paper is a round flower, which requires a little more work. Our favourite variation (see video) produces a tissue flower that can be used in a vase or as part of a floral display.

Tissue Paper Butterfly

What you need:

• Tissue paper (four coloured sheets)
• Pipe cleaner
• Wire
• Scissors
• A straw

Our favourite way to make a tissue paper butterfly (see video) requires four sheets of coloured tissue paper, a straw, some wire and a pipe cleaner. It takes around 10 minutes to make, with no glue needed, and it’s infinitely customisable.

Tissue Paper Jar Lanterns

What you need:

• Tissue paper (multiple colours)
• Glue (PVA)
• Glass jars

If you have a few glass jars, glue coloured tissue paper to them and use them as candle lanterns. The light from the flame will cast through the tissue paper, creating a colourful glow that looks incredible under dim lighting.

Tissue Paper Lei

What you need:

• Tissue paper roll or 20” strips
• Yarn / string
• Hot glue gun

A lei is a garland of flowers originating from Hawaii, given as a welcome or farewell. You can make a beautiful lei with nothing more than tissue paper, yarn and a hot glue gun. The hardest part is forming the flowers, so they are identical.

Tissue Paper Wreath

What you need:

• Tissue paper sheets
• Paper plate
• PVA glue
• String or yarn for hanging

The great thing about a tissue paper wreath is you can make one for every occasion, like Christmas (green and red) and Halloween (orange and black). Our favourite method (see video) requires a paper plate for the backing and can be made in 10 minutes.

Tissue Paper Tassel Garland

What you need:

• Tissue paper
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Glue gun
• Yarn / string

Tassel garlands are essential party decorations, but most are made from plastics that aren’t widely recycled. Tissue paper tassel garlands are far better for the environment and making them yourself is a great way to keep costs down!

Share your tissue paper craft ideas

Whether you’re a beginner to arts and crafts or an expert crafter, we’d love to hear your tissue paper ideas. Share them in the comments section below.

Have fun!