7 Wonderful Paper Dahlia Wreaths You Can DIY Anytime

Dahlia flowers are the flashiest bloom in the garden, and it turns out their many-petaled shape is one of the easiest things to fake with rolled paper cones and a hot glue gun. These 7 paper dahlia wreaths, chosen from dozens of tutorials for clean petal work and real finished photos, cover spring, Halloween, Christmas, and one upcycled book page version.

If you want something for everyday wall decor, the classic and colorful picks below are the fastest win; if you’re planning around a specific holiday, skip ahead to the seasonal wreaths near the end. These dahlia wreaths live inside our paper flowers collection, and they pair naturally with our DIY paper flower wreath tutorial if you’d rather blend several bloom types into one design, so keep both bookmarked for the whole spring season.

Classic and Colorful Dahlia Wreaths

Dahlia wreaths look complicated hanging on a wall, but the trick is just repetition: one small paper cone glued next to another, over and over, until the whole thing reads as a flower. They hang well on a blank wall, above a mantel, or as a backdrop for photos, and work year round since there’s no seasonal color tying them down. These two earned their spot for the widest color range and the cleanest finished shape.

1. Double Shaded Paper Dahlia

Difficulty: Intermediate  ·  Time: 2 hrs  ·  Materials: Cardstock, cardboard base, acrylic paint, hot glue

Best for: Two-tone color blending

This tutorial builds a two-tone dahlia by dabbing paint onto the corners of 50 to 60 cardstock squares before folding them into cones, so each petal fades from one color into another. Vikalpah shares two folding methods, a frilled center or a cone center, so you can pick whichever finish you like better.

Make the Double Shaded Paper Dahlia at Vikalpah →

2. Rainbow Paper Dahlia Flower

Difficulty: Beginner  ·  Time: 1.5 hrs  ·  Materials: Astrobrights paper, cardboard base, low-temp glue gun

Best for: Kid-friendly rainbow project

Layered rings of Astrobrights paper cones build outward from a small cardboard circle, with the biggest petals on the outside tapering down to a single sheet at the center. It’s simple enough that the tutorial’s writer had her four-year-old help cut the paper, so save the glue gun step for an adult.

Make the Rainbow Paper Dahlia Flower at Craftaholics Anonymous →

Spring Dahlia Wreaths

When you want a wreath that says spring without looking like every other flower wreath on Pinterest, a paper dahlia gets you there in an afternoon. They work leaned against a mantel, hung on a front door, or propped in an empty picture frame for a change of scenery. If you want another dimensional paper flower for the season, our crepe paper sunflower tutorial uses a similar rolled-petal technique. These two rose to the top for how differently they use color, one leans bold and graphic, the other stays soft and budget-friendly.

3. Spring Dahlia Wreath

Difficulty: Beginner  ·  Time: 1 hr  ·  Materials: Astrobrights paper, cardboard base, hot glue

Best for: Quick spring front door decor

This rolled paper version uses bright Astrobrights cardstock and leans toward a looser, more textured petal than a tightly folded cone. Doodlecraft calls it simple to make, and the saturated color makes it a natural front door piece for spring.

Make the Spring Dahlia Wreath at Doodlecraft →

4. Paper Wreath, Dahlia Inspired

Difficulty: Beginner  ·  Time: 1 hr  ·  Materials: Yellow, white, and grey construction paper, cardboard, hot glue

Best for: Budget wreath under $10

Built for under $10 in construction paper, this wreath uses a muted yellow, white, and grey palette instead of the usual saturated brights, so it works on darker painted walls where a neon version would clash. The cardboard base doubles as the hanging point once you glue on a ribbon loop.

Make the Paper Wreath, Dahlia Inspired at Mommity →

Holiday Dahlia Wreaths

Paper dahlias travel well between holidays because the shape stays the same and only the palette changes. Hang one on the door for trick-or-treaters, or prop one against the mantel where the Christmas cards land, and skip buying a whole new wreath every season. If paper flowers aren’t your thing this fall, our fall paper leaf wreath uses the same cardboard-base trick with a different material. These two cover opposite ends of the holiday mood, spooky-elegant black and cheerful poinsettia red.

5. Halloween Dahlia Wreath

Difficulty: Intermediate  ·  Time: 2 hrs  ·  Materials: Black construction paper, polka dot paper, cardboard base

Best for: Spooky-elegant Halloween decor

About 72 black petals surround a smaller polka dot center on this one, giving it an elegant rather than cheesy read that got it featured in Better Homes and Gardens’ Halloween issue. It skips the glitter and cobwebs other Halloween crafts lean on and lets the shape do the work instead.

Make the Halloween Dahlia Wreath at Blooming Homestead →

6. Christmas Theme Dahlia Wreath

Difficulty: Intermediate  ·  Time: 1 hr  ·  Materials: Red and yellow construction paper, gold glitter glue, cardboard base

Best for: Holiday mantel or door decor

Swap the palette to red and gold and the same cone technique reads as a poinsettia instead of a dahlia. Mommity adds a touch of gold glitter glue to the yellow center cones, which catches the light nicely against a mantel or front door through the holidays.

Make the Christmas Theme Dahlia Wreath at Mommity →

Upcycled Dahlia Wreaths

What sets this pick apart from the rest of the list is the material, not the technique. It turns a stack of damaged or unwanted books into a wall piece instead of a trip to the recycling bin, and it fits right in on a bookshelf, mantel, or gallery wall in a farmhouse or vintage-styled room. It earned its slot for proving the cone-and-layer method works on more than just craft paper.

7. Dahlia Book Page Wreath

Difficulty: Intermediate  ·  Time: 1.5 hrs  ·  Materials: Old book pages, cardboard base, hot glue, ribbon

Best for: Upcycling old books into decor

Around 100 book page squares roll into the same cone shape as the paper versions, but the printed text and cream color give it a completely different, almost neutral look that works with farmhouse or vintage decor. A Wonderful Thought suggests picking a book with some sentimental value rather than any random paperback off the shelf.

Make the Dahlia Book Page Wreath at A Wonderful Thought →

Tips for Paper Dahlia Wreaths

• Trace your cardboard base with a compass or a plate so the rings stay even; uneven circles are the easiest way to end up with a lopsided flower.
• Cardstock holds a cone shape longer than construction paper, worth the extra cost if you want the wreath to last past one season on the wall.
• Work from the outer ring inward, and glue each layer so it slightly overlaps the one before it. That overlap is what gives the finished piece its dahlia texture.
• Low-temp glue guns are safer for kids helping with a rainbow or spring version, but they set slower, so hold each cone in place for a few extra seconds.

All seven of these come down to the same forgiving trick: fold, glue, repeat, so a mismatched cone or two never shows once the wreath is full.

Made one of these? Share your paper dahlia wreath in the I Made It space inside Craftaholic Community. The most-loved post each month wins a one year free Premium membership.