DIY Sunflowers That Keep Their Beauty Year-Round

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There's nothing more beautiful than a bouquet of fresh, blooming sunflowers. Their bright yellow, eye-catching petals and brown, disc-shaped flowers are recognizable wherever they grow. And though they are gorgeous to look at, using them for your bouquet may come with some downsides. One, they aren't the cheapest flower options, as a sunflower bouquet can range anywhere from $38 to $65, depending on your location. 

Two, like many plant varieties, cut sunflowers will lose their spunk after about four to five days. However, planted sunflowers will keep their blooms after about three to four weeks. But what if you want the energizing aesthetic of sunflowers in your home all year round? Well, there is one way for you to make this happen. Consider crafting your own DIY sunflower using chenille stems (also called chenille pipe cleaners). 

These fuzzy stems are made of bendable wire and are great for crafting and various creative projects. For this hack, you'll need stems in three colors: brown, yellow, and green. A pair of scissors, green stem wire, and a hot glue gun are also required. You can buy an assorted 100-pack of chenille stems from VSF for $4 on Amazon. If you don't have a glue gun, you can find one online or at your local craft store, like Michaels, for less than $10. Create an attention-grabbing home accent piece for your kitchen countertops, shelves, or dining table in a matter of minutes with this simple, fun project.

Start with the petals, grabbing a yellow chenille stem and bending it into a loop. Then, twist it at the base to secure it, and then twist it a few times about 2 inches from the center. Next, pull the ends down and flatten them. Finally, twist the bottom. Do this until you have ten petals. Now, using the green stems, create ten leaves with this technique. For the disc florets, take a brown stem and bend it into small, 1/2-inch zigzag-like sections. Create three of these. Next, apply a thin layer of glue to one side of the brown piece and roll it up. 

Then, attach another to this one, do it again, and once more until three pieces form a single ball. Next, secure your stem wire to the brown ball with super glue. Then, glue the petals and leaves to the bottom of this piece. Finally, take three green stems and glue them to the stem wire. To switch things up, you can ditch the chenille stems and create a stunning floral arrangement with an egg carton and a mason jar.

You can also use felt and various fabrics to create amazing DIY sunflowers. With them, you'll get the same textured look. Craft paper, foam sheets, and cardstock are additional materials often used to make amazing floral creations. These DIY paper flowers are budget-friendly and easy to make, not to mention the intricate patterns you can create for the center disc area. Consider pom-poms to create festive sunflowers. Set them outdoors on the porch or patio and watch them sway in the breeze.