Upcycle Coffee Filters Into Gasp-Worthy Fall Marigolds

When it comes to autumn decor, a sea of red, orange, and yellow holds us captive. While the changing leaves make us nostalgic for summer sun, marigolds carry their own sunshine, making them the perfect fall decor. Though you might not want to plant marigolds this fall, crafting your own is a fun activity to invite warmth into your home this season. You can easily repurpose coffee filters into marigolds with everyday materials in just a few steps. It's a festive and cute activity, simple enough for even small children.

These beautiful flowers have a long, culturally rich history. In many Latin American countries, marigolds are used to decorate altars for Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Across the world, the Hindu Festival of Lights, Diwali, shares a fondness for the brightly colored flowers. Whether you love them for their cultural significance or you're simply following fall color themes, marigolds bring a cheerful warmth as the days grow shorter and darker.

Decorating your home with marigolds can add a vibrant pop of color to any room. Use them as your fall centerpiece or glue them together for a festive wreath. All you'll need to make them are coffee filters, food coloring, a stapler or glue, and some scissors.

Instagram's Sibia Torres Padilla uses eight to 10 coffee filters per flower. Fold the filters in half three times each and cut the flat exterior into a more jagged edge. Mix your food coloring into a bowl of water, then dip and hold the prepared coffee filters to soak up the color. Allow the colors to dry fully into the coffee filters. If you're looking to skip the dye phase, opt for colored tissue paper instead of coffee filters. You could even try a square piece of construction paper; begin with the same folds and cuts, but add a deeper cut along the outer fold to form your petals.

Once dry, stack the paper materials and staple, or glue, them together at the center. Finally, scrunch each layer upward until a marigold flower forms. Add pipe cleaner stems and create a bouquet. Or add some green paper foliage for your wreath. This fabulous floral DIY is just one of many clever ways to repurpose coffee filters. The sky is the limit.