Mother’s Day is fast approaching, and it’s about time to come up with a thoughtful gift. Most times, I have no idea what to do for my mom. She’s been my mom for almost 40 years and I’m sort of running out of unique and original things to do for her. But because she is my mom, like all moms, she loves it when I make her something. Although I’m sure she’s glad I’ve moved past handprints and glued-on cotton balls, a gift that’s handcrafted and from the heart is always well received. Even more so if it involves flowers and chocolate. That’s right. Give mom flowers AND chocolate in one pretty handmade bunch like I am this year with this Paper Tulip Bouquet stuffed with DOVE® Dark Chocolate! (Mom, I know you read my blog, so just act surprised when you get them!) It’s a gift as unique as she is.

Now, this isn’t a 5-minute project. I would honestly budget for 15 minutes per stem, but they’re so pretty I think they’re worth the time. It’s a perfect sit-in-front-of-the-TV-and-craft project.

The first thing you’ll need for these paper tulips is the chocolate.DOVE® Dark Chocolate PROMISES are the perfect size and shape to make centers for the tulips. And bonus, they come in some pretty fantastic flavors. The Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate is my favorite, but DOVE® Dark Chocolate has upped their game by adding Silky Smooth Almond Dark Chocolate, Silky Smooth Mint & Dark Chocolate Swirl, and Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel. I might have had to go buy another bag of those sea salt caramel ones as I ate the first bag before I had a chance to take pictures. (doh!) Anyway, all these flavors come in different color wrappers, so you can mix and match to make the perfect color combo for your tulips.

MATERIALS (Per tulip):

2 sheets coordinating scrapbook paper for tulip

12 inch paper tulip petal template or 8.5×11 paper tulip template

Green scrapbook paper

2 DOVE ® Dark Chocolate PROMISES

5 inch or so square of clear Cellophane paper

Bamboo skewer

Floral tape (green)

Tissue paper to wrap bouquet

Ribbon to tie bouquet

On the cellophane paper…I had a cellophane bag I cut up to make my squares. No need to buy a roll or anything if you have something that will work. Put the two DOVE® Dark Chocolate PROMISES in the center of the cellophane and bundle the edges to the center and gather together.

Lay the bamboo skewer into the folds of the cellophane. The chocolates will form the center of the tulip when you’re done.

Starting near the top of the bamboo skewer, use the floral tape to wrap the cellophane tightly to the bamboo skewer. Don’t be intimidated by the floral tape–it’s pretty forgiving stuff. Just pull slightly as you’re wrapping to make it sticky and you’ll be great! You only need to wrap the skewer part of the way down for now.

Using your tulip templates, print the three-petal shapes to your choice of scrap paper. I liked using several different patterns in pink along with a textured pink scrap paper for my tulips–but this part is totally up to you and your creativity. You’ll need two tri-tipped shapes per tulip. Free hand cut a long slender leaf out of the green.

To make the tulips look more like real flowers, we’re going to need to bend them up a bit. Start by folding (not sharply, just bend them) the petals up towards the center.

Curl each petal at the edges towards the center. Make sure the hole in the center of the three petals is punched out at this time.

Slide your petal on the skewer up to the bottom of the chocolate center.

Add a tiny bit of glue to the edges of the petals, then over lap them and seal them down.

We’re doing this so we can keep the flower closed like a tulip. You’re going to want to glue them together loosely enough that there is still a hole in the top of the flower.

Slide on your second tulip petal on the skewer. Make sure your second petal is not directly overlapping the first; twist it to the side slightly so the bottom petals cover the seams of the first set of petals.

Rather then overlap the petals this time, you’re just going to put a tiny spot of glue on the seam of petals and stick the bottom petal on so it doesn’t flop open. Do this all the way around.

Curl up the edges of the free-form cut leaves.

Using the floral tape, wrap the leaf to the bamboo skewer.

A couple twists around and it’ll stay put! Go ahead and wrap the remainder of the skewer with the tape so the whole length is green.

Once you have as many tulips made as you plan to give, tie them together loosely at the bottom. Wrap the bundle like a real flower bouquet in tissue paper and tie shut with a ribbon. If you want, glue on a little embellishment, and these beauties are ready to give!

Or, if you want, drop your chocolate filled blooms in a pretty vase. Mom will be thrilled with either!

Compensation was provided by DOVE® Dark Chocolate via MomTrends. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Dove or Momtrends.