Rose Day DIYs: 5 Paper Rose Crafts to Make with Your Toddler

When we say "toddler craft," we're not talking about those Pinterest-perfect creations that clearly had zero toddler involvement. We're talking about real crafts where your two-year-old actually gets to squish, stick, and stamp things while you try to keep glue out of their hair.

Rose Day is coming up, and if you're thinking, "great, another reason to spend money on supplies I'll use once," hold up! These paper rose crafts use stuff you probably already have lying around, take minimal prep time, and your toddler will actually want to do them.

What You Need: Tissue paper (any color, even white works), glue stick, paper plate or cardboard

Why Toddlers Love It: Because smushing is basically their superpower.

Cut or tear tissue paper into squares. Your toddler doesn't care if they're perfectly sized, so don't stress. Show them how to scrunch each piece into a loose ball. Then let them go wild, sticking these onto a paper plate or piece of cardboard in a circle shape. You can draw a simple circle outline if you want, but honestly, abstract roses are totally valid.

The best part? There's no wrong way to do this. Tissue paper overlapping everywhere? Perfect. Using five different colors? Even better. 

Your toddler gets to practice fine motor skills while creating something that genuinely looks rose-like. Stick a green paper stem on there, and you've got a Rose Day masterpiece for grandma.

What You Need: Cupcake liners, glue, construction paper, crayons or markers

Why Toddlers Love It: They look like flowers already, which means instant success.

Flatten out a few cupcake liners, and your toddler can help with this, and they'll feel like they're doing something important. Glue them onto construction paper in a row or cluster. Let your kid draw stems and leaves with crayons. They can also add dots in the center for a "special touch".

If you want to get slightly fancier, layer two or three liners on top of each other before gluing. But honestly, a single-layer works just fine, and your toddler won't sit still for complicated anyway.

What You Need: Paint, paper, paintbrush or sponge

Why Toddlers Love It: Paint + hands = toddler heaven.

This one's messy, so maybe do it before bath time. Paint your toddler's hand in pink, red, or any rose-ish color (purple counts!). Press it onto paper with fingers spread out. Those little fingers become rose petals. Do a few handprints in a bunch, and you've got a bouquet.

Once it dries, you or your toddler can add green stems with paint or a marker. Want to make it extra special? Do one handprint, then add your handprint next to it. Write "Mommy and Me" or "Rose Day 2026" on there, and suddenly you have a keepsake instead of just another craft.

Fair Warning: There will be paint on surfaces you didn't know existed. But the giggles are worth it.

What You Need: Coffee filters, washable markers, spray bottle with water, pipe cleaners or straws

Why Toddlers Love It: Watching colors spread is basically magic to them.

Let your toddler color all over a coffee filter with washable markers. Doesn't matter if it's scribbles, as that's the point. Then comes the fun part: spray or drip water onto the filter and watch the colors bleed together. 

Once dry (or still damp if you're impatient like most toddlers), scrunch the filter from the center and twist a pipe cleaner or wrap it around a straw to make a stem. Fluff out the edges, and you've got a rose. Your toddler just did art AND science without even knowing it.

What You Need: Paper, paint or ink pad, celery stalk

Why Toddlers Love It: Stamping is repetitive, satisfying, and they can do it over and over.

Cut the bottom off a celery stalk (it naturally looks like a rose when you stamp it). Let your toddler dip it in paint or press it on an ink pad, then stamp away on paper. They can make one rose or seventy-five, whatever their attention span allows.

Add stems with markers or let them stamp green leaves using their thumb. This activity is perfect because toddlers can do it completely independently while you drink your coffee nearby. Win-win.

Rose Day doesn't need to be complicated. Your toddler doesn't care if their rose looks like a rose; they care that they got to make something, maybe got a little messy, and received enthusiastic praise from you.

These crafts work because they're quick enough to finish before meltdown time, simple enough that you're not doing most of it yourself, and open-ended enough that there's no "wrong" result.

So grab whatever paper and supplies you have, set up in a space you don't mind getting messy, and let your tiny human create. Take a picture, send it to relatives, or stick it on the fridge.

Happy Rose Day!