Stephanie Redlinger made her very first paper flowers for her wedding bouquet and husband’s boutonniere. This was back in 2015, but it was only a couple years later that she immersed herself completely, after participating in a paper flower making workshop taught by Tiffanie Turner. Nowadays, with thousands of followers on Instagram, she considers herself a botanical artist.
Working primarily with paper (mainly fine crepe paper), she does copious amounts of research on her subjects both before and during the making process. Her research includes studying live plants and flowers, but also online image searches and combing through books and magazines.
“I’ve always loved paper,” she admitted in an interview with Ballpitmag, stating that the obsession likely started with Lisa Frank stationery when she was very young. “My current use of fine crepe paper is yet another iteration of my love for paper,” she admits. “I love the tactile feel of good paper. The smell of old paper. The myriad forms paper can take. I also love that paper often seems ephemeral and delicate, but under the right circumstances, it can last lifetimes.”
Based in Boulder, Colorado, where she shares a home with her husband, two kids, and their dog, Redlinger is very much inspired by her natural surroundings. “There’s a lot of open space around my home in Colorado, and I love watching the colors of the landscape change throughout the seasons,” she says. “I visit plant nurseries a lot, and botanical gardens when I can, to see what’s blooming. And I’ve recently become enamored with the floral paintings of Odilon Redon.”
Take a look at some of her incredible creations:
