Flowers that never fade
A well-known florist once said that apart from the gown, what the bride should take into careful consideration is the bouquet she will be holding in her hands, as it will be one of the most photographed items on her wedding day. Should she clasp a round and tightly bound one, or will delicate lilies of the valley stand the test of time? Maybe trailing orchids with lush foliage will not look cringey after a decade or two.
For Joy Patanindagat, fresh flowers never really appealed to her. When she and her fiancé (now husband) were planning their 2016 wedding, she began exploring the art of paper flowers. At the time, she was working in the HR department of a telco company before shifting to creative work full time. “I was never a fan of buying real flowers that wilted after just a few days, so I thought, why not make my own?”
After watching YouTube videos and dissecting actual flowers to see their composition, she took on the task of making paper flowers for the wedding entourage. “I got creative at the time because I didn’t know where to buy thick crepe paper. I rummaged through our pantry and found a bunch of old coffee filters, colored them with fabric dye, and shaped them into flowers all by hand. That experience sparked something in me, and I’ve been hooked ever since.”
The flowers were a hit, because after being used for the wedding ceremony, they wound up as keepsakes for her bridesmaids. Patanindagat continued working on her craft, experimenting with different types of flowers and posting the results on her social media accounts.
“I had no intention of turning it into a business, as making flowers was purely a creative outlet. I simply kept making paper flowers after my wedding because I genuinely enjoyed it.”
She would get comments on her posts praising how beautiful and lifelike the flowers looked. While she was immensely grateful for the positive feedback, it was only when friends started placing orders for special occasions that she realized there might actually be a niche for paper flowers.
Memorable projects
Patanindagat received inquiries and eventual orders through her social accounts, Handmade Blooms by Joy. Aside from her wedding, three other memorable projects include the time she was tapped to make 197 tulips for a wedding entourage. “That was my first official wedding project. The experience was tiring yet incredibly fulfilling!”
Another client commissioned her to recreate his wife’s wedding bouquet, but this time made of paper flowers. “He wanted to surprise her on their first wedding anniversary, where the traditional gift is paper.”
In a move that pushed her out of her comfort zone, Patanindagat accepted a project that required her to create custom fabric flowers for a client’s wedding gown. “She trusted me based on the quality of my paper flower work, which was both flattering and a little nerve-wracking. It was a huge challenge because I had to learn everything from scratch, relying solely on online resources.
“Making fabric flowers—and mind you, they were orchids, which are especially tricky—was a completely different experience from what I was used to. The texture, structure, and behavior of the materials required a whole new approach. But I was determined to make it work. I pushed through and poured everything I had into bringing those delicate blooms to life,” she recalled.
She was also approached by a bride-to-be who would get an allergic reaction to fresh flowers and wanted a bouquet of paper flowers that mimicked real ones. It turned out to be another untapped market she wasn’t aware existed.
“To be honest, catering to brides with pollen allergies was an afterthought. When I started, creating paper flowers was simply a form of self-expression, something meaningful that brought me joy. I didn’t realize that it could also serve a practical purpose for brides with allergies or sensitivities.
“But as I met more clients and heard their stories, I started to see how my handcrafted blooms could be a thoughtful alternative to fresh flowers. It made my work feel even more purposeful,” Patanindagat said.
Instinctive
In the close to 10 years that she has been making flowers by hand, she knows instinctively whether a particular bloom is done or still needs a bit of work. “It’s really a mix of gut feel and a trained eye for design. Over time, I’ve developed an instinct for when a paper flower looks right—whether it flows naturally, feels balanced, or complements the overall arrangement. If something feels off in the shape, size, or color harmony, a tiny tweak like adjusting a petal’s curve or changing the angle of a stem can make all the difference.”
Patanindagat could have gone on expressing her creativity until she gave birth to her daughter Likha. The act of crafting and everything that came with it had to be set aside so she could care for her daughter.
Still, she said she never really let go of creating. She would “carve out small pockets of time” while Likha napped. It was a way for her to stay grounded and connected to herself. It was also a form of self-care, she said.
She has since renamed Handmade Blooms by Joy to the more encompassing Likha by Joy. It was a step, she said, that reflected not just her artistry but also her new identity and “season in life” as a mother. “I rebranded it in honor of my daughter Likha, as she is both my greatest creation and my inspiration to keep creating.”
The rebranding gives her more leeway to explore different forms of handmade items, such as mom-baby arts and crafts, resin pregnancy keepsakes, nursery decor, and other projects she can do with Likha. “I’ll be sharing tutorials on my social media pages (Instagram @likhabyjoy and Facebook @likhabyjoy) so you can join me in creating these pieces yourself.”
