Crepe Paper Types Explained

There's a few different types of crepe paper available, and working out what the differences are can be very confusing - I get asked quite a lot about them so here's my quick run-down on the main types available.

Crepe paper is graded by its thickness in a similar way to normal paper and card; and just like paper and card different thicknesses of crepe paper suit different purposes and flower types.

I'll go through the typical weights in the descriptions below. For comparison, standard printer paper is usually around 80g. But note that even at similar weights, crepe paper behaves very differently because of the stretch factor.

Florist

This is sometimes referred to as "heavy" crepe and is in the 160g to 180g weight range. Perfect for lots of different flower types and foliage, and holds shape well, and very versatile. Typically comes in rolls stretch is around 250%.

Medium

Thin paper, typically around 90g weight with a good stretch. Versatile paper and good for achieving a delicate looking petals. Extra fine, fine or light weight

Very thin paper between 30 - 60g in terms of weight. Great for very delicate flower types. Doublette or Gloria

This is a special type of crepe paper which is made by gluing two sheets of fine crepe together to make double-sided sheets. The beauty of this type is that the sheets can be different colours on each side which means that you can get really cool effects. Each sheet is about 90gsm with a stretch of 135%. Particularly good for making flowers such as anemones, daffodils and also for leaves and foliage.

Brands

There are a few companies who produce crepe paper.

• Werola are the main German paper manufacturer and also produce paper for the Lia Griffiths brand.

• Cartotenica Rossi are an Italian manufacturer of a wide range of crepe paper colours and weights.
  

There are other companies producing crepe paper, certainly there are ones within the Asian market, but I've focussed on European makers for obvious reasons!

In the next blog I'll talk about the pros and cons of German versus Italian paper!