Japanese water flowers - they were tiny bits of scrunched up coloured paper that you put into water and they unfurled into flowers (you could leave them in water or try to dry them out). We used to love them and could afford them with our meagre pocket money as they were cheap - this was in the 70s. I've looked them up and they were really imported from Japan (it wasn't just a name) but it's a declining industry and you don't seem to be able to buy them here anymore.