Making Miniature Roses From Ribbon

Wire Ribbon

• Make a rose using a ribbon reinforced with wire. Cut approximate 6 inches of wired ribbon for a rose 2 inches in diameter. Adjust the length depending on the blossom size and how bunched you want the fabric to be. Tie a knot at one end for the center of the rose, and then pull a single wire out from the opposite end of the ribbon. Cut the ribbon slightly to expose the wire, if necessary. Gently pull the wire until the entire length of ribbon is twisted and bunched. Hold the knot between your thumb and forefinger, and then turn it slowly, wrapping the ribbon tightly around the knot with your other hand to create the center of the rosebud. Continue wrapping around the knot and rosebud to make it larger, keeping the ribbon as close to the bottom and the center of the previous layer as possible.

Assembly

• Wrap the exposed wire around the bottom of the knot to hide it and to secure the rose blossom. Adjust and shape the rosebud by gently twisting and fluffing the ribbon. Attach the ribbon to a stem, headband or your desired craft piece. For extremely small roses, cut the wire in half lengthwise. This takes a bit of patience, since tiny roses are more difficult to manipulate.

Fabric Ribbon

• Use a needle and thread to make a rose from softer fabric ribbon. Run a basting stitch 1/8 inch from the top of a long fabric strip, leaving a long tail at either end. Do not back-stitch to set. Hold one end of the fabric strip, and thread it in place. Pull the other end to gather the fabric strip. Move along the length, gathering it until you have petal-like ruffles. Run a straight stitch over your basting stitch, keeping the strip ruffled just so. This sets the ruffle and allows you to wrap the rose without it unraveling. Snip the thread tails. Then, hold one end of the strip between your thumb and forefinger, and turn the strip tightly, wrapping it around itself. Loosen the wrap slightly as you progress to give the blossom an open look. Pin and hand-stitch the bottom of the rose together, making sure to stitch everything together so it doesn't come loose.

Embellishment

• You can use contrasting stitching or mix different colors for your miniature roses. Experiment with different tightness for ruffles and the buds themselves to vary the blossom size and how open it is. Stitch your finished roses to accent pillows, headbands, clothing or handbags, or group them together and make a 3-D picture of a rose bouquet. They also work well in lieu of fresh roses at a wedding or anniversary party.