Make Satin Ribbon Flowers

Ribbon flowers are a popular way to make flower decorations at home. Using satin ribbon will help you to get the glossiest finish possible. There are lots of different methods for making ribbon flowers that work well with satin ribbon, so try a few to find out which one you like best.

Steps

Fashioning a Ribbon Flower With Loops

1. Gather the materials. You can make a simple flower with ribbon by forming loops for the petals, and securing them with a stitch or some glue. If you want to try this method you will need to gather up your ribbon, a button for each flower you want to make, some thread and a needle. You can also use a glue gun if you have one.
   • If you want to make the optional stem, you will need floral wire and floral tape.
   • For this method you should use a heavy double-faced satin ribbon that will keep its shape.
2. Cut the ribbon. Now cut the ribbon strands to the desired length. This will depend on how big you want your flowers to be. Try 13-inch strips for a large flower and 6-inch strips for a small flower. The number of strips you use will also depend on the size of the flower, and how many loop petals you want it to have.
   • A simple flower could be made from just four lengths.
   • For a flower with a fuller look and more petals, try eight using 8 lengths of ribbon.
3. Position the strands. Now you need to place the ribbon strands down in a star pattern, before making the loops. Start by placing one ribbon in a vertical line down the centre and then placing a ribbon horizontally across the middle of this ribbon to form a cross.
   • Then you can lay the other ribbon strands in diagonal lines evenly across the cross to create the desired flower pattern.
   • If you are struggling to visualise the pattern, it might help to think of the asterisk symbol.
   • Once you have them in a position you like, fix them together by stitching or gluing the centre.
4. Make the loops. Now you can make the strands into the petal loops. Take a strand at one of the ends away from the centre, and fold it up and in towards centre of the flower. Depending on how many strands you are using, you may need to secure a few of the loops before moving on the next one. If possible, just hold the loops in place until you have made them all so that you can secure them all in place at the same time.
   • Make some stitches through the centre of the flower to secure all the ribbon loops in place.
5. Add a button. Once you have created all the loops, you can secure them in place and create a nice central point to your flower. Get the button and either stitch it into the centre, or glue it in. Stitching it in will make it easier for you to tie all the loops in together.
6. Make a stem. You can add a stem to this flower with floral wire. Bend the wire in half and slide it under the stitches at the back of the central part of the flower. Now the wire should extend down from the centre of the flower and look like a stem.
   • To finish it off, wrap the floral tape around the wire.
   • This will give it a nicer finish.

Creating A Flower With Pleated Satin Ribbon

1. Get everything you need. You can make flowers with pleated satin ribbon fairly easily. You will need a length of ribbon between about 18 and 24-inches long. You will also need some quick drying and strong glue. If you have a glue gun, you can use that. To form the base of the flower, you need a chipboard circle, and for the centrepiece you will need a button.
   • The diameter of the chipboard circle will depend on the size of flower you want to make.
   • A few inches diameter should be okay for a length of ribbon that is 18-inches long.
2. Glue the centre. Start rolling up one end of the ribbon in a spiral in one hand, so you have the beginnings of your flower. Place a blob of glue at the centre of the chipboard backing and press the centre of the small spiral onto the glue. The glue will dry quickly so you need to be able to work fast to stick the ribbon down.
3. Wind the ribbon around. Once you have stuck down the centre of the flower, you will wrap the ribbon around in a growing spiral. Add more glue to chipboard backing as you go and stick the ribbon down. This is tricky work, but you will still need to act quite quickly.
   • As you wind the ribbon and stick in down, you will see that it is developing into a flower pattern.
   • Once you have covered the chipboard backing circle, trim off any excess of ribbon.
   • Finish it off by gluing your centrepiece button into the heart of the flower.

Making a Simple Ribbon Flower

1. Cut the ribbon. You can make a straightforward satin ribbon flower using just one piece of satin ribbon. Cut the ribbon into one strand that is approximately 12-inches long. You will also need to gather together a needle and some thread, some scissors and some glue. Find something to use as the centre of the flower, such as a button.
2. Weave a threaded needle through the ribbon. Take the ribbon and a threaded needle. Weave the needle through the ribbon along one of the long edges. Weave the needle, in and out, all the way through the length of the ribbon.
   • The stitch to use here is known as a basting stitch.
3. Make it into a flower shape. Once you have woven the needle all the way along the ribbon, pull the thread through and pull it tight. When you do this you will see the ribbon bunch up and begin to take on a flower shape. Cut the thread and tie it off with a double knot at one end.
   • Pull it as tight as you can, and then tie off the other end of the thread.
   • Fix the two ends of the ribbon together with glue, or by stitching them. Glue might be neater, but be sure to glue on the side of the ribbon you want to be on the back.
4. Add the centrepiece. If you used glue, leave it to dry before flattening it out. It should now look like the petals of a flower. To finish it off, get your centrepiece button and place it over the hole in the centre of the flower. Use a glue gun or some superglue to stick this to the ribbon, taking care to keep it neat and tidy.
   • You may find it helpful to use two buttons, one or either side of the flower.
   • You can then glue the two buttons together to secure the flower.

Forming a Folded Ribbon Flower

1. Cut the ribbon to length. You can make satin ribbon flowers by folding a long strip of ribbon. Start by cutting your length of satin ribbon so that it is 40-inches long. Cut diagonally along each end of the ribbon, so that each end has a sharp point. You can stitch over the edges if you are concerned about fraying.
   • You will also need a threaded needle ready to go.
2. Make the first folds. About 8-inches from the left-hand side of the ribbon, fold the ribbon over so that the long end is horizontal and the shorter end is vertical. It should look like an upside-down L.
   • Now take the long right-hand end and fold it down so that it is vertical, and parallel with the shorter end.
   • The fold should create something that looks a bit like an arrowhead.
   • You should have a little gap of around 1/8 of an inch between the two ends.
3. Keep folding. Then bring the long end over the short end, so that it is horizontal again and the arrowhead shape becomes more like a square. You will then need to repeat this folding pattern, bringing one end up over the other, and then vice versa.
   • You will notice a concertina pattern developing as you fold.
   • Do this until you have at least three layers of ribbon.
4. Pass the end through the gap. Once you have folded it over so you have at least three layers, carefully lift it up. Take care to ensure that it all stays together, pinching the area where the folds are between your thumb and forefinger. Then take the end of the longer end of the ribbon and pass it through the square gap at the centre of the folds.
   • Gently pull the ribbon through, but leave a little bit at the top on the other side of the folded area.
5. Twist the end. Now take the long end of the ribbon that you have passed through the hole in one hand, and hold the folds with your other hand. Twist the long piece of ribbon near to the folds until you see the folds begin to curl and twist.
   • As you twist you will see each layer of folds curl around to become a flower shape.
   • Take the hand that you are holding the folds in, and move up a layer each time as you twist and see it curl.
6. Tie it off. Once the flower is completed and all the layers of folds have curled up into petals, grab the bottom of the flower and hold it tightly. Then take a threaded needle and stitch directly underneath the bottom of the flower to keep the folds in place.
   • Keep the stitches tight and neat, and be sure to hold it all tightly in place as you work.
   • You can use floral tape to attach the finished flower to a wire.
   • Make a series of flowers like this of different shapes and colours to make a satin ribbon bouquet.

Video

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Sources and Citations

• Videos provided by Thefrugalcrafter Lindsay Weirich

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