Ribbon roses

Sew some seeds of creativity this spring. No watering required!

Ribbon Roses

You’ll Need:

• assorted colours of satin or grosgrain ribbon
• needle and thread or fishing line or hot glue gun
• assorted two-hole buttons 
• striped drinking straws

1. Fold a 12- to 14-inch (30- to 40-cm) length of ribbon back and forth like an accordion six or seven times.

2. Thread the needle and tie a knot a few inches from one end so the thread does not pull all the way through. Poke the needle and thread through the “accordion” of ribbon at the centre.

3. Fan out the outside edges into a flattened circle to form the flower and sew a two-holed button in the centre to hold the petals in place.

4. With both loose ends of the thread now at the back of the blossom, tie a double knot tightly around one end of a drinking straw to make the stem, or stick to the straw with a dab of hot glue.

Originally published in ParentsCanada magazine, May 2014.