How to Make Ribbon Roses Like a Pro

Roses made from ribbon—be it fabric, satin, or silk material—are great for decorating, enhancing clothing on special occasions, and making craft projects. You can make easy DIY ribbon roses without sewing, and we're here to show you two different ways to do so. Keep reading for step-by-step instructions.

Making a Rose Out of Ribbon: Quick Steps

Cut 1 ¹⁄₂ in (3.8 cm) wide ribbon into a 36 in (91 cm) strip.
Fold the ribbon down over itself at a 90-degree angle, leaving a 3 in (7.6 cm) tail on the left.
Rotate the ribbon counterclockwise and make another identical fold.
Continue to rotate and fold until you’re almost out of ribbon to create a square.
Pull one end of the ribbon through the center hole, and hold it at the bottom of the rose.
Twist the folded squares around clockwise to form petals.
Tie the loose ends of the ribbon together at the bottom of the rose and trim the excess.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Folding a Ribbon Rose

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1
Choose a ribbon without wires that is 1 ¹⁄₂ inches (3.8 cm) wide. You can make roses out of silk, satin, or grosgrain (fabric) ribbon, as long as they don’t have any wires inside of them. Wire ribbon won’t look as natural and may be harder to shape. Use pink or red ribbon for a traditional rose, or use bright colors or patterned ribbon for a festive look.^{[1]
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- The width of the ribbon determines the size of your rose. A wider ribbon creates a bigger rose. For a small ribbon rose, use a ribbon that’s ¹⁄₈ inch (0.32 cm) wide.
2
Cut your ribbon to about 36 inches (91 cm). Use tape measure to ensure your ribbon is the right length. It’s better to have excess than to fall short. Use a pair of sharp scissors to cut your ribbon for your rose. Cut the material at a slight angle to avoid fraying.^{[2]
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- The cut you make doesn’t have to look perfect, since it will be hidden inside of your finished rose.
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Position your ribbon horizontally and leave 3 inches (7.6 cm) to your left. Take the long side of the ribbon on the right and fold it downward over itself, creating a 90-degree angle. Press down on the fold with your fingers so that it stays in place.^{[3]
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Rotate the ribbon and make another fold. Right now, the long end is hanging down toward you and the tail of the ribbon is pointing left. Rotate it counterclockwise so the tail is hanging down and the long end is pointing right. Finally, fold the long end down over itself, mirroring the already folded side.^{[4]
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- Keep one hand on the central folds of your ribbon so they don’t come loose.
- As you fold, leave a small slit in the middle of all the folds. You’ll need to pull the tail through the center of your folds at the end.
5
Continue rotating and folding, creating a square. To make a new fold, rotate the ribbon counterclockwise (toward your left) and bring the long end down, creating a right angle. After the fourth fold, your ribbon will begin to resemble a square with four right angles. Keep doing this until you run out of material.^{[5]
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- Crease each fold that you make so that it stays in place.
6
Pinch the stack of folds together with your fingers. Pick up the folds that you made with your ribbon and keep them pinched together between your thumb and pointer finger.^{[6]
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- If the material comes loose, it will fold out into an accordion. Fold it back up into a square.
- Optionally, use scissors to cut one of the tail ends of your ribbon folds to make it pointed instead of straight for a more realistic center of your rose.
Grab one of the tail pieces of ribbon that is sticking past your folded square. Pull the ribbon through the small hole in the center of your square. If you have trouble getting it through, use a pair of small tweezers to grab the ribbon and pull it.^{[7]
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Twist the layers around until they form a rose shape. Grab the pulled-through tail at the back center of your rose. Holding an edge of the folded square, twist it clockwise until the center squeezes together and forms a rose petal shape. Twist these as much or as little as you want to until your silk, satin, or grosgrain ribbon rose looks like a real flower.^{[8]
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- More twists will result in a tighter rose shape.
9
Tie your ribbon tails at the back of the rose and cut the excess. Grab the ends of the ribbon that are sticking out and tie them in a knot so they don’t come loose. Use sharp scissors to cut the ends of the ribbon off so you don’t have loose material hanging off of your flower.
- Alternatively, twist the tails and pinch them together. Wrap a small piece of clear tape around them at the base of the flower. Trim the excess ribbon.^{[9]
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- You can also use a smaller ribbon to tie your rose’s ribbon tail ends together before trimming the excess.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Hot Glue to Make a Ribbon Rose

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Choose either silk, satin, or grosgrain (fabric) ribbon, but make sure that it doesn’t have any type of wire framing inside of it. Wire could complicate the shaping of your rose. Choose red or pink ribbon for a classic rose design, or be bold with cream, yellow, or orange.^{[10]
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Cut a piece of ribbon that’s about 36 inches (91 cm) in length. Use sharp scissors to cut your ribbon into a workable length. The longer your material is, the larger your rose will be. Cut the edge in a straight line to make it easier to work with.^{[11]
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- If you are worried about your material fraying, apply a liquid fray check to the cut edge and let it dry before you make your rose.
Put a clear hot glue stick into your glue gun and wait for it to warm up. Set your ribbon horizontally in front of you. Place a pea-sized dot of hot glue about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the edge of your ribbon, halfway from the top. Let it dry slightly before you handle it so you don’t burn yourself.^{[12]
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Warning: Use caution with hot glue. Try not to get it on your hands as it can burn your fingers.
Take the edge of the ribbon nearest the hot glue and fold it in once toward the rest of the ribbon. Make a right angle with the point of the triangle at the top of your ribbon and a small bit of the edge hanging past the fold. Press down slightly on the material to make sure the glue bonds with it.^{[13]
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Apply another dot of hot glue on the fold of the ribbon. Use your hot glue gun to apply a pea-sized amount of hot glue on the center of the fold that you just made. Make sure the glue is centered to ensure your rose will be even.^{[14]
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- Place the tip of your glue gun directly onto your material to prevent the glue from creating strings.
Hold the ribbon horizontally. Take the folded part of the ribbon and fold it in half on top of the hot glue, making a skinny triangle. Press down on the glue slightly so that it sticks together.^{[15]
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Pick up the ribbon, holding the triangle in your right hand and the excess length in your left hand. Roll the excess ribbon back and down, away from you, so it resembles the center of a rose. Pinch this folded-down part to the triangle you made and roll it around once (360 degrees), holding it tight.^{[16]
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Fold and roll to make petals and hot glue them to the center. Keep using the same technique of rolling the free end of ribbon back and down as if folding it, then adding pea-sized dots of hot glue every 2 inches (5.1 cm). Twirl the center of the rose clockwise to press the glue into it and set the petal in place.^{[17]
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- Hold the ribbon horizontally the entire time.
- Keep the folds tight so that they combine to look like a rose.
- The purpose of folding the ribbon over is so that there are no edges showing in your rose.
9
Glue the excess ribbon to the base of the flower. Take the tail of the ribbon that is hanging out from behind your rose and glue it to the bottom of your rose. Put a dot of hot glue on the inside of the tail so that you can’t see the glue stain. Press the tail against the base to hide it.^{[18]
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- You can twist the tail around itself once if you don’t want the frayed edge to show.

Community Q&A

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Question

How do I attach a wire for the stem to a rose, and when should I do it?

Community Answer

Attach the wire right before you tie the knot at the end. Do this by inserting the wire.

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How do I attach a rose to a dress?

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Either stitch it or stick with fabric glue. Use red color thread. Additionally, you can make leaves to make it beautiful.

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What is the best width for making fake roses?

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It depends on how big you want your flower petals to be. Thinner ribbons make a smaller flower, and wider ribbons make bigger flowers.

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Add a pipe cleaner stem if you want to make a stemmed bouquet of roses.

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To display small ribbon roses, set them atop a dry candle so they fill it from edge to edge like a bouquet.

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