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Activities / Palm Leaf Craft / Palm Leaf Rose

Palm Leaf Rose

Palm Leaf Rose: Folded Leaf Petals on a Wire Stem

Level
Intermediate
Duration
45 - 90 mins
Budget
₹314 – ₹683
Age
12+
State
Andhra Pradesh

Materials

  • Dried palm (olai) leaf strips, about 30 to 40 cm long
  • Green floral wire, 22 gauge
  • Green floral tape
  • Clear craft glue
  • Scissors
  • Cotton thread and a pencil
  • Bowl of water and a small towel
  • Thin gloves

Steps

  1. Gather your leaf strips, wire and tape on a flat table
    Lay out about 10 dried palm (olai) strips, 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 in) long, a bowl of water, scissors, a pencil, cotton thread, glue, 25 cm of green wire and a roll of green floral tape. Put on thin gloves, because dry palm edges can cut. Common mistake: starting with dry leaf. It cracks when you fold it, so soaking comes first.
  2. Soak the strips for 20 minutes, then wrap them in a damp towel
    Drop the strips in the bowl so they are fully under water. After 20 minutes they should bend into a loop without cracking. Lift them out, pat them dry and wrap them in a slightly damp towel. Palm dries fast, and the strips go stiff again within about 10 minutes in open air. Take out only one strip at a time while you work.
    Tip: If a strip still cracks when you bend it, soak it for 10 more minutes.
  3. Cut 12 petal strips and round one end of each
    Cut 4 small petals 2 x 5 cm (3/4 x 2 in), 4 medium petals 2.5 x 7 cm (1 x 2.75 in) and 4 large petals 3 x 9 cm (1.25 x 3.5 in). Round one short end of each strip with scissors so it looks like a petal. Sort them into three piles by size. Common mistake: cutting all petals the same size, which makes a flat, stiff flower instead of a rose.
    Tip: Cut one strip first, then use it as a template for the rest of its pile.
  4. Roll one small petal tightly into the bud
    Take one small petal and roll it from the straight end into a thin tube, about 5 mm (1/4 in) across. Hold it between your thumb and finger and bind the base with 3 turns of cotton thread. Tie a knot and leave the thread tails long. The bud should feel firm and not spring open. Common mistake: rolling loosely, which makes the centre of the rose fall apart.
  5. Wrap the other three small petals around the bud
    Place a second small petal against the bud, rounded end up, and wrap it around by about a third of the way. Add the next petal so it overlaps the first by half. Add the third the same way. After each petal, bind the base with thread. The bud should now look like a closed tulip, about 2.5 cm (1 in) wide at the top.
  6. Add the medium petals and curl their edges with a pencil
    Add the 4 medium petals one at a time, spacing each so it covers the gap between the two below it. Bind the base after each one. Roll the top edge of each petal back over a pencil to curl it outward by about 5 mm. Curled edges are what make it look like an open rose. Common mistake: curling too hard, which snaps the leaf.
  7. Add the large petals and curl the tips more
    Add the 4 large petals the same way, staggered between the medium ones. Bind firmly at the base with 5 or 6 turns of thread, then knot and trim the tails to 1 cm. Curl the tips of the large petals back more than the others so the outside of the rose opens wide. Turn the flower around and check it from every side for gaps.
    Tip: Fill any gap with one spare petal cut from your leftover strip.
  8. Push the wire up through the base and hook the top
    Cut 25 cm (10 in) of green wire. Bend a small hook, about 1 cm, at one end. Push the other end up through the middle of the base of the rose until the hook catches against the centre of the bud and sits hidden inside. Pull gently from below to check it holds. Bend the tip of the lower end so it does not prick you.
  9. Wrap the stem with floral tape and add a leaf
    Start the tape at the base of the flower and stretch it slightly as you spiral down the wire, overlapping by half each turn, until the whole stem is covered. Cut a leaf shape 2 x 8 cm from a spare strip, fold it in half lengthwise to make a vein and tape it to the stem about 5 cm below the flower.
  10. Glue the base, let it dry and tidy up
    Put a small dab of clear glue where the petals meet the thread and press for 30 seconds. Let the rose dry for 30 minutes before you handle it. Trim thread tails and any rough edges. Keep leftover strips in a sealed bag for next time, and compost the scraps. The rose will keep its shape for months in a dry place.

Sustainability

High - made of dried leaf; the leaf can be composted and wire reused

Safety

Leaf edges can cut, so wear thin gloves; wire ends can prick, so fold them over; take care when using scissors