Plum Blossom - Handcraft Ronghua Tutorial
Plum Blossom
Materials and Tools: Velvet strips, silk thread, copper wire, flower stamens, ruler, scissors, tweezers, lighter.
In Chinese culture, plum blossoms symbolize purity, strength, and a noble character, representing people who remain virtuous despite hardship. They are called one of the "Four Gentlemen of Flowers" alongside orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums. Among the people, plum blossoms are often regarded as a symbol of good fortune and the herald of spring. (Techniques for wrapping hairpins will be detailed in Chapter 6.)
Steps：
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1. Prepare two 1.2 cm long red velvet strips.
2. Trim both velvet strips into an oval shape and set aside one end of the brass wire.
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3. Prepare 13 red velvet strips, each 4.8 cm long.
4. Sharpen both ends of each strip.
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5. Bend them into an arc, twisting the brass wires at both ends together.
6. Form two sets of five petals each to make two flowers. Use the remaining three strips to make a large flower bud.
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7. Take seven yellow-tipped stamens, fold them in half, and secure them with silk thread.
8. Assemble the petals onto the stamen bundle one by one.
9. Complete the assembly of all five petals.
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10. Shape the petals with tweezers, curling one petal inward.
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11. Make two flowers and one budding flower, with the bud requiring only three petals.
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12. Fold a 0.5 mm tarnish-resistant copper wire in half once, wrap brown silk thread around the middle to hide the exposed copper wire.
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13. After wrapping, fold it in half again and wrap downwards from near the top to form a flower branch.
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14. When wrapping the brown silk thread to a suitable position on the flower branch, first assemble the small flower bud.
15. Then assemble the flowers.
16. As shown in the figure, repeat steps 12-15, making minor adjustments to create three flower branches.
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17. Assemble the completed flower branches, ensuring a staggered arrangement for an elegant appearance.
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18. Tie off the thread and cut it.
19. Use a lighter to gently singe the thread ends to finish.
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20. The plum blossom is complete.
