Wintersweet - Handcraft Ronghua Tutorial

Wintersweet

Materials and Tools: Velvet strips, silk thread, copper wire, ruler, scissors, tweezers, flat iron, setting spray, lighter.

Wintersweet, also known as "the guest of winter," blooms in the cold winter months, emitting a fresh and lingering fragrance. Although named similarly, wintersweet is a distinct species from the plum blossom. It is a traditional and cherished ornamental plant in China, often adored by scholars and poets. When making this flower, the velvet strips should be sparse rather than dense. Dense velvet strips will be too thick and heavy when flattened, losing the light and lively look of the petals. (This section demonstrates the creation of wintersweet flowers and showcases the overall design of the flower branches. Detailed wrapping techniques and finishing touches can be found in Chapter 6.)

Steps：

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1. Prepare 19 yellow velvet strips, each 4.7 cm long (the typical size for velvet flowers worn in the hair is about 3.5 cm).
2. Sharpen both ends.
3. Fold the strips in half to form petals, twisting the brass wires at both ends.

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4. Use the flat iron to press from the bottom to the top of each petal.

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5. Spray setting water on the petals and press again with the flat iron.
6. Secure the stamens with silk thread and start wrapping the petals around them.

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7. Wrap each petal around the stamens, securing with thread.
8. Adjust the petal arcs with tweezers and set them aside.

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9. Prepare three 2 cm long velvet strips in ochre and yellow gradient.
10. Sharpen them into an oval shape and set aside as flower buds.

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11. Prepare a 0.5 mm tarnish-resistant copper wire.
12. Wrap the copper wire with brown silk thread.

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13. Fold the wrapped part in half and wrap downwards.

14. Assemble the first flower bud.

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15. Assemble the flowers one by one.
16. The first flower branch is completed.

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17. As shown in the figure, make the second flower branch.
18. Use silk thread to combine the two flower branches, tie off and finish.

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19. Fold a piece of copper wire several times and attach it to the flower branches.
20. Wrap the copper wire downwards for a distance, then fold it upwards.

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21. Leave a hole and continue wrapping the two flower stems upwards with silk thread.

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22. After wrapping upwards, tie off and finish.

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23. The wintersweet is complete.