5.3 How to make a Wire Inlaid Narcissus Ronghua
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Narcissus, also known as the "Goddess Lingbo" or "Golden Cup, Silver Platform," is honored as one of the "Four Elegant Flowers" alongside orchids, chrysanthemums, and calamus, and is also counted among the "Four Friends in Snow" together with plum blossoms, camellias, and winter jasmine. This example aims to cleverly integrate wire inlay technique with flattened velvet flowers, creating a magnificent style that approaches the opulence of Filigree Inlaid Metal Art.
Production Steps
01 Arrange the petals and leaves according to the colors shown in the diagram.
- Yellow thread row: 5 thread groups, velvet row width 2cm, brass wire spacing 1cm.
- Green thread row: 8 thread groups, velvet row width 3.5cm, brass wire spacing 6mm.
02 Prepare 24 velvet strips for the petals. After slightly trimming the base, cut the wire at the head and flatten to set the shape.
03 Take out the prepared wire inlay template and 0.3mm color-preserving brass wire.
04 Fold the brass wire in half and twist it forward. After creating a spiral structure, compact it on a wire-twisting board.
05 Twist as tightly as possible to the maximum extent.
06 Using tweezers to assist your hands, bend the wire around the wire inlay template to outline the contour.
07 After the contour is formed, the base does not need to be deliberately twisted together, otherwise there will be lumps during bottom assembly, making the stem look uneven. Merge the base ends during gluing.
08 Apply glue evenly to the inlaid wire plane and adhere it to the flower piece.
Text in image: Curving it outward makes the arc more natural.
09 Gently pass it through a pressing plate, and bend the flower piece together with the inlaid wire to give it a slight outward-curving arc. (Heat the pressing plate to 180~200°C here.)
10 Cut off the excess velvet fabric outside the wire contour. If the wire at the base of the flower piece feels rough, trim it appropriately as well.
11 Group three flower pieces together to form a small bud. After completion, add a metal flower calyx at the bottom. The narcissus bud is complete. Make 2 such buds.
12 Thread three 2mm mother-of-pearl beads and a shell carving accessory as shown to serve as the narcissus stamens.
13 Place the 6 flower pieces in order. The narcissus flower is complete.
Text in image: Pull the wire here.
14 Create the leaf contour using the wire inlay technique.
15 Use tweezers to adjust the tip of the leaf, pinching it to a point. Then, use tweezers to adjust the mid-section contour. You can gently pull the wire to make the contour fuller.
16 After adhering the wire outlining the leaf's outer contour, prepare another piece of wire and adhere it down the center of the leaf as the inner contour. A symmetrical leaf is now complete.
Text in image: Apply force pushing upward, while the left hand holds the base steady.
17 Apply pressure to the contour of the original symmetrical leaf. Hold the base firmly with your left hand and push the tip upward with your right hand, appropriately deforming the outer contour. Then, slightly bend the inner contour into shape with tweezers. Adhere the outer and inner contours following the steps. The asymmetrical leaf is now complete.
18 Process all leaves the same as petals, passing them slightly through the pressing plate and curving them outward to create an arc.
19 The quantity and arrangement data for the leaves are as shown in the diagram.
20 First, assemble one bud and one large flower with a spacing of 2cm.
21 Place the leaves and the bud sequentially according to the spacing data.
22 Place the two large flowers below in order.
23 Place the final leaf.
24 Wrap the stem downward for another 2.3cm, then add a red binding wire and fold the stem back.
25 After wrapping with the binding wire, secure the entire floral arrangement to the hair comb using another binding wire or a tying method.
26 The Wire Inlaid Narcissus is now complete.
See the Wire Inlaid Narcissus Ronghua video: https://youtu.be/u9neQzA6Uy8
