Folded Ribbon Roses

I cannot just have flowers in my girls' hair.  So I also make many hair pieces out of ribbon.  One that I remember making years ago, but had a very hard time finding a tutorial for was the folded ribbon rose.  I searched for a tutorial, but just did not find one I thought was clear or was really what I remembered.  So I knew I needed to put one together.  This has lots of pictures because I think its easiest to understand with the pictures.

What you need is ribbon. I 'm using a wide ribbon here, which is easiest, but you can use any size.  I'd just try your first one with a wide.  A glue gun, an alligator clip (or whatever you want for the back) and a lighter or something to seal the ends of your ribbon.

Take the flame of your lighter across the ends of your ribbon to seal them.  These turned out a bit ugly, for this project it wont matter.  It is important to seal them though b/c you dont want your ribbon to fray.

Now lets start folding.  with your ribbon laying wrong side up, fold the left end of your ribbon down.  You cannot see it very clear, but I have about two inces on the left side.  You dont want to have too much, but need enough to make it stable.

Now make another fold so your have a point like this. (Ignore the aligator clip in this picture.  Alison was trying to help out, you do not need it now.)

Using the right side of the ribbon fold the wrong side up, pulling the ribbon to the left. 

Make another fold pulling the ribbon up. Notice I rotated the ribbon counter clockwise in this picture.

Make another fold.  I think your starting to see a trend here.

Continue folding, you should have a square forming here.

Keep going until you get your desired thickness of your future rose.

Try to keep your square together so you have a hole down the center.

Now you will have some excess ribbon.  This is the ribbon that is on top of your square, not the bottom.  This is very important to use the top ribbon.  Twist the ribbon into a little point so you can shove it down through the hole in the center.

Push the excess ribbon through until It is tight on top like this.

Your underside will look like this.  You want to grap this piece that is sticking straight up with your thumb and pointer finger.

With your flower right side up begin twisting the piece between your fingers clockwise.  Be sure to hold all of your ribbon tightly together.  This takes a bit of coordination.

Keep twisting and you will see  your flower begin to emerge.

Looks like a flower to me!

Here is what your underside will look like.  Time to get our your glue gun and begin securing all of your ribbon so it does not unravel.  I cannot really tell you exactly where to glue, Just be generous and glue everything that looks lose.

Trim off all of the extra ribbon.  I put a dab of glue over the twisted ribbon to keep it in place.

Glue on your alligator clip.

This is what your finished bottom looks like.

Embellesh the top as you see fit.

I thought this one looked great without anything in the middle.  I usually just decide after its done whether to add something or not.  Again, be creative.  These can be attached directly to headbands, or even put a pin on the back and make it a broach.  Make a small one and use it as a center of a bow.  The possibilities are endless!  Happy Crafting!