Bluebonnet Village Craft Network

MATERIAL:

For One Rose
1 Baby sock with lace edging
Optional: you can add lace of choice to a plain sock
A chenille stem or 12" of softer floral wire
A pipe cleaner (from the tobacco department) for each rose and ribbon tuft
Floral Tape
Pearl spray or baby's breath
Ribbon and/or tulle puffs
Corsage pin for corsage

For a long stemmed rose bouquet

Use a 12" to 18" piece of stiff wire such as coat hanger wire
chenille stem or floral wire
Green floral tape
Silk or velvet rose leaves (l stem/group of 3 for each flower) plus 2 extra for the bouquet
Small amount of fern or baby's breath
Vase for bouquet, plastic wrap or zipper bag for corsage
Iridescent shreds

Instructions:

Lay the sock out flat in front of you toe pointed toward you, heel pointed to your left and cuff open fully and pointing away from you. Begin at the toe rolling it tightly along the right edge of the sock until you are directly opposite the heel. Continue to roll the sock allowing the heel to flare slightly as you turn. The roll will not be as tight as you roll up the cuff to approximately an inch of the edging. Holding the rolled edge pick it up and reach into the cuff to grasp the rolled edge, turn the cuff inside out so the lace edge circles the rolled up sock. Wrap the rolled edge over the cuff with the chenille stem or wire to anchor your sock roll (you want the wire wrapped tightly around the roll to hold it) from just above the wire on the sock wrap to the end of the wire with floral tape.

**Note: When using floral tape be sure to stretch it as you wrap and overlap it so it will stick to itself.**

For the corsage wire the tufts of tulle and ribbon loops the same way you did the sock rose wrapping them in floral tape, then arrange the first sock rose on a Chenille stem and tape in place with the floral tape. Add tufts of ribbon or tulle, Chenille stem swirls, baby's breath or pearl stems and the additional sock roses along the stem. Tape as you go until you have a pleasing looking arrangement. Add a corsage pin or two.

If you are making long stemmed roses form a small hook in one end of the heavy wire, place the hook over the softer wire where it circles the roll and wrap softer wire down the heavy wire flower stem and then wrap as above.

To add the leaves begin at the base of the leaves on the stem with the floral tape stretching and wrapping approximately 1/2" to 1" onto the stem, then arrange the leaves in a pleasing manner on the stem of your rose and continue to wrap the two stems together down to the end. Adjust the positioning of the leaves and gently stretch the top edge of your rose to open it slightly.

For the bouquet arrange the sock roses in a clear glass vase adding fern and baby's breath to fill the bouquet. Use iridescent shreds to cover the ends of the rose stems.