Velvet Roses

Materials: Velvet or velveteen fabric scraps in colors of choice (red, yellow, white, etc.); Needle and thread to match fabric; cotton balls for stuffing; florists stem wire and florists tape (green) small packages of artificial leaves.

Instruction:

1. Cut a four inch square piece of velvet. Fold it in half diagonally.

2. Roll the cotton ball in your palms to form it into an oval and insert it at the center between the layers of fabric.

3. Fold the right point towards the left. Fold the left corner point towards the right in the same way.

4. Gather the fabric at the base with your fingers. With a needle and thread, sew around the base. Wind the thread around the and around the base pulling the fabric tighter together forming the rounded but. Secure the thread.

5. Cut a length of wire and push it up into the flower head from below.

6. Wind florist's tape around the base of the bud, covering the stitches and ends of the fabric. Wind it around and around and down the stem of the flower. Work in a leaf as you wind down the stem holding the wire stem of the leaf against the flower stem wire. Continue to wind to the bottom of the stem and your rosebud is complete.