Peonies are a wonderful flower to have in your repertoire! The techniques I share here are a great place to start, but I encourage you to play with petal sizes and finishes to create versions to fit your own design aesthetic. The open peonies have ruffled or smooth petals that are individually wired so you can gently move them as needed when arranging peonies with other flowers. The closed peony is a favorite, and my interpretation of the flower is a gorgeous ball of petals before it begins to bloom.
1. To make the pistils, roll a small 3⁄8in (8mm) ball of green paste into a 7⁄8in (2.3cm) cone shape. Attach to a hooked 28g white wire, securing it neatly at the base (see Getting Started). Use a knife tool to make three indentations evenly spaced around the base, running a third of the way up the cone. Curl the tip gently with your fingertips. Allow it to dry. Make three pistils per peony. Dust with soft green dust all over the pistil, and add a touch of pink on the tips. Steam to set the color (see Getting Started) and let them dry before using.
2. Using half-width floral tape (see Getting Started), attach the three pistils together starting under their bases and taping all the way down the wires to create a single stem.
3. Take a small group of around 25 yellow stamens and attach them to the pistil stem using waxed dental floss, wrapping tightly three times around to secure. Wrap the floss just under the base of the pistils to prevent any gaps between the pistils and stamens. The tops of the stamens should be a bit taller than the pistils.
4. Attach three or four more groups of stamens, evenly spaced, around the stem or until the desired fullness is achieved. Make sure to wrap tightly three times with the dental floss for each group before adding the next. Continue to step 5.
5. Once all the stamens are added, wrap the stem tightly with half-width floral tape from the base of the pistils halfway down the stamens.
6. Trim the stamen ends into a tapered point with sharp scissors to reduce bulk, and then wrap the rest of the way down with tape to create a single neat stem.
7. Gently open and spread out the stamens around the pistils to distribute them evenly. If desired, dust the stamen tips with yellow petal dust to deepen the color. Steam the peony center for a few seconds (see Getting Started) and allow it to dry before adding ruffled or charm peony petals to complete your flower.
Color coordinate your pistils and peonies. If you are making petals with deeper colors, add a bit of that same color to the tips of the pistils to bring the whole flower together.
8. Use three graduated sizes of rose petal cutters to make the peony petals, referring to them as small, medium and large. The sizes used here are 11⁄2 x 17⁄8in (4 x 4.7cm), 17⁄8 x 21⁄8in (4.7 x 5.3cm), and 2 x 23⁄8in (5 x 6cm). Roll pale pink paste thinly on a groove board, cut a small petal, and thin the edges with a ball tool on a foam pad. Dip a 30g wire in sugar glue and insert about 1⁄2in (1cm) into the groove. Secure at the base.
9. Using scissors, cut one small rounded v-shape out of the top of the petal.
10. Press the wired petal in a veiner.
11. Using a small ball tool on a foam pad, lightly ruffle the top edge of the petal, making sure to leave the sides and base of the petal smooth and flat as shown.
12. Using the ball tool, make three or four small strokes to cup along the top edge of the petal.
13. Gently bend the wire 90 degrees right at the base of the petal, towards the reverse side of the petal. Lay reverse side down in a 21⁄2in (6.5cm) half sphere former, feeding the wire down through the center hole. Smooth the petal with your fingers to conform it to the cupped shape of the former. Encourage a few of the top edges to curl inward a bit with your fingers, and then allow the petal to dry completely.
14. Make five small petals, nine medium petals, and five large petals per flower. Support the backs of the larger petals with modeling tools or other small objects if needed to prevent them curling over backwards.
15. Lay out the 19 dry peony petals in front of you in the following order: four medium, five large, five medium and five small. Using half-width floral tape, attach the first medium petal to the stem so the base of the petal is lined up with the base of the pistils.
16. Tape three more medium petals evenly spaced around the stamens to create the first layer of petals.
17. Next, tape the five large petals to the flower, one at a time, and with the petal bases laying flush below the first layer. Space the petals evenly around the flower.
18. Tape five more medium petals, evenly spaced, around the flower, lining them up to overlap between the large petals.
19. Finally, tape the five small petals, evenly spaced, around the flower, lining them up to overlap between the medium petals. Once all the petals are added, wrap the tape all the way down the wires to create a single stem.
20. With a flat brush, gently dust the top edges of the peony petals with pink dust.
21. With a soft round brush, add a bit of color randomly at the base and exposed sides of the petals. Gently open the petals and steam for a few seconds to set the color. Let the petals dry before using.
22. Use four graduated sizes of rose petal cutters to make the peony petals, referring to them as small, medium, large and extra large. The sizes used here are 11⁄2 x 17⁄8in (4 x 4.7cm), 17⁄8 x 21⁄8in (4.7 x 5.3cm), 2 x 23⁄8in (5 x 6cm), and 21⁄4 x 25⁄8in (5.5 x 6.7cm). Roll pale peach paste thinly on a groove board and cut a small petal. Thin the edges with a ball tool on a foam pad. Dip a 30g wire in sugar glue and insert into the groove (see Getting Started). Secure the wire at the base and press the wired petal in a veiner.
23. Working on the reverse side of the petal, use scissors to make a small 1⁄2in (1cm) cut into the base of the petal, close to and parallel with the wire, creating a small tab.
24. Lay the petal over a 2in (5cm) styrofoam ball, and begin smoothing it with your hand to conform it to the ball. Fold the tab of paste tightly over the wire to help the base of the petal fit snugly to the ball as well. Continue to smooth with your fingertips until the entire petal is flush with the ball. Set aside to dry.
25. Prepare between five and seven petals in all four sizes, using 2in (5cm) and 23⁄8in (6cm) styrofoam balls as formers. Smaller petals on larger balls will result in less cupped petals. Larger petals on smaller styrofoam balls will result in petals that are more cupped. You want a variety of both to give the charm peony fullness and shape.
26. Prepare the peony center, following steps 1–7. As with the ruffled version of the peony, use half-width floral tape to attach five or six medium petals around the stamens so that the base of the petals are lined up with the base of the pistils.
27. Next, tape a mixture of six or seven large and extra large petals to the flower, one at a time, and with the petal bases laying flush below the first layer. Space the petals evenly around the flower, layering some of them almost behind each other to create some fullness.
28. Tape five or six more medium petals, spacing them evenly, around the flower.
29. Tape a few small petals around the base of the flower to give it a beautiful shape.
30. With a flat brush, gently dust the top edges of the peony petals with a mix of peach and cream petal dust. With a soft round brush, add a bit of color randomly at the base and exposed sides of the petals. Gently open the petals and steam for a few seconds to set the color. Allow to dry completely before using.
For the charm peony petal formers, cut a small portion off the bottom of the sytrofoam balls with a craft knife so they will sit flat on a table.
31. Glue a 11⁄2in (4cm) styrofoam ball to a 20g wire and allow to dry.
32. Roll pale pink paste thinly and cut two 17⁄8 x 21⁄8in (4.7 x 5.3cm) petals. Thin the edges with a ball tool on a foam pad, then lengthen the center of the petals with a few strokes. Lightly vein the petals with the JEM veining tool.
33. Brush sugar glue on the entire surface of the petals and attach to the styrofoam ball opposite each other, overlapping one over the top of the other to hide the top of the ball. Smooth the petals to conform to the ball.
34. Make three more petals in the same way and attach them, evenly spaced, around the ball and overlapping each other, but allowing the tip of the first layer of petals to be seen.
35. Roll green paste thinly and cut three 11⁄8 x 17⁄8in (3 x 4.7cm) petals for the calyx and lightly vein them with the JEM veining tool.
36. Apply sugar glue to all of the petals and attach around the base of the bud evenly, with the points meeting at the wire, and hiding any bits of styrofoam that may be showing. Smooth the calyx with your fingertips to conform to the shape of the ball. Allow to dry completely.
37. Dust the petals in the same color to coordinate with your peony flowers. Add a bit of a darker shade where the petals all come together at the top of the bud.
38. Dust the calyx with moss green and then a bit of cosmos pink just on the edges. Steam for a few seconds to set the colors (see Getting Started) and let the bud dry before using.
1. Glue a 2in (5cm) styrofoam ball to an 18g wire and allow to dry. Mark the ball with a 11⁄2in (4cm) circle cutter and cut off the top piece with a sharp knife.
2. Using a craft knife cut around the edge of the circle and across the center with an “x”, as shown, cutting about 3⁄4in (2cm) deep. Use a small spoon to scoop out the four sections of styrofoam to create a hole in the top of the styrofoam ball.
3. Roll pale pink paste very thinly and cut 11 scalloped peony petals, 11⁄2 x 13⁄4in (4 x 4.5cm) in size. Keep them covered to prevent drying.
4. Working with four petals, vein them on a firm surface with the JEM veining tool, and then cup along the top edges with a ball tool on a foam pad. Continue to step 5.
5. Apply sugar glue to the backs of the four petals, and then lay them in the hole in the styrofoam ball, overlapping the petals and allowing the cupped top edges to sit above the top edge of the hole. Use a smooth tool to help press the petals into place if necessary.
6. Repeat the same process with four more petals, and layer them over the top of the previous petals and at the same height, filling more of the hole. Don’t make the petals too perfect and compact, some messiness makes it look more natural.
7. Start the last three petals in the same way, including veining and cupping the top edge. This time, dab a bit of glue in the center of the petals, and roll and scrunch them across the middle, leaving the delicate cupped top edges intact. Trim off the bottom third of the petal.
8. Apply a small amount of sugar glue to the base of the petals and use them to fill the remaining hole completely. Use the end of a rounded tool to help press and secure them in place, avoiding flattening any of the top edges. Make any additional petals as needed if there are any gaps. The center should look full and busy, but also delicate.
9. Roll pale pink paste thinly, cut five more of the same petals, and prepare them in the same way including veining and cupping the top edge.
10. Apply glue to the front of the petals avoiding the cupped top edges. Attach the petals, evenly spaced, around the styrofoam ball, using the cupped edges to hide the top rim of the opening. Smooth the petals to conform to the shape of the ball.
11. For the outer petals, roll pale pink paste thinly and cut five 17⁄8 x 21⁄8in (4.7 x 5.3cm) rose petals. On a firm surface, vein the petals with the JEM veining tool.
12. Cut a 3⁄4in (2cm) slit into the base of the petals and lay them each in a 2in (5cm) cupped former, folding the tails of paste over each other to help conform to the cupped shape. Smooth the petals with your fingers, and let them dry briefly, just until they hold their shape.
13. Apply glue to the left and right edges of the insides of the petals and attach them evenly around the ball, so the tops are the same height or just barely below the center petals.
14. Repeat the same process to create five or six more of the same size petals. Apply sugar glue to the left and right edges of the inside of the petals and attach them in a second layer around the flower, offsetting the first layer of petals, but keeping them closed around the ball. Additional petals may be added as desired, attaching them lower or making them more open.
15. If desired, create and attach a calyx in the same way as steps 35–38 for the peony bud, using a 11⁄8 x 17⁄8in (3 x 4.7cm) rose petal cutter. If you don’t wish to add a calyx but a bit of the styrofoam is showing, cut a small circle shape in the same color paste as the petals, and attach with a small amount of sugar glue. Allow to dry.
16. When made in a pretty pale pink, the closed peonies don’t need much color added to them at all. Dust the top edges of the center petals with pale pink dust to highlight them. Dust the calyx with moss green dust and add some pink to the edges. Steam the peony for a few seconds to set the color, and let dry before using.