This versatile garden rose is created in two phases. First, make the delicate wired petals and let them dry. Second, make the layered rose center, and while it’s still soft, use three of the dry wired petals as a former to dry the center. Using this technique, the fresh rose center and dried petals will fit together seamlessly without any gaps. With all the lovely texture from the layers of petals, this is a great flower to perch on the top edge of a cake.
1. Roll pale pink paste thinly on a groove board and cut a 11⁄2 x 17⁄8in (4 x 4.7cm) rose petal. Thin edges with a ball tool on a foam pad.
2. Dip a 30g white wire in sugar glue and insert into the paste. Secure by gently pinching where the wire enters the paste (see Getting Started).
3. Press the wired petal in a rose veiner.
4. Gently press and smooth the petal into a plastic soup spoon, curling tiny bits of the paste in the petal over the top edges of the spoon. Don't curl over the entire top edge of the petal, but instead make the bits more random for a delicate look. Be sure to put a bit of cornstarch (cornflour) on the spoon to prevent the paste from sticking too unevenly around the top edges and then allowing air bubbles to form under the petals.
5. Press on the base of the petal with a ball tool or rounded rolling pin so the paste and wire conform to the cupped shape of the spoon.
6. Make 12 small petals and let them dry completely.
7. Repeat the same process, cutting a 17⁄8 x 21⁄8in (4.7 x 5.3cm) petal. Thin the edges, secure a 30g white wire, and press in a rose veiner.
8. Gently press and smooth the petal into the same size soup spoon, curling tiny bits of the paste in the petal over the top edge of the spoon. Don't curl over the entire top edge of the petal, but instead make the bits more random for a delicate look. Do not fold over the sides of the petals. Press on the base of the petal with a ball tool or rounded rolling pin so that the paste and wire conform to the cupped shape of the spoon.
9. Make six medium petals and let them dry completely.
10. Repeat the same process, cutting three more of the 17⁄8 x 21⁄8in (4.7 x 5.3cm) petals. Thin the edges, secure a 30g white wire, and press in a rose veiner. Place each petal in a 21⁄2in (6.5cm) cupped former, folding bits of the top edge of the petal over the top edge of the former.
11. Press on the base of the petal with a ball tool or rounded rolling pin so that the wire conforms to the cupped shape of the former. Let the three cupped petals dry completely.
You will need three of the small dried wired petals to use as a guide and “former” for the finished center of the rose.
12. Glue a Celbud2 (20mm) to a 20g wire.
13. Roll pale pink paste very thinly, to about 1⁄32in (1mm), and cut three 7⁄8 x 1in (2.3 x 2.5cm) petals. Press the petals in a rose veiner and apply sugar glue to the entire surface of the petals. Attach them, evenly spaced, around the Celbud in a tight spiral covering the tip.
14. Cut three more petals of the same size, press them in a rose veiner, cup with a ball tool on a foam pad and lightly ruffle the top edges. Apply glue to the bottom half of the petals. Attach them, evenly spaced, around the center, positioning them slightly higher than the center and making them a bit more open.
15. Repeat with three more petals, attaching them a bit higher and making them a bit more open again.
16. Repeat with three more petals, attaching them a bit higher and making them a little more open.
17. Cut three larger 11⁄8 x 13⁄8in (3 x 3.5cm) petals and prepare them in the same way. Attach them a bit higher.
18. Repeat with three more petals, attaching them a bit higher and making them a bit more open. Continue to step 19.
19. At this point, use one of the small dried wire petals to spot check the height and size of the rose center. The dried petal should be slightly taller than the last layer of attached petals, and should fit neatly around the base of the center.
20. If the base of the rose center is a bit wide or misshapen, trim away bits with scissors as necessary to accommodate three of the small wired petals.
21. Using half-width floral tape, attach three small dried wired petals around the rose center to help maintain its shape. The wired petals will act as a “former” so the center and the outer dried petals fit together well and look natural. Use bits of foam or tissue as needed to support or position the inner petals in the shape desired.
22. Let the rose center dry completely with the taped wired petals in place.
All the wired petals will be attached in groups of three except the final layer.
23. Using half-width floral tape, attach three small petals to line up between the previous layer already in place.
24. Gather the six medium petals and attach them in the same way, in two layers of three petals each.
25. Gather the three medium cupped petals, and attach them in the same way.
26. Attach the remaining small petals, using five or six of them depending on the shape desired. Tape all the way down to cover the wires and create a single stem.
27. Using a dense round brush, dust cosmos pink in random circles and spots on the outside and at the base of the petals. Add a bit of color to the center of the flower as well.
28. Using a flat brush, add a bit of pink to the top of the petal edges.
29. Gently open the petals and steam the rose for a few seconds to set the color (see Getting Started). Let it dry before using.
For variety, make some of the garden roses with just two or three layers of outer petals, and mix them with the full garden roses. The different size roses will be more natural in an arrangement.
