The Zenith project is the final project for Freestyle students, giving us complete creative freedom. It’s all about choosing what you want to make and running with it. With that freedom, I decided to take on the challenge of making a bouquet of roses out of ribbon and see where it takes me.
My interest in ribbon roses started last year when I wanted to challenge myself before my sister’s graduation. I had seen them on social media and thought, “If other high school students can do it, then I can too.” But I started late and only had time to make three roses. Plus, the technique I used didn’t give me the results I wanted. Even though my first attempt wasn’t perfect, it inspired me to try again. This time, I knew the right materials and had learned from my mistakes. I was excited to improve my skills and finally create the bouquet I had envisioned.
For my Zenith project, I decided to create a bouquet of 33 ribbon roses. I was inspired by the beautiful bouquets I kept seeing on social media, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest, especially those given at quinceañeras. These are called Ramo Buchón in Spanish, where ramo means bouquet and buchón refers to something extravagant or luxurious, a term commonly used in Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina. Seeing these stunning bouquets online made me want to try making one myself. Some of these creations include anywhere from 10 to 100 roses, which is incredible, considering how difficult and time-consuming it was just to make 33.
Even though I had some experience making ribbon roses, this project was still a challenge because I had never gone beyond that. I had to figure out how to place the wooden sticks in the floral foam, fold the wrapping paper correctly, and build a stable base. On top of that, I only had a few weeks to finish everything, and as a beginner, I worried that I wouldn’t complete it on time. As you continue reading, I’ll walk you through my process and the challenges I faced along the way.
Getting started!
To create my roses, I started by brainstorming and gathering inspiration. I put together a mood board to visualize my ideas and draw inspiration from different designs. Pinterest was especially helpful, I explored various colors, techniques, and bouquet styles, noticing the range of sizes and arrangements. To stay on track and avoid stress, I also set deadlines for each step of the process. This organization helped me manage my time efficiently and ensured I wouldn’t fall behind.
Materials
To create my roses, I used 1 1/2-inch ribbon in three different colors: ivory, light purple, and coral pink. The ivory ribbon was satin, meaning one side had a shiny finish while the other was plain, and it was slightly thicker. For the other colors, I used organza ribbon, which is much thinner, almost transparent, and has a beautiful shimmer. In addition to the ribbon, I used a circular foam disc as the base for my bouquet. To assemble everything, I relied on wooden sticks, rubber bands, a hot glue gun, and Korean floral wrapping paper to bring the final bouquet together.
Practice
I began by practicing my roses, watching a tutorial to refresh my memory. However, I quickly realized I had forgotten the technique and did everything incorrectly. To fix this, I went back and explored various videos, each showcasing different petal methods and techniques. After experimenting, I decided to use the 5-4-3-2-2 method, where I start by gluing together five petals, followed by four, then three, two, and two again. This technique helped create a structured and visually appealing rose shape.
How I made the roses
To make my roses efficiently, I started by wrapping the ribbon around a card 20–30 times instead of cutting individual strips, allowing me to get more petals at once. After cutting the ribbon, I laid it flat on the table and began hot gluing the corners before folding them. I repeated this step to shape each piece into a triangle.
Once I had my five petals ready, I glued them together at the corners. From one corner, whichever side didn’t matter, I attached it, then glued the opposite corner to form a circular shape. I repeated this process for each rose.
For the center of the rose, I wanted a thinner appearance, so I used just two petals. I flipped them over, glued them onto a wooden stick, and rolled them tightly. From there, I assembled the rose by layering the petals in order: first the two central petals, followed by three, then four, and finally five. This arrangement helped create a fuller, rounded shape with more volume.
My Progress
After finishing my roses, I began attaching them to the foam disc to create a rounded, circular arrangement. I placed four roses in the center, surrounded by 10 more, and then an outer ring of 16. Before securing each layer, I used rubber bands below the wooden sticks to help keep them in place and positioned closely together. This method ensured a more compact and balanced arrangement. Once everything was set, I hot-glued the wooden sticks onto the foam disc for extra support and stability.
Next, I prepared the base. I took a long piece of cardboard and folded both sides to make it more flexible, allowing it to wrap easily around the foam disc. Then, I folded the Korean floral wrapping paper using a triangle method. To attach it, I hot-glued it onto the base, the cardboard, and lightly secured it to the floral paper itself. Since the floral paper was slightly transparent, I first wrapped the base with another layer of paper to ensure the cardboard wouldn’t show through.
Finally, I added a bow, securing it with hot glue and ribbon. Along the way, I had to adjust my wrapping paper choice because my initial attempts left it wrinkled and messy. Thankfully, I had extra from a previous project, just enough to complete the bouquet beautifully.
Final Product
Final Zenith Presentation
After completing my Zenith project, I gave a presentation to all of PM Freestyle. It was really interesting and fun to watch all of the other Zenith presentations and see what my peers created.
Reflection
Reflecting on my final Freestyle project, the process of creating it was both exciting and challenging. I anticipated the final outcome, and throughout the journey, I truly enjoyed watching everyone else’s Zenith projects. I’m incredibly grateful for joining Freestyle, as it has allowed me to witness the amazing work done here, something I may never have experienced otherwise.
This project pushed me outside my comfort zone, as I had little prior experience working with ribbons and floral wrapping paper. At times, it was frustrating and extremely time-consuming. Each rose took me about 15–20 minutes to complete, meaning that just five roses could take up to an hour. I also struggled with the base, which was initially too wide and looked awkward. To fix this, I had to remove the cardboard, cut the foam disk into a smaller circle, and then reassemble everything by gluing back the cardboard and wrapping paper.
Despite these challenges, I learned from my mistakes and plan to try again in the future. Seeing the final outcome of a beautiful bouquet was incredibly rewarding. Next time, I hope to experiment with other flowers beyond roses, such as lilies, tulips, pansies, gladioli, and magnolias. I’m also excited to explore different petal methods to see which works best for me. Eventually, I would love to create a larger bouquet, refine my wrapping technique, and possibly even sell my creations.
In the end, I was proud of my final product, especially considering it was my first time attempting this craft. Ultimately, I hope this project inspires others to pursue something that brings them excitement and enjoyment, just as I did with my Zenith project. Hands-on projects like this can be challenging, but they are incredibly rewarding. While making a video is also a fantastic creative pursuit, I want to acknowledge the value of physical, hands-on work for those who may choose a project like this in the future.