{"id":23,"date":"2024-07-03T22:34:24","date_gmt":"2024-07-03T22:34:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~GloriaV\/?page_id=23"},"modified":"2025-05-16T04:44:12","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T04:44:12","slug":"zenith","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/freestyleacademy.rocks\/~GloriaV\/zenith\/","title":{"rendered":"Zenith"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My interest in ribbon roses started last year when I wanted to challenge myself before my sister\u2019s graduation. I had seen them on social media and thought, \u201cIf other high school students can do it, then I can too.\u201d But I started late and only had time to make three roses. Plus, the technique I used didn\u2019t give me the results I wanted. Even though my first attempt wasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 quincea\u00f1eras. These are called Ramo Buch\u00f3n<\/em> in Spanish, where ramo<\/em> means bouquet and buch\u00f3n<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t complete it on time. As you continue reading, I\u2019ll walk you through my process and the challenges I faced along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting started!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t fall behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Moodboard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Pinterest board<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Materials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practice <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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<\/em>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My first try rose<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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My well done rose<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How I made the roses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To make my roses efficiently, I started by wrapping the ribbon around a card 20\u201330 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I had my five petals ready, I glued them together at the corners. From one corner, whichever side didn\u2019t matter, I attached it, then glued the opposite corner to form a circular shape. I repeated this process for each rose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Process!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My Progress <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t show through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Final Product<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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My final product!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Final Zenith Presentation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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