Introduction: DIY Wooden Rose Gift
Remember you can use any color to symbolize different things. In my case, I used yellow for friendship and red for care but you can use anything you want.
Step 1: Shaping the Rose Bud
Find a good solid branch from a tree and cut a 2 inch piece off of it.
Then cut a large hole on one side and a small hole on the other side.
The width of the piece should be no less than 1.5 inches.
Step 2: Making the Inner Part of Rose
*Before you complete this step read this entire step before working.*
First, you will cut/scrape pieces off of the stick or other pieces of wood to make small petals.
Then shape the petals on one side to make it round so that it will give it an authentic look.
Then glue the pieces together one by one so they overlap in a bud form.
Make the inner bud big enough to fill the large hole created in step one.
What I did, which was easy, was I got a long thin shaving from the stick and rolled it very tightly, then clamped it. When I rolled it, I allowed for one side of the roll to stick out a little more then the other side. I only rolled a small piece so that I could add on with small petals. Once I clamped it I used a needle and syringe filled with wood glue. I stuck the needle in all of the gaps and openings and let it dry. Then I glued the small rounded petals onto the roll and then let that dry while I went onto the next portion.
Step 3: Making the Outer Portion of the Rose
First place the wood somewhere you can clamp it and hold it in place. Make sure it is very tight so that hammering will not cause it to fall through.
Next, using a chisel... create the petal by hammering the chisel at an angle so small pieces of wood start to break off. You will need to hammer until most of the small pieces break off the head of the rose but not all the way off. This will be needed for a future step.
Once you are done with the first row of petals continue onto the second row... This most likely, depending on the size of the head, will go into the large hole which is normal.
Note... If any pieces break off. It is ok, they will be glued on later.
Step 4: Shaping Outer Portion of Rose
Using anything you feel will grind wood to perfection (sander, grinder, sand paper, or knife) round the side of rose with the small hole, making it a completely smooth and round bottom to the rose.
Then turn the head around and round the top paying extra attention to the petals created last step.
Do not worry if the petals look too skinny and too close to the head this will be fixed in step 6.
Step 5: Place the Inner Bud
Once you are done perfecting the shape of the rose head. You will now place the inner portion on the inside of the large hole. Make sure you insert the inner portion so that it sticks out slightly. Now take the inner portion out and put glue in the hole.
Replace the inner portion back in the hole.
If there are small spaces between the inner and outer portion... take small wood shavings and fill the holes.
Step 6: Flaring the Outter Petals
You will notice all of the petals on the head look too close to the head and they don't look authentic.
To achieve this authenticity... take tiny pieces of "splinters" and with a pair of needle nose pliers, put the "splinter" in between the outer petals and the rest of the head, then glue. This should push the petal outward. If this did not happen, use bigger pieces of "splinters" to give it this effect.
Now for the cases where your petal broke off... glue it back on exactly where it broke off and hold tightly; make sure you place a "splinter" at the edge of the one side so that it will push out one side.
If done correctly the rose should look like a flared rose bud. If you would like to be more creative and you have the time and patience... you can place the rose head in water (before any gluing has occurred) for a few days. This will allow you to bend the petals outward without having to push it out with a "splinter." If you do this... let it dry before moving on to the next steps.
Step 7: Creating the Stem
With a round piece of very thin wood, either bought or off a tree, carve it to make it thin enough so that it is adequately proportional to the rose head. Once it is the size you want... move onto the next step.
Step 8: Creating the Base
What I did was cut 3 pieces of plywood to the exact shape and glue them together.
Once they dry find a drill bit that is the exact size of the stem and drill a hole in the top of the base. Make it deep enough to allow stability for the rose.
Test whether you can easily put the stem in the base before next step. Take into consideration how easy it is to take out of the base because the paint will thicken the stem slightly and if you want to take the rose out of the base at anytime, you do not want the paint to be scraped off.
Step 9: Painting
Once you are complete with everything, painting stage has begun. I used spray paint but anything can be used. The painting of the stem and base is self explanatory. Just make sure you do them separately so that if you want to take the rose out of the base and place it somewhere else, everything will still be green.
Painting the head is a little more complex. Make sure every crevice is colorful. You may have to repaint a few times. Remember that roses do have different colors. You can choose whatever color you want, but just make sure you do not give your partner, friend or family member a color that may represent something that you do not wish to imply. Also, roses do sometimes have more than one color... so be creative. If you want to do double colored like my rose, aim as best you can.
Step 10: Finale
Once it is FULLY dried, glue the head to the stem and let dry for a short period. If you are giving this as a gift... The bottom of the base is the perfect place to put a small message with permanent marker.
Good luck.