Introduction: Realistic Duct Tape Rose
Step 1: Materials
Red duct tape (about 3-4 ft. per rose)
Green duct tape (about 2-3 ft per rose)
Red marker
Green marker
Floral wire (or other stiff wire) (about 10 ft)
Step 2: Making the Petals
To form the petals, start by cutting off a piece of wire that is about a foot long and a piece of red duct tape about 4 inches long. Stick the wire to the duct tape so that they overlap about 1/3 of the length of the duct tape. Then fold the duct tape over the end of the wire and stick the two sides together. This will form the basic structure of the petal. Cut the petal to shape by trimming the sides and rounding off the end. If you don’t want the white adhesive to show, use the marker to color in the cut edges. Repeat this process for a total of ten petals. You will want to make a variety of sizes. In a real rose, the inner petals are smaller than the outer petals. Copying that structure helps you to get the shape right.
Step 3: Shaping the Petals
Start forming the rose by taking the smallest petal and loosely roll it into a tube. Then with each additional petal there are few extra things that you need to do to shape them. Each petal should be offset from the previous one in a spiral. To make the petals gently curl around the center, pinch the tape as you wrap it. This makes the bottom of the petal a little narrower than the middle making it a little more rounded. The rest of the shaping is done by bending the wire. Fold out the tip and press it towards the stem. This causes the middle to bulge and gives it, its vertical curve.
Step 4: Forming the Bud
Repeat the previous steps with each additional petal. After adding a petal, stop and make adjustments as needed. The final shape is determined by the kind of bud that you want to make. Younger buds have the pedals more tightly wrapped and closer together. Mature buds are fuller and more spread out. It helps if you have a reference picture nearby while you are shaping the rose.
Step 5: Making the Stem
Once all the petals are attached, form the stem by tightly twisting all the wires together. To cover the stem, cut off a piece of green duct tape the same length as the exposed wire. Then roll the stem onto the duct tape. You may need to cut some slots in the top end to help it roll on straight
Step 6: Adding the Sepals
The last thing to add is the sepals. Cut off a 3 inch piece of green duct tape and fold one end over, similar to the way the petals were made. From this, cut out a small triangle with the exposed tape at the base. After coloring the edges with the green marker, attach it to the base of the flower. Repeat this for a total of 5 sepals. Try to keep them as evenly spaced as possible.
Step 7: Completed Rose
Do some final shaping and your duct tape rose is complete. Each rose will take about 30 minutes to make. So it is not a quick crafting project, but it is fun. You can use the basic principles to make other flowers as well. Feel free to experiment and try out different designs. Leave a comment if you can think of any potential improvements.
Finalist in the
Valentine's Day Challenge
19 Comments
7 years ago
It is so easy way
7 years ago
this is a awesome project!!!! (: (: (:
Reply 7 years ago
Thank You
9 years ago
Lightbulb!!! Valentines day gift!!!
10 years ago on Introduction
So Cool
10 years ago on Introduction
Ilove it i will try it !!
11 years ago on Introduction
I made these for my wife on Valentine's Day............Earned me some major points!!!! Who says art can't be functional???? Mine didn't turn out quite as nice as in the video though. Still, Gotta give it 5 out of 5 if I can figure it out!!
11 years ago on Introduction
I made these today with my teenage students in my art class and they came out cool. We found that we don't need to use wire for every single petal - the tape is OK without the wire. We struggled to get the outer petals to stretch out once the tape was curled around the main bud section - the petals could be peeled back but not wide and curvy like yours.
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
One things that I found that helps when making wider flowers is changing the angles that you wrap the tape. If you angle the tape so that it goes up a little instead of wrapping straight around, it pushes the petals out more. You can also get some curve in the petals by simply creasing the tape.
11 years ago on Introduction
Thanks - one of the best of these that I have seen. The addition of the wire and coloring the edges makes a big difference.
FWIW, I did not have easy access to floral wire, so I used a disposable chopstick as the stem, and had some thin copper wire that I cut into ~1.5" lengths to get a similar effect. There is plenty of copper wire at the home stores where you buy duct tape.
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
You can really use any thin stiff wire. I have seen people use twist ties in similar crafts.
11 years ago on Introduction
Nice finished product and very clear directions - two thumbs up!
These would even be waterproof enough to rinse off when they get dusty; a common problem with dried and artificial flower arrangements.
11 years ago on Introduction
I've gotta' try those. I wonder where you'd find those colors of duct tape?
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
You can find it at most hardware stores and big box stores. Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, etc. You can find it all over the place. And you can order it online if you want something specific. http://duckbrand.com/Products/duck-tape.aspx
11 years ago on Introduction
Very beautiful!
11 years ago on Introduction
I was looking for a project to use all the cool colors of duct tape I saw at the "Big Box Store"! Thanks
11 years ago on Introduction
This is a Must Do for me. Thank you!
11 years ago on Introduction
very cool.
11 years ago on Introduction
Neat! They turned out very pretty. :D