TEA BAG ROSE TUTORIAL

Tea Bag Roses

supplies:
tea bag (already used)
scissors
glue (I used glue gun)
nimble fingers =0)


Just a little note on my tutorial:
I have started using glue sticks and toothpick to glue my roses as I go.
No burnt fingers!!!!
And you get to use that last little bit of glue you
can never get out of the bottom of the stick. =)

already used tea bag
black tea bags work best
(Herbal does not have much color)
Black tea= brown rose
raspberry tea= pink rose

open tea bag up
(you can either carefully open by little seam,
or just cut open)
dump out grounds.

After paper is dry, cut into 3 or 4 strips lengthwise.
(I usually do 4)

On right side of strip, fold corner down as shown.
Begin rolling towards you, tightly, to end of folded piece.
This will be the center of your rose.




Continue to pinch together at bottom,
gather, and roll with your fingers.
The 'gathering' keeps the rose fuller.
As you go be sure the center of rose stays lower
than the outside 'petals' you are making.
Think of how real roses are.

As you can see in above photo,
I am pinching bottom with my middle and ring fingers.
I am also using my right hand to help roll, but had to take pic with it. =))
Sometimes I kind of scrunch top edge to add interesting folds to top of rose.
You will get better at this as you practice.
(My first ones were horrible!
You might call them zero personality roses.) =0)


At end, fold corner down towards outside, and hot glue.
(careful! The glue goes right through the paper)
Then twist bottom of rose as tightly as you can.
(see photo below.)

I then just put my roses aside till ready to use.

To glue to project:

Hold rose gently by pretty part, and snip
off the pointy end that is gathered tight.

(See the little end laying there?
You can actually fluff that up and make the teeniest rose ever!!)

Put hot glue all over this cut end and glue it to your project.
(You can also glue bottoms of a bunch of roses and put aside.)
I've just always done it all in one step.
After it is glued on, just kind of gently
fluff to shape you want.

Adding leaves:
Occasionally, when I have a little spot that needs filling, I will make leaves.
Just double a piece of your tea bag strip, and cut out a leaf shape,
cutting one end straight across, and the other end pointed.
gather the flat end a bit, and glue where desired.
(again, be careful if you are using hot glue,
it gets hot right through the paper.)

Sample below is with leaves.



Hope you have enjoyed this tutorial.
REMEMBER!!!

It is always the first couple that take more time, and patience.
So keep trying!!

If you do up some roses,
I would love to show off your pieces to my blogging friends.

Blessings
Barbara Jean

NOTE added 7/15/10

I would now recommend cutting the tea bag in thirds or
half till you get the hang of it.
It is easier to hold on to.
Then you can go to the tiny roses later.