DIY Mini-Tutorial: A Rose Ring

As I'd mentioned in my previous post, I'm not going shopping for a long time. I hope that my bank account will finally get a rest and actually put some meat on those very slender bones.

Instead of buying things, I decided to make 'em! I love, love, love DIY. I've been DIYing since I was a tot, trying to make jewelry out of seed pods and broken necklaces, and stapling loose pages together to form "books." So yeah, I think I have some experience in the field of DIY. Who hasn't? ;)

The problem with crafts though, is that sometimes you have to go out and buy the materials. And considering my self-imposed ban on shopping, I was having a bit of trouble figuring out how to make something with the materials I had on hand. It was while I was pawing through my sewing box that Inspiration walloped me on the head with a large baseball bat. I saw stars. And my eyes shone in their cheery light.

Yes, that tutorial is coming. To end what was going to be a very poetic description had not its trembling author feared public displeasure, I made myself a pretty piece of jewelry using these materials :

1. A ribbon rose.You can get these at sewing shops or craft stores like Michaels. I lucked out because I found them at the sale bin, and bought 3 packets for $1. They are very cute, and I bought them with the vague belief that they would come in useful someday. And so they have.

2. A ring or a steel wire that you can bend. I used a circular metallic ring that used to be part of a bracelet. That bracelet was obviously sacrificed for the greater good of mankind. I've used it in nearly all my jewelry projects, and blessed the friend who gifted it to me. Of course she has no idea that the bracelet is -er- deconstructed, but I suspect she'll love me anyway.

3. Thread, preferably matching the green of the rose leaves.

And you're ready to go!

Instructions:

1. Take the rose and position it on the centre of the ring. Hold it in its position, and sew the rose to the ring. Sew it as tightly as you can. Another alternative is to glue it on, but I'm not a very big fan of this method, because the rose won't be as tightly bound as when sewn, and might fall off at a crucial moment.

 As you can see, I didn't have the exact same shade of thread that matched the leaves, so I just used the closest match I could find. And even if the sewing is messy ( which mine undoubtedly is), no one will notice when you're actually wearing the ring.

A few more close-ups:

 
Yes, that's actually my hand! My hand's on the Internet! Say hello, hand!

So that's pretty much it. All in all, it took me five minutes maximum to make. I actually did it at work, while waiting for some papers to be scanned. And yes, I told my supervisor what I was doing. She seemed a bit surprised; I guess receptionists should be forever filing their nails instead of sewing.

You don't necessarily have to use a white rose. You can use any colour you like. I think this ring is cute and feminine, and I enjoy wearing it. I've also spied a few women looking at it on the subway ;)

This has been my first tutorial ever! Please comment if you like it, or if you have any other suggestions on how I can improve on it.