The school year is nearing an end. High school students are attending proms, performing in music concerts, and so on. Kaity – my high school freshman – has a choir solo this Tuesday night. I want to give her something special at the end of the performance, so how about a dozen roses? But for my Kaity, traditional roses just won't do. I need a better idea.
By coincidence, my hair stylist gave me a hand-made chocolate rose this Saturday. I've seen similar roses in hotel gift shops but I never paid close attention until now. I asked Drea how she made hers and she invited me to "reverse-engineer" it so I could spread the word. Now, in my own words, I can show you how to craft rosebuds from one of my daughter's favorite snacks -- Hershey’s Kisses.
By the way, these inexpensive rosebuds make a cute bouquet for your son's prom date. What a fun and inexpensive way to combine chocolate with flowers!
Chocolate Rosebuds for Your Son's Prom DateMaterials & ToolsFloral Stem Wire, 12 pieces, 18 inches long, like 16 or 18 Gauge Green, White Or Silver, Item #561618 by Panacea Products CorpPair of Comfortable Jewelry Pliers with Cutter, like Round Nose Pliers by Artistic WireFoil-Wrapped Milk Chocolate Drops, like Hershey’s Kisses, Silver Wrap, 1 Bag, Net Wt. 16 oz. (1 lb.), for plenty to snack on while workingDouble-Stick Tape, like Permanent 2-Sided Tape by LePage’s, Inc.Clear Red Cellophane, like Clearphane Film by Highlander Supply Corp, 30 inches by 25 feetGood Pair Of Comfortable, Teflon-like Coated Scissors, like Velvet Touch Scissors by Armada Floral Tape, like Self-sealing Floral Tape in Green by Fibre Craft, ½-inch by 60 feetThe Steps(Click to enlarge each image. Click the back button to return to this article.)1. Cut each 18-inch floral stem in half, to make 9-inch stems. I used a silver stem in the photo, but I prefer green stems because I work fast and don’t always wrap the floral tape exactly.
2. Use jewelry pliers to create a bended loop -- about 1-inch in diameter -- in one end of each piece of floral wire.
3. Count out 24 chocolate drops. You’ll use two for each finished rose bud. Keep the bag nearby for munching. It’ll keep you motivated. (smiles) Bruce -- my hubby -- made a dozen rosebuds for his mother this Sunday. Between the two of us, we only made two dozen. There were about 99 drops in the bag, so you do the math. (sheepish grin)
4. Use a half-inch piece of double-stick tape to attach the bottoms of two kisses to each other.
5. Cut red cellophane into 4 by 6-inch pieces. Cut 12 pieces for a dozen roses. If you’re having trouble cutting straight, try folding the cellophane back against its tube and, using a sharp razor-blade letter opener, slice the cellophane in one pass.
6. Put a doubled kiss in the middle of a piece of cellophane. Slip the wire stem in place over the point of the bottom kiss. Fold the wide side of the cellophane in half, down over the kisses.
7. Carefully fold the top left corner of the cellophane down to the right, crossing the chocolate drops. Fold the top right corner of the cellophane down to the left in a similar manner. See how the cellophane looks like the petals of a rosebud? Twist the bottom of the cellophane around the stem in the direction of the last fold.
8. Starting just beneath the bottom chocolate drop, wrap the floral tape around the base of the rosebud, directly on top of the cellophane. Make at least two tight, closely-wrapped passes with the tape, to hold everything together. Stretch the tape as you work to help it grip. As you wrap, overlap the tape's edges to hide the stem. Slowly rotate the stem away from you while you work down the length of the stem. Continue wrapping until you reach the end of the stem. Cut the floral tape then wrap and pinch the end to seal it. Repeat these steps for each additional rose.
Keep these easy-to-make flowers in mind for that next birthday, anniversary or romantic dinner. One lone rosebud will melt someone's heart away!
Project TipsYou can substitute other types of paper for the red cellophane. Consider using clear cellophane or silver paper foil for wedding day flowers. Try gold origami paper or red tissue, too. Mix and match papers for an eclectic look.It’s nearly summer and chocolate can melt, Keep the rosebuds refrigerated until it’s time to go out the door. That way, the drops won’t melt on the way to the prom or stage performance.Using colored or patterned tissue paper, make a cone to hold the bouquet. A pretty ribbon around the tissue should hold it all together.Some crafters recommend piercing the chocolate with the floral stem to make sure everything holds together. I'm not sure these stems were designed to insert into food, so I created a loop in the wire instead. If you're using colored stems, the paint could come off inside the candy and contaminate the chocolate.Substitute any flavor of chocolate drops you like -- they don't have to be plain old milk chocolate. Use red foil-covered drops for a deeper red in the rosebuds.For special flair, add a few artificial leaves to each stem while you wrap.
Additional ReadingThe Usborne Book of Paper Flowers (How to Make Series) by Ray GibsonHandmade Flowers from Paper and Fabric by Steve BiddleOrigami Flowers: Popular Blossoms and Creative Bouquets by Hiromi HayashiProduct Resource GuideBuy your craft supplies at MisterArt.comWholesale Arts & Crafts Supplies
Most project photos on this page were taken with a 5.0 MP resolution KODAK EASYSHARE DX4530 Zoom Digital CameraAlternate Product RecommendationsHershey's Kisses Milk Chocolate With Almond Candy, 12 oz from Gristedes Supermarkets of New YorkFCM Stem Wire Green 18 Gauge from Jo-Ann Fabric & CraftsFCM Floral Stem Tape Green from Jo-Ann Fabric & CraftsLong Nose Pliers 5-inch, Smooth Jaws from Jo-Ann Fabric & CraftsScotch Double Stick Tape .427 X 450-inch from Jo-Ann Fabric & CraftsWhite Flower Bouquet Sleeves, 100 ct. from Twinkle CandyArticle Description: Wrap cellophane around chocolate drops for a special treat. Make just one or make a dozen -- they'll melt someone's heart away!
