Making great looking browband rosettes is easy when you know how...you are only limited by your imagination!

Having decided on a colour combination for your ribbon browband (click here for instructions), you also need to select centre buttons for your rosettes. You need a shank button which is one with a loop at the back for cotton and here's lots to choose from at stores like Spotlight or Lindcraft.

A fancy gold or silver button with embossing gives an elegant finishing touch. We've illustrated a basic star rosette here, but you can also make frilled rosettes by gathering ribbon using a simple basting stitch in matching cotton thread and glueing onto a cardboard circle in layers. You can even combine the two...alternating layers of stars and frills looks very effective.


MATERIALS
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Thin cardboard (manilla folder thickness)
Ribbon (4mm to 5mm wide)
Sharp scissors


STEP 1
Cut the cardboard into a circle. How big you want your finished rosette to be is up to you, but keep in mind that the bottom layer of petals is going to be larger that the circle cardboard backing.

STEP 2
Cut your ribbon into 4cm (1.5 inch) lengths. Having selected a colour for the bottom layer, make a petal by bending the ribbon as illustrated, then gently pull on the ends to form a point. Flatten and secure using a dot of glue.

STEP 3
Put a dot of glue on the back of the petal, then press firmly onto the outside edge of the cardboard circle. Evenly space the six bottom layer of petals around the circle edge, leaving a small gap between each.

STEP 4
Take your second colour made into six petals and glue to the circle, this time positioning them lower on the circle and between the petals on the first row. Repeat for the third row.

OPTIONAL...you can make four smaller petals for a fourth layer. These look good in metallic ribbon which helps accentuate the button.

STEP 5
Take your button and fill the hollow back with glue, then press firmly in the centre of the rosette, holding in place until the glue has set. To make the drop ribbon, you need a wider ribbon that matches your rosette and glue layers of matching, narrower ribbons over the top. Glue to the back of the rosette and cut the bottom edge either diagonally or in a V as showin in the two rosette diagrams next to the heading at the top of the page.

Finally, glue the finished rosettes to the browband. Hot glue ocasionally goes brittle over time, so as insurance against the rosettes falling off at a show (or the times your horse has a nice head rub and knocks the rosettes off), add tube of glue to your grooming kit. Something like 'Tarzan's Grip' will hold things in place temporarily.


© 2002 Horsewyse Magaqzine