Art on Main

To make

1 Cut off a piece of pewter, then patina
and polish it. 2 Print out this article and trace the rose templates at the bottom of the page onto tracing paper, then transfer onto the pewter. Cut out three sets of petal
whorls and one calyx.

3 Use a strong piece of wire to make
a hole in the centre of the three petal
whorls and the calyx. The stem will be
inserted here later.

4 Place the first petal whorl onto a soft
cloth with the wrong side facing up.
Place the end of a marker or lipstick
container in the middle of the whorl
and fold the petals around it. Leaving
the first petal whorl in place, repeat
with the second and third whorls, then
add the calyx to form a rose.

5 Use a pair of long-nosed pliers to
bend one end of the piece of wire to
form a loop. Insert the straight end of
the wire into the rose from the top to
form the stem.

6 Tightly twist a short length of thin
florist’s wire around the stem directly
below the rose so the flower won’t slip
down the stem. Use pliers to pull the
wire really tight.

7 Use a tracer to open the rose petals
slightly in order to create a natural
flower appearance.

8 Cover the stem with gold-coloured
sheet metal. Paint the entire stem with
gold-leaf glue or size. Leave to dry for
approximately 15 minutes. Carefully
lay a piece of sheet metal on top. Press
down to secure, then use a tissue to
wipe away any excess. Paint with a thin
coat of shellac, leave to dry, then wind
a gold paper leaf around the stem to
complete.

Note: Like fabric, pewter has a right side and a wrong side. The shinier side is not necessarily the front. The back has a blue tint and the front it whiter. If it comes rolled up, the inside is the wrong side.

You can find more details and designs in the book Easy Pewter Projects by Sandy Griffiths. Buy your copy here!