Rosette : 4 easy ways to make rosettes for badges, brooches etc

What is a Rosette?

A Rosette is a fabric flower made by pleating or gathering fabric to make it look like a rose flower. It is usually used to make cockades which are badges worn as a mark of honor or accomplishment and also as an embellishment on clothes, on hair accessories, on bags and purses – you name it and you can add a rosette to it.

You can buy these cute rosettes available in shops.

But the fun is in the making, right?. 

Here are some easy ways to make these rosettes so that you can use them up in all your projects

DIY Rosettes 

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Beaded rosette

This rosette is made by making a beaded circle first and then attaching pleated ribbon around it to make it look like a rosette.

Make a base for the beaded circle by cutting our a circle shaped fabric piece – do the beading on it leaving a 1/4 inch along the edge without beading (for turning to the back).

Related posts : Beaded Embroidery Tutorials ; Make a beaded patch

You can use a stiff fabric or interfacing piece on the back, make gathering stitches along the edge and turn the edge of the beaded fabric to the back and stitch in place.

Your beaded medallion is ready.

Get some pretty ribbon to match your medallion

Now fold ribbon as in the picture below. Make running stitches with hand sewing needle and thread along the lower edge over the pleats. 

Gather to a length fitting the medallion round.

Arrange the pleated ribbon into a circle and keep the beaded medallion in the center and stitch in place. 

Fabric Rosette

This is a fabric rosette you can make with a long strip of fabric. I have cut a 29 inch long fabric (satin) piece, which is 4 inches on one end and 2 inches on the other. I also cut 2 circles from green satin to make leaves.

Fold the short edges to the inside, fold the fabric by the middle and make slip stitches to join the edges.

Related post : Slip stitch

Fold the short edge to the inside in a triangle shape as in the picture below and stitch in place.

With the same needle and thread make running stitches along the edge.

Gather by tightening the stitches – curl as in a rose flower. Stitch the flower at the back to keep everything together.

Arrange the fabric to look like a flower.

To make leaves, fold the circle shapes twice, and then stitch along the bottom edge and gather. Stitch the edge firmly to keep the leaf shape. The pictures given below are self explanatory.

Get a base for your rosette and keep the leaves on it and stitch in place.

Place your rosette on this and stitch it there.

Pleated fabric rosette

To make this rosette, you need a stiff paper and fabric which is bigger than the base – when the pleating is done this will be adjusted.

Pleat the fabric vertically and horizontally and stitch the pleats in place with loose stitches.

Keep this pleated fabric on top of the paper (cut in a circle shape or hexagonal shape) and stitch it at the back.

Now carefully remove the pleat stitches and arrange the pleats by pinching the middle and curling the fabric, being careful that you are not undoing your pleats too much.

Stitch the new folds and pleats in the shape of petals on your rosette. (Make sure that the stitches are not visible on the outside)

Frayed fabric rosettes

This rosette is made by cutting about 30 inch long and 1 to 1 1/2  inch wide strip of fabric and fraying one edge. You can harden the other edge with flame from a lighter or candle (be careful) so that, that edge would not fray.

You also need a base material to stitch the fabric strip onto (Felt is always my choice). 

Start curling the frayed fabric from the middle, and stitching it there.

You should be stitching the strip as in the picture below, so that the frayed edge will stand up.

Cut off extra material.

You can make these rosettes without fraying the strip too much and it will still look pretty good.

Related posts : Roses made with fabric ; Felt roses DIY;  Make your own cockade.; Rose embroidery pattern