Ronghua Tutorial: How to Make Purple Lilac Hairpin

The lilac is celebrated for its lush, fragrant clusters and delicate blooms. In this tutorial, you will recreate the soft texture of these spring flowers, eventually assembling them into elegant branches perfect for a statement piece.

Preparation: What You’ll Need

If you’ve purchased our Ronghua Toolkit, you already have everything required!
If not, prepare the following tools:

1. Bristle brush (Medium to soft hardness)
2. Flat iron (the one you use to straighten your hair)
3. Tweezers
4. At least 2 pairs of Scissors
5. wooden sticks / pencils / chopsticks
6. Hair spray or diluted white glue (1:2–1:3 ratio)
7. Big clips (around 15cm)
8. Twisting boards and wooden blocks (for even tension)
9. Anti-slip powder (optional but helpful)

Full Tutorial Video

Step 1. Align and Arrange the Silk Threads

Start by untying your silk threads. Locate the knot at one end of each bundle and cut it open carefully. Refer to the manual below for color combination details.

Step 2. Group and Prepare the Threads

Each silk bundle consists of tiny strand-like structures — these are your individual strands. Align all strands neatly and tie them around a thin stick, keeping the ends even. Avoid uneven lengths — this ensures consistent texture later on.

Step 3. Make Silk Rows

Repeat the above process to create your silk rows. Remember to refer back to the data provided in the diagram for the following rows, as each will differ slightly. Below are the finished silk rows we made.

Step 4. Brush the Silk

Use your bristle brush to comb the silk rows. Continue brushing for about 10 minutes until the silk is smooth, fluffy, and free of tangles. If the silk becomes static, use a spray bottle to lightly mist the air (not the silk directly) with water.

Here is how it is supposed to look like after brushing.

Step 5. Attach Copper Wires

When you feel that the silk is brushed enough, secure its tail with another big clip to your table or anything that can help stretch it taut. Take out one copper wire from the folded end of the row and straighten it. Twist the folded part into a spiral of about 3 cm. Clamp the silk threads between two copper wires and twist the opposite side tightly. Pull both wires taut and continue twisting until they merge into one. Remember, the twisting direction for the left and right end are opposite.

The spacing should be as shown in step 1. If you have anti-slip powder, it will be much easier to dip your fingers in it and twist it.

We highly recommend you watch the video tutorial for this step:)

Once done, remove the silk row from the stand and lay it flat.

Step 6. Cut the Silk Strips

Trim the row’s end neatly, then cut between each pair of copper wires to create even silk strips. When cutting, the scissors must be placed in the middle of two copper wires, otherwise the width of the silk strips will be inconsistent. If threads stick to your scissors, clean them — it’s usually caused by static or residue. Cut quickly and cleanly for smooth edges. Don't touch the wire or it may get displaced.

Step 7. Center and Twist the Strips

Align the copper wire to the middle of each strip using a flat surface or wooden block. Once centered, twist both hands in opposite directions to tighten.

Next, place the copper part between the twisting boards and continue twisting in the same direction. Stop when the wire feels firm — twisting too far may cause it to break. How do you know if it is tightened enough? If tightened properly, the copper wire should only faintly show. If the copper wire is very visible, it’s not tight enough.

Step 8. Flatten and Set the Silk Strips

First, cut all the silk strips open down the center. Once the flat iron has heated up, press each strip flat so the silk becomes smooth and even.

Next, spray a small amount of hairspray into a container and soak all the strips in it, making sure they are fully saturated. If you don’t have hairspray, you can mix white glue with alcohol (1:2/1:3) to achieve a similar consistency.

Step 9. Shape the Petals

Once the strips are ready, begin shaping the petals. Use tweezers to create a gentle curve in each strip, then fold the edges slightly inward to form the petal shape.

Place the petals upright to dry rather than laying them flat. It’s important to shape them before they dry, because once the silk hardens it cannot be reshaped. Try to keep all the petals consistent in shape. 

Step 10. Trim the Petal Shapes

After the petals have dried and become firm, trim them. The final shape should be wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, similar to a teardrop. Round the top edges neatly so they look soft and natural. 

Step 11. Assemble the Flowers

Now you can begin assembling the flowers. Fold a stamen strand and cut it open, then secure it with silk thread. Add the petals one by one, wrapping the thread once to secure each petal. Each flower uses four petals. Once the petals are attached, wrap the thread downward about 2–3 cm, then tuck the thread into the copper wire to finish the stem. Make eight flowers of each color. 

Step 12. Prepare the Bead Stems

Next, prepare the bead stems. Cut copper wire into pieces about 18 cm long and prepare two pieces. Fold each wire in half, thread on a small bead first, then a large pearl, and finally another small bead.

After threading the beads, wrap the wire with silk thread all the way down to the bottom. Then wrap the wire around a stick several times to create a gentle curve. Make two bead pieces in total. 

Step 13. Assemble the Flower Branches

Now begin assembling the small flower branches. Use several strands of silk thread while wrapping so that the copper wire will not show through. Arrange the flowers so the pearl sits slightly higher than the blossoms, and avoid placing all the flowers at the same level. One branch only needs three flowers. Wrap the thread downward to secure them.

For the next cluster, the flowers can sit more evenly at the same level, with five flowers in total. Wrap the thread downward again to finish. Assemble the flowers of the other color in the same way. 

Step 14. Assemble the Piece

Once all the branches are ready, trim the excess length from the hairpin. Combine the flower branches together, keeping the silk thread straight while wrapping so it doesn’t twist. After assembling the branches of the second color, combine both groups together. Trim the copper wires at the base diagonally and temporarily secure the thread. 

Step 15. Attach the Piece to the Accessory

Finally, attach the base—either a brooch or a hair clip. 

Place the flower onto the base and wrap firmly with silk thread. Wrap a few loose turns first to hold them in place. Add a small amount of glue where the flowers touch the hairpin for extra stability. If glue isn’t available, simply wrap the thread more tightly. Continue wrapping the thread back along the base.

For a clean finish, take a piece of folded copper wire. Wrap the thread over the copper wire. Cut off the excess thread, leaving a small tail inside the wire loop. Pull the copper wire through and trim the remaining wire. 

You can watch our video tutorial for this step:)