Ronghua Tutorial: How to Make Fall For You Chrysanthemum Earrings

Inspired by the serene beauty of autumn chrysanthemums, the Fall For You kit brings this classic flower to life in silk. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create your own delicate chrysanthemum earrings — a gentle and meditative way to welcome the season.

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 (1:1.15–1:1.2 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. This project uses Seven colours of silk to create four silk rows.  Refer to the colour diagram below for thread 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 four silk rows in total. 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 Rows

Fix one silk row onto your stand using big metal clips - if you don't have the wooden ronghua stand, that's totally fine! You can refer to our video about alternative solutions to the stand.

Hold the ends of the threads with one hand and brush gently but firmly from top to bottom. Don’t lift the brush midway. A light mist of water will prevent static. You can apply some pressure — silk threads are stronger than they look! Make sure to brush both the front and back sides until the row looks smooth and fluffy.

Everyone uses a different brush and hand speed, so the time it takes to complete this step is also different. Taking my situation as a reference, it took me about 10 minutes to brush this silk row. When you feel the hair is soft and fluffy, you can stop and check. When there is no complete linear distinction between the threads and start to stick to each other, it's ready:) 

This is what the brushed silk thread feels like:

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 annealed 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 twsiting direction for the left and right end are opposite. 

For the first row, the spacing between copper wires should be 7-8mm. For the second, it should be 6mm. For the rest, the spacing should be 5mm.

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. Trim the Strips

Step 9. Flatten the Strips

All silk strips need to be flattened. Cut off one end of the copper wire. Heat your flat iron and press the strip gently from bottom to top. Move slowly and evenly.

 

Then we need to strengthen the flattened strips.

Prepare your setting solution:

1. Use either hair spray, or
2. Diluted white glue (1:1.15 or 1:1.2 ratio)

Soak the flattened silk strips, let them absorb the solution, then scrape off the excess.

Step 10. Shape the Petals

While still damp, shape the strips using the “wet concave” method:

• Press out extra solution with tweezers.
• Shape natural curves along the petal edges while wet. Let them dry standing upright.

How can you shape the curves? First, use a round bar tool to press the strips.

This gives them a natural curved shape. After pressing, the back might become frizzy — use tweezers to smooth it out.

If you don’t have a round bar, you can use tweezers directly. Gently bend the strips into a slight curve using tweezers. Tighten both ends slightly inward. The darker the color, the more curved the strip should be. After it's done, stick the strip up to dry.

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

Repeat the same process for all remaining strips. Keep in mind — the longer the strip, the gentler the curve. Once done, check if the outer strips can wrap around the smaller ones.

After the strips dry, trim them into petal shapes. We’ll have four types of petals in total.

Step 11. Make the Flowers

Once all petals are shaped and dry, it’s time to assemble!

Start with the darkest strips for the innermost layer, and attach the silk thread and petal together first. Stack the petals one by one to form a small bud, adding more until there are no visible gaps. For the innermost layer, use about 10 petals.

Make sure that the bottom of all petals are on the same level. Each petal layer is assembled in the same way — forming a full circle. The inner petals should be placed more tightly, while the outer petals should be looser and more open. The exact number of petals may vary depending on the thickness. Continue assembling until the flower reaches your desired shape.

For the outermost layer, use the trimmed strips of varied lengths. Start with the shorter petals first, then gradually move to the longer ones. Once assembled, adjust the petal positions and let them spread outward naturally—avoid making them too tight. Finally, twist a few petals slightly to the left or right to create a natural look. Now the chrysanthemum shape is complete.

You’ll need to make two flowers in total. Before you continue, do make sure you adjust the flowers to your desired shape and directions, because you will not be able to adjust them later. Here’s how the back of the flower should look.

Step 12. Attach the Flowers to the Base

Once the petals are adjusted, take out the glue and apply it to the base of the copper wire, making sure not to let the glue soak into the petals. After applying the glue, you won’t be able to adjust the petals, so ensure they’re in the right position first. Once the glue dries, cut off any excess copper wire.

Then, apply jewelry glue generously onto the flower base and blow gently to help it dry faster. Add a bit of glue around the copper wire area as well. When the glue becomes semi-dry, attach the base to the bottom of the flower and press them firmly together. Once it’s secure, you can release your hand.

Next, take out the earring base and apply a small amount of jewelry glue on it. When the glue is half-dry and tacky, attach the earring base and flower base together. If the jewelry glue doesn’t hold well, you can also use UV resin, which will need to be cured with a UV lamp.

Step 13. Admire Your Work

Once the earring bases are securely attached, you can wear your chrysanthemum earrings 🌸 ! Go appreciate your own craft and show off your hard work to your friends and family!