Ronghua Tutorial: How to Make Silk Daisies

Soft petals, a warm center, and an easy rhythm: silk daisies are beautiful, yet they don’t try too hard. Fun fact: daisies are actually the national flower of the Netherlands, instead of tulips! 

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. You can use these colors for your daisies. 

Note that the second and third row need to be cut in half, but not the first.

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 three 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, it's ready:)

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.

Use a fine comb or dense brush to brush them again. Light shedding during brushing is normal. If there’s a lot of shedding, the copper wire wasn’t rubbed tightly.

Step 8. Flatten the Strips

For the light-colored silk strips made from the second row, cut off the copper wire on one end. For the rest, cut off on the lighter-colored end.

Heat the flat iron and press the strip from back to front. Always iron in this direction, never straight down from top to bottom. After ironing, the petal will look slightly shiny.

Once flattened, soak them in shaping liquid, or gently brush the liquid on if you’re worried about shrinkage.

Prepare your setting solution:

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

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

Step 9. Make the Outlines

Start by preparing several copper wires as shown in the video. Twist each wire into the required shape.

These will be formed using cloisonné molds, which we’ll be working with next. There are six petal mold sizes in total—choose three sizes based on your design.

Shape the copper wire around the mold to form each petal. At the top of the petal, there’s a small notch—press this area down slightly. Leave about 2–3 cm of extra copper wire at the base. Make sure the wire fits the mold completely, with no gaps.

Leaf shapes are more complex than petals and take a bit more patience. Start by forming the larger curves first; the smaller curves can be refined later. Twist the copper wire tightly, then use tweezers to adjust it so it hugs the mold closely. Once finished, you’ll have a clean leaf outline.

In total, you’ll need 7–8 small petals, 14–16 medium petals, 10 large petals, and 3 leaves (2 small and 1 large). After the petals have dried, press them once more with the flat iron. All dried silk strips should get another pass—this helps make them flatter and more refined.

Step 10. Make the Components

For the next step, prepare some jewelry glue. Apply a thin line of glue along the edge of the copper wire. Be careful not to use too much—avoid overflow. After applying, let the glue sit for about 20 seconds before attaching it to the silk. If any glue seeps out, wipe it away with a tissue.

Begin with the smallest petals, gluing them onto the light-colored silk strip. Press firmly so they adhere well. For the medium petals, include two shades of yellow, making sure they don’t touch the lightest yellow. The large petals should incorporate three colors, with a hint of the lightest yellow visible along the edges.

Leaves are made using the same method. Take a straight copper wire, apply glue, and attach it to the center of the leaf. The center wire can have a slight curve. Trim away any excess wire, and the leaf is complete.

At this stage, you should have all the finished petals and leaves. Use the flat iron to add a gentle curve to the petals—just a slight bend is enough. The leaves also need a soft curve. Once curved, trim the petal edges neatly. For leaves, sharp curved scissors work best.

Now let’s make the flower center. Take one orange silk thread; each thread contains about 12 very fine strands. Fold it in half and cut. Repeat this about four times. Trim the silk into the shape shown in the video, then secure it with copper wire and twist tightly—the tighter, the better.

Brush the silk strands open until they look fluffy.

Use a petal as a reference to estimate the size: the flower center should be no more than one-third the size of a petal. Trim as needed. If there are gaps between the centers, fill them with a small amount of jewelry glue. The finished center should be about 5–7 mm tall.

Step 11. Assemble the Piece

Now we’re ready to assemble the flower. Use two or four strands of silk thread. Align the bases of the petals with the flower center, and make sure the height of each petal is even. The first layer uses about seven petals. Adjust their positions as you go.

For the second layer, use the large petals—about ten in total. Once assembled, trim the copper wire at an angle. Add two steel wires, each about 8 cm long, and wrap the silk thread downward continuously. Wrap to a suitable position, then tie off. You’ll need to make three daisies in total.

Next, assemble the leaves. Wrap silk thread around the copper wire section of each leaf and remember to include the steel wire. Assemble the two leaves—one placed higher and one lower—arranging them according to the video. Altogether, you’ll have three flowers and two leaf stems.

Fold the single leaf slightly backward, add silk thread, and secure the leaves together with the large daisy. Wrap the silk thread down to about the same level as the leaves, then bend the copper wire backward. Trim off any excess steel wire and fully cover the remaining wire with silk thread.

For finishing, use a folded silk thread and continue wrapping. If your thread is long enough, add a few extra turns. Thread the silk through the folded loop, pull it through, and trim away the excess.

You can watch our video tutorial for this step:)

Finally, assemble the two leaves with the light-colored daisy. Use four strands of thread here for extra strength. 

Step 12. Attach the Piece to the Hairpin

Secure all three daisies onto the spring clip, pulling the silk thread tight so there are no gaps. Leave a slightly larger space between the first and second flowers, while placing the second and third closer together. Make sure the copper wire does not extend beyond the clip.

Finish using the same method as before: wrap the silk thread back upward, thread it through the small loop, and pull it out. Lightly burn off any frayed edges with a lighter. Make final adjustments to the flower positions, and if needed, brush a little hairspray onto the wrapped area to prevent slipping.

And that’s it—your piece is complete. 🌼