Making Cold Porcelain Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums come in many types and colours, but here is a good starter. Here, Margaret shows you how to make a fairly simple white flower! You will need cold porcelain paste, some oils colours, Midi Chrysanthemum cutters, wires and basic tools (eg. board, rolling pin, foam pad, size guide etc.).

For the full flower, use ½ length 18g wire. Part opened flower and buds ½ length 20g wire. Make a T bar hook on the end of each wire. Brush with glue and insert into a size 5 ball of yellow paste. Secure well and leave to dry.

Buds
For the centres for the buds, when the paste is on the wire, texture with the tip of a No.1 icing tube on the top surface before letting it dry. For small buds, roll out paste (approx size 7) not too thinly to 2”x ½” approx. Snip along one side with scissors. Work petals side to side with the needle tool then wrap this around the dry centre attaching it with glue. Press vertically all around the bud with the needle tool to secure and neaten. Leave to dry. For larger buds, roll paste thinner and longer then wrap around the slightly larger centre

Opened flowers
Roll white paste out thinly and cut out approx 26 petals of the largest size. Use the fine needle tool at the square end to vein and thin. Place on to soft sponge and press the needle tool into the narrow end to curve it up at the edges and pinch. Leave the petals on the sponge to dry. Make one or two of smaller sizes as well. For the part opened flower repeat as above but using the second largest cutter and smaller. Make a few tiny petals and leave all to dry.

Cover the dry ball of paste on the 18g wire with a piece of yellow paste approx size 7 ,which has been flattened and attach this with glue. Use the tip of the icing tube to texture over the top surface. Whilst this is still soft, dip the narrow end of the petals in glue and press them in to the soft paste. Start with the outer row first and work around the flower centre, then add an inner row. You may find it helpful to place the flower in a former to support it while you work. Add a few smaller petals to the inside. Leave to dry.

For the part opened flower, close the petals up more before leaving to dry. When the flowers and buds have dried the calyces can be added. These are made using 2 layers of the appropriate size of daisy petal cutter (eg Orchard Products daisy cutter). After attaching the calyx, pinch each sepal with tweezers. Leave to dry.

Paint the centres with sap green and lemon yellow. Apply some white paint to the petals carefully if necessary. Use sap green and grey green to paint the calyces. Cover the flower stems with paste.

These flowers can look very striking in a foliage arrangement :