HOW TO MAKE A BURLAP ROSE BOUQUET

Do you spend hours hunting down said pretty accessory until your scrolling little fingers start hurting and your phone battery is running on fumes?

That’s me.

So I searched for them and searched some more. 

I tried every kind of word combination I could think of, but they were nowhere to be found.

So what is a decorating gal to do, when she hits a buying dead end? 

DO IT YOURSELF of course.

How to make burlap roses (the perfect marriage between rustic and romantic)

I searched and found several burlap flower tutorials for all kinds of flowers, but none looked like the ones my heart was craving. So I came up with my version of burlap roses.

This was not one of those quick or easy DIY projects, I normally do. 

I had to figure out each and every step. The first rose took me half a day at least to make. 

But once I had figured it out, the other roses were easy and fairly quick to create.

So you all can benefit from my experimenting and skip the trial and error phase and go straight to making these pretty handmade burlap roses. 

So I guess for you it will be another easy craft project, lucky you!

Let me show you how.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Read my full disclosure policy.

How to make a burlap rose

Supplies for making burlap flowers:

Colored burlap fabric, preferably in different shades of the same color

Cheap fake flowers (from the dollar store)

Mod Podge

Small scissors

Step 1: Create your basic rose pattern

Print the pattern in 5 different sizes.

Cut out the patterns

After several failed attempts of freestyling my rose pattern, I drew a basic pattern on some graph paper. Once I was happy with my pattern I loaded it up to Photoshop and I made 5 copies, each 10% smaller than the previous.

How to make a burlap rose step 2: Dye your burlap in different shades

If you have burlap in beautiful shades and colors ready-made then this step is optional. I had found two colors of burlap fabric by the yard that were pretty but a bit boring and way too perfect looking.

To make the burlap more interesting and the roses look (somewhat) more natural I gave my burlap a tea bath.

Cut the burlap in squares of a generous size so that all five patterns for one flower fit on it. Give it some extra because the burlap can and will shrink in the hot tea.

Boil a big pot of tea on your stove. This is the perfect time to use up all those old tea bags you keep saving but never drink because you don’t like the flavor. Don’t waste good tea on this. Use cheap stuff.

Dunk the pieces of burlap in there.

Start removing the first one after five minutes. And then one after another remove them, about 10 minutes apart. 

Let them drip dry a bit (no need for rinsing or wringing), it is okay if they are still wet and moist at the next step.

Step 3: Stiffen your burlap

Put some sheets of parchment paper on your oven racks (do not use aluminum foil like I did with the first batch!).

Spread out the burlap.

Add a little water to the Mod Podge and apply a generous amount of Mod Podge to both sides of your burlap

Place in a lukewarm oven for about 30 minutes until dry.

Step 5: Cut out your rose petals

This is the most time-intensive step. It is a step that allows for British-Detective-watching though, so all is good.

Cut out all your rose patterns. Make sure you leave a solid bit at the center of the rose, don’t cut in the petals too far. I outlined the patterns with a red pen. Would have been better if I had a brown pen, but alas.

I cut out the center of the pattern so I could mark it on the fabric, to remind myself not to forget to not cut into the heart.

Repeat step 5 until you got all your burlap cut.

I mostly used a small pair of scissors. Use a good quality one that doesn’t hurt your fingers. I have one that is a lot like this one, and I love it.

After cutting the layers of petals, scrunch them up to make pleats and folds.

Step 6: Assemble your roses

To assemble your burlap roses you first have to disassemble your fake flowers. Discard the flower petals, keep the stem, the center, and the base (the leaves are optional, I threw them out, but you could reuse those too).

From small to large start adding the flowers to the stem. Start with the faux center, add the burlap petals, finish with the green base. 

I added some drops of hot glue with my mini glue gun to the outer, large petals so the rose would hold its shape better, but that might not be necessary.

Here are my finished roses on my side table. I styled them in a farmhouse-style pitcher, along with a bowl of chestnuts for some more fall vibes. My little DIY burlap flower bouquet truly is the star of this little fall decor. Love it!

Oh yes! My jute roses fit in perfectly with my fall room decor.

I can easily think of more creative ways I could use a homemade burlap rose:

• Add them to a gift package for a lovely touch
• Decorate a straw or grapevine wreath with them
• Sew one on a tote bag for a quirky touch
• Place a nice big one on a stack of books as part of a vignette
• Use them in combination with fresh flowers and leaves in a fall flower arrangement.

More fall craft projects you will like.

<<<< DIY burlap wall art with pumpkins >>>>

<<<< How to make a fall hops wreath >>>>

<<<< Easy pinecone centerpiece >>>>

<<<< Fabric scraps fall wreath >>>>

Really, these pretty large burlap flowers turned out so good, they make my heart sing.

They are so close to looking like the ones that were my inspiration.

But these are even better because I made them and they are unique and perfectly imperfect.

Where to buy different types of already-made burlap flowers

If I have made you crave some burlap flowers, but you are not quite up to creating your own. That’s okay. I hunted and searched for the best ready-made burlap flowers I could find. Enjoy!

If you like my DIY burlap roses then don’t forget to pin this post to your craft board on Pinterest.