It is time

It is time for me to get back into blogging.  So I start today - the first of February - a month behind the beginning of the new year.  By the way, Happy New Year!  I'll back track to talk about Taiwan and Chiang Mai some other day, but for now there are quite a few experiences and blog posts that I have been ruminating on and I am eager to get them out.

So my innagural post for the new year will be about... Ribbon Flowers!

My TA, Nong, has a cousin who is going to be ordained? (I'm not sure what the right word is) into monkhood in a month.  Part of that includes a large celebration with much food, and drinking, and dancing (all while the new monk sits above it all, peaceful and solemn).  During this celebration, many little ribbon flowers are tossed/given to the new monk* as a gift, each one containing a one or two baht coin.  Apparently they also make these ribbon flower things for other similar celebrations such as the Queen's 70th birthday which happened in August.

Nong was kind enough to teach G and I how to make them so we have all been folding away.  Nong can make 3 or 4 by the time G and I turn out 1 but it is enjoyable and relaxing nonetheless.   So, just like a good blogger I have picture documented the process so you can learn how to make Thai ribbon flowers too!

Supplies: Ribbon cut into pieces 6 or 7 inches long, scissors, and coins

First, take 4 pieces of ribbon and at one end make a diagonal cut. 

Then, turning the ribbon to the other side, take 1/3 of the length (approximately) and fold it over, making a crease.

See, diagonal cut at the bottom and fold at the top

Taking 2 pieces, slide one piece over the other with the edge at the crease.  Then take your third ribbon and add it parallel to the first (the one under the second ribbon) with the long side of the ribbon on top and the short side underneath the second ribbon. Taking the 4th piece, weave it through over piece 3 but under piece 1.  

Got it?  Now you should have a square. Pull each end so that your square is tight!

Then place your coin on top. 

Fold over each long end until you have another square woven together.

And lock it in place once more - over, under!

Then, do the same thing with the short ends - over, over, over, over, under!

A nice tight square. Now put a piece of tape on it to keep it that way!

After its taped, flip it over.  Take one of the long ends and fold it back on itself to make a small triangle.

Then fold it back again.

Then take the long end and fold it under twisting it back and pushing it through the little square loop.  Pull it through!

Do this with all four long pieces.  It should look like the picture below!

Still working with the long pieces, make a loop and slide it through the square loop. It might be a little difficult if you've made your square really tight but that was the point of cutting the diagonal at the beginning so you could get a little corner and then grab it and pull it through. 

loop and push it through!

you can see the point sticking out here

 Unfortunately, from this point on, my pictures are upside down.  And I can't figure out how to fix them (and yes, I tried rotating them - doesn't work).  But anyway, here is what it looks like - pull each side to make it as tight/even as possible.  Also, if you are getting little crinkles with your end loops just wait until you've finished and then rub them out.

Cut off the extra to make it look pretty and there you go!  Your own Thai Ribbon Flower. 

By the way, if any of you try this, I would love to hear how it goes!  Good luck!

*Update: I recently was corrected on this front.  The flowers are not given to the monk, they are thrown by the family of the monk to the other guests to encourage them to keep partying and continue the celebrations!