Enchanted Rose - Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast is one of Disney's masterpieces, this is my version of the Enchanted Rose as depicted in the animated feature-length movie.

I decided to make the Enchanted Rose as it was my girlfriend's birthday at the end of 2016, and since Beauty and the Beast is my girlfriend's all-time favourite Disney movie, I was sure it would make the perfect homemade birthday gift. With the live action movie version also being released in 2017, there would never be a better time to re-create the Enchanted Rose.

Though largely inspired by the Disney movie, this Instructable also takes inspiration the Beauty and the Beast - Beast's Rose Replica I'ble by sk8r540 so be sure to check it out.

I really hope my girlfriend likes the Enchanted Rose and I hope you like the Instructable too! As always, your comments and questions are welcomed and I endeavour to reply to every single one.

History of the Beauty and the Beast Fairy-tale

Originally a traditional fairy-tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740. This lengthy version was abridged and rewritten by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont in 1756 to produce the version most commonly retold today. To find out more information you can check out the Beauty and the Beast Wikipedia.

The Disney Movie

Released in 1991 it was Disney's 30th animated feature film. It was a box office success and became the first Disney movie to be adapted into a Broadway musical. In 2002, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

In 2014, it was announced that a live-action remake was in the works, and was scheduled for release on March 17, 2017.

About the Enchanted Rose

A mystical flower offered to a prince by an old beggar woman, in return for shelter from the cold. Turned away by the prince and seeing that there was no love in his heart, she cast a spell on him that transformed him into a beast. She left the rose, promising him that it would bloom until his twenty-first year. If he could learn to love before the last petal fell the spell would be broken, if not he will be doomed to remain a beast forever. Find out more about the Enchanted Rose on the Disney Wikia.

Enchanted Rose Appearance

The Enchanted Rose has been re-created numerous times in a number of ways, and there is much debate about its appearance. Some say the rose has to be pink, others prefer it red. Some people opt for a straight bell jar where as others prefer a shaped jar that countours. You may have noticed that Disney themselves have varied the appearance of both the rose and the bell jar in the animated and live-action versions. I figure there is a fair bit of creative freedom when re-creating it, but my choices will be explained in each step.

References

Still images taken from Walt Disney Pictures' Beauty and the Beast © Disney 1991-2017 All Rights Reserved.

Beauty and the Beast - Beast's Rose Replica Instructable by sk8r540 © 2016.

The first thing you'll need for this Instructable is a glass bell jar and base. For anyone who's not familiar with them, they're available in various designs and sizes and are often used in laboratories, but they can also act as display cases or dust covers.

Try to get the largest bell jar possible as it will make it easier to choose a rose that fits later, the dimensions of my jar are 21.5cm(h)x11.5cm(w) (see attached diagram for full dimensions). I opted for the 'Glass Dome Bell Jar' from Lights4Fun in the UK, alternatively check out eBay, Amazon or try your local retailers.

There are varying opinions on what the bell jar should look like. The design featured in the original Disney animated movie is that of one with straight sides and a clustered glass knob on the top, but I have also seen some re-creations with swooping edges or with no knob handle on top. Disney appear to have varied the design in the new movie, so you could argue that anything goes. Mine has straight sides and a single knob handle on top, so it is based around the original animated movie version.

To make things easier try to choose a bell jar that comes with a base that has a groove in it for the jar. You'll also need a groove cut out for the lighting cable if your base doesn't already have one (mine did), just cut out a notch around 5mm wide. In the movie the bell jar rests on the top of a decorative table, for convenience and simplicity I'm sticking with a separate wooden base.

Once you are happy with your bell jar and base, move on to the next step.

Choosing the Rose

Now it's time to select your rose. Again there is some debate here, mainly around the colour of the rose that should be used. The animated movie featured a pink rose while the new live action movie appears to use a red rose. I've opted to use a red rose, but I will re-create the pink colouring seen in the animated movie with the lighting (we'll be covering this in step 6).

For longevity you'll want to use an artificial rose, they are commonly available in silk but other fabrics and plastic alternatives are also available. To re-create the curve of the stem seen in the movie you'll want one that has a flexible metal wire stem. I purchased three different roses to give myself a good choice when it comes to assembly, all three came from The Artificial Flower Shop in the UK. In the end I went with the 'Precious Rose Bud' as the shape and size of the bloom was best suited to my bell jar. Alternatively, your local florist should have a plentiful supply of artificial roses for you to choose from.

Note: You'll need a second rose to remove some petals from for use in step 5.

Preparing the Rose

1. Trim your rose to the desired length, it depends on the height of your jar but cut it to what looks right for you.
2. Prune the excess leaves from the stem, the original movie has a single petiole from the main stem.
3. Make a slight outward curve near the base of the stem.
4. Make a slight inward curve near the top of the stem so the bloom is pronounced forward.

To complete this step you'll need the following tools:

• Pencil
• Ruler
• Hammer
• Hole Punch
• Drill (pillar-drill recommended but hand drill is fine)
• Drill Bit (size depends on your rose stem, I used a 4mm HSS bit)
• Hot-melt Glue Gun and Glue

Follow these steps:

1. Using the ruler mark the centre of your base with a pencil.
2. Use the hole-punch and hammer to mark the drill point.
3. Using either a hand-drill or pillar drill, make a hole that is approximately half the depth of your base.
4. Test fit the rose stem in the hole, repeat the above with a larger drill bit if necessary.
5. Position and glue the rose stem in place using hot-melt glue and support it until it cools and sets.
6. Clean any glue excess or trails from the base, then polish it to finish.

Tip: If you don't have a pillar drill with depth adjustment or you are using a hand drill, mark the drill depth on the bit by wrapping a piece of tape around it at the desired depth.

To create the fallen petals we'll be using a spare rose from step 3.

Follow these steps to add the fallen petals:

1. Remove at least three petals from the spare rose.
2. If the petals are not to a shape or size you desire, trim them using a sharp scissors.
3. Create a curved shape in the petals by wetting them slightly, then lightly rolling them with your fingers.
4. Blow on them to help them dry until you are left with a slight curve in each petal.
5. Decide how to position the petals, making sure not to overlap the edge of the base where the jar sits.
6. Secure in place by using a blob of hot-melt glue on the base of each petal.
7. Test the fit and look of the bell jar with the petals in place.
8. Clean off any excess glue from the base and petals.

This is the final step, adding the Enchantment. To do this we are using micro LED lighting. I've chosen the colour pink to re-create the glow seen from the Enchanted Rose in the Disney animated movie, it also complements the red rose well.

The LEDs I used are available from Lights4Fun in the UK, they include 20 micro LEDs that are mounted on a very discrete thin metal wire. The wire is pliable and can maintain some of its shape when curved as desired. They operate on 4.5v and are powered by 3x AA batteries. For those outside of the UK equivalent lighting is available from Amazon and eBay.

To fit simply coil the wire loosely into 'rings', hold the bell jar upside down and drop the LEDs in, then place jar over the top of the rose and base. This is not a precise task, we're really just letting the lights find their own place as the coiled rings spring out and unravel. Adjust if you find it necessary or start over if it turned into a mess.

Tip: You may find it easier to place the rose and base onto the jar while it is upturned, then flip everything upright.

Finally place the cable into the base notch to allow the jar to sit flush then enjoy your very own piece of Disney magic. It makes an excellent table centre-piece and also works well as an illuminated decoration.