If your roses are looking like cabbages, you need to pay attention to your tip position.
The centre petal is applied with your tip in the 11:00 position. This means that when you go to apply the petal, the wide end of the tip is positioned at the middle of the base and tilted in so that the tip opening is on the same angle as the base. Squeeze the bag and spin the flower nail simultaneously to wrap the petal around the top of the base.
For row of 3, the tip opening is held in the 12:00 position, this being straight up and down, so that if you held it up to a clock (with the back of the bag at 3:00)the tip opening would be pointing at the 12. Note that the center petal and the row of 3 are both applied at the same level on the base - the middle.
For row of 5, drop down the base and ANGLE the bag so the tip now would be pointing to 1:00 were you to hold it up to a clock.
Row of 7, drop down to the bottom of the base and tilt out even further so the tip opening is pointing at 2:00.
Cabbage-like roses happen because all petals are applied in the 12:00 position. You need to ANGLE the tip back for each row to have the petals furl out. So, 11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 2:00. Keep saying it to yourself!
Adding to this, after you do your center make sure that the next layer the tip is half way above the bud. So the next layer of petals are higher and then you dont have that cabbage look.
You need to keep opening your hand. Every layer you will move your wrist so on the last layer you will see your wrist completely.
Edna
I CANNOT STAND BC ROSES!! They never really look like a rose IMO. I have never taken a decorating class and have learned everything I know by looking around the house and finding something that I felt could be re-purposed. I have found that cold porcelain is the best medium for flowers. The product allows you to make the petals ultra thin and mold them into any position. I color all of my flowers with petal dust and that realy helps add to the realistic look. When a person gets a cake with roses made from cold porcelain they are in awe of the flowers and take them all home with them. You can find many recepies online or you can get it at Hobby Lobby. Once you try it, you will NEVER make another rose from icing. Another fun medium for flower making that tastes yummy is colored tootsie rolls. They are shiney and realy a nice suprise for kids that like to eat the flowers. Great for making little animals also.
I can't make the roses either. In fact I still have issues with my shell borders (Still look better than the crap job they do at walmart, but still not very good.) hahaha! As for the roses, I tried the directions for the gumpaste/fondant roses and still didn't like them. So then I just started playing with the fondant and ended up molding some nice looking roses. Maybe take a few hours to sit down at you kitchen table and just play around and see what great stuff you come up with. I think I have posted some pictures of my roses if you want to look at them. Good luck!
I can make them once every few years, inbetween that time I can't do it!
I always get super excited when a bc rose of mine turns out!! 90% of them look like cabbages, but when one of them looks good I feel like dancing! 
Gosh I love making BC roses. I think the Wilton method where you have to change tips is a pain in the keester so I don't do that, I make my center base with my rose tip. Can't really explain how to do it, I would have to show you. When I teach my classes I teach it the Wilton way first then show my shortcut way. I think it is easier and definitely faster.
I have met many grocery store decorators who learned to make roses on a dowel or kabob skewer. But to me they look like pine cones when they are made that way. I prefer using a flower nail.
When I took Wilton course 1, I asked the teacher if anyone just "got it". She told me "OH NO, it takes months". That was her experience. I was determined it wouldn't take me months so I went on YouTube and watched video after video of people making buttercream roses. Then I tried it myself, came back, watched more, adjusted my icing, and tried again. By the end of the week I had it down pat. I practiced a lot that week but it was like having my own personal tutor using YouTube.
The nice thing is that there are soooo many different ways to do it that you can try them all to find what works for you and watch the video over and over. What instructor is going to be so patient?
I'm really happy with my roses now. If only I could figure out how to get ALL my finished roses from the "oh I love it it is perfect" stage to the cake without the "oh xxx, it just fell upside down in transport from the flower nail to the position on the cake"
I'm just curious. What's the Roland Winbeckler's way of making buttercream roses? Also, has anyone seen the Cake Art book? There is a pic of one cake in there with buttercream roses, but they look different than the usual ones. They kind of look like they just kept swirling the icing. They should be pretty easy to make.
that rose is beautiful. I have to work really hard... right now mine look like blobs. But i will get that good. I have faith.
I only ever make flowerpaste roses...but now i'd like to try bc roses so I can eat them 
Can anyone tell me where I can get instructions to make them please.
If they are too difficult they can always be cabbages on a gardening cake 
I swear I cant make a rose either to save my life- for me I have hot hands and my icing goes soft. They start out fine but by the time I get to the end they have melted in and look wilted. I need to practice waaaay more- I think I am going to try the wilton canned icing for this and the other tip. SPeaking of which what tip do you use to get your roses to have a rounded finish to them. The grocery store here has rounded roases. They are cute?
Butterscotch8654 -
If you think your icing melts now, wait until you try the Wilton canned icing. It's even worse.
I am the Queen of Hot Hands, and I made the mistake of trying the Wilton icing. It is nowhere near as firm as the Wilton Class Buttercream.
You'd be better off practicing with a recipe of that, instead of using canned.
Theresa
Butterscotch8654 -
If you think your icing melts now, wait until you try the Wilton canned icing. It's even worse.
I am the Queen of Hot Hands, and I made the mistake of trying the Wilton icing. It is nowhere near as firm as the Wilton Class Buttercream.
You'd be better off practicing with a recipe of that, instead of using canned.
Theresa
Really- that sucks ;( I will just have to keep practicing. Did you just get faster with making your roses or how did you get around the problem?
I went back to my Wilton instructor, and asked her what time she got to the store to teach sessions. She said she got there about half an hour early. I then asked her that, if I brought in a bag filled with icing, the nail, and some waxed paper squares, would she sit down with me and show me how to do the rose.
We sat there for half an hour, I made about 15 roses, the first 2 really sucked. She showed me what I was doing wrong, and after a couple of tries, I got it down.
Then she said "Don't complain to me about your roses again until you've made 100 of them." And she was right - practice was what I needed, but since I was having such a hard time, I had given up on them, and on myself.
Theresa
I'm in the cabbage group too. 
Though I did make a nice looking cabbage on a skewer instead of a flower nail & that helped.........a bit. Just looks like a very full & healthy cabbage!
I guess practice is the key. I have a horrible time with my timing. Either I'm turning to slow and squeezing too hard, or vise versa.
I have a hard time getting them off the nail. I have to put the rose on wax paper in the freezer for a few minutes and then place it on the cake... any suggestions? I have only done a few roses... I still need a lot of practice. Thanks for all this info on this thread.
HeavenLeeCakes.....I have taken all the classes....I have my own business, and I too can not make a BC rose. I could make a crappy one at one point....so I mastered the fondant ribbon rose!!
Confession # 2
I have been doing this for 3 1/2 years not long, but you would think that I would have had time to figure out the parchment bag!! I can't for the life of me get it....not even with the instructions in front of me.
I need to put that box of a hundred in the pay it forward bag....I will never use them!!
Laura
There is also the Wilton Gumpaste Flowers class. Not all instructors are allowed to teach it, but if you buy the Gumpaste Flowers kits, there is another way to do the gumpaste rose, petal by petal. You get even more control over the rose.
Plastic pieces though to cut out. I find I do better at roses using royal icing versus buttercream. But I still prefer the course 3 gumpaste rose over the others for any cake I do.
I am so glad I found this discussion. I honestly thought that I was the only person who couldn't make bc roses. My cakes either have gumpaste or fresh. I took the Wilton classes three years ago before my daughter got married and she didn't have bc roses on her cake either! Private lessons would be great. Does anyone live close to College Station, Texas?
Martha
Well, I've just about killed myself staying up all hours of the night working on BC roses this week. We'll see tomorrow if it has done anygood. Want to thank all of you for your helpful hints. It really does help, talking to people. At least I know I'm not the only one.
Making BC roses is all about practice, practice, practice.... But your icing consistency is critical. I've recently started using Swiss Meringue icing, I was shocked at how beautiful the roses pipe, as soft as the icing is I would never have believed you could pipe roses with it. Keep trying you will get better.
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