Zip roses to be made into brooches

Like many of the bloggers I follow, I try to re-use items and re-make something new from something old.  One project I have seen on a number of sites, too many to mention, is the use of old metal zips.  At the Port Chalmers School Garage Sale I bought a large number of zips for 20 cents.  Some are old and some are the more modern plastic teeth.  Last weekend when it was lovely and hot and sunny I sat outside under my umbrella and made my first, and second zip flowers which will become brooches.  Here they are:

I am not wildly happy with them as they do not form the shape of a rose.  I carefully sewed running stitch along the length of the zip and then gathered this, in the hope that the gathering would assist with petal making.  I had cut my fingernails that morning and found the sewing and holding very difficult.  However, my first one (on the left) has more shape than the second (on the right) and I think that is because my hand was sore with the second attempt.

I am planning to make some leaves from some scraps of green fabric - will post more on this project later.  Have you seen something like these and thought to yourself "I can make that" and then, found its actually harder than you thought?  I am not going to give up on these "zip flowers" as it would be wasting the zips, so I am determined to make something from them!   What would you do??