DIY bouquets

Last week I got really sick (I’m still suffering over a week later–Guess I picked something else up on top of the sinus infection). All I wanted to do was lay around and do nothing and thankfully, my amazing fiance obliged. Instead of spending the weekend doing homework, we caught up on our shows and we worked on the bouquets for the bridesmaids and my bouquet (even the tossing one). He really is a gem to help me with all of these wedding decorations, but then again, we both realize that the wedding is NOT about the bride, but about a couple uniting in marriage and blending two families under one God. So without further ado, watch how to save and be crafty for your wedding!

What you’ll need:

wire cutters

silk flowers (can use real too, but needs to be closer to the wedding date)

corsage pins

floral tape

ribbon (preferably at least an inch wide)

hot glue gun and hot glue

So what I did first was figure out how many flowers I needed for each bridesmaid bouquet. Naturally, I chose a bigger flower so it would look fuller and not have to cost me as much. Each bouquet took 2 hydrangea flowers, a piece of ribbon, piece of lace, glue, and a pin, so with sales, each bridesmaid bouquet cost me $8.50 to make. While that number may look good, it could have been cheaper if I just stuck with a ribbon, but I wrapped mine in burlap and lace to go with our theme.

1. Take the two flowers (or however many) and hold them in front of you in front of a mirror. This may sound strange, but you want to see how it will look from that view once they are arranged and it will help guide you in how short you should cut the stems.

2. Apply a strip of floral tape towards the top of your arrangement stems to keep it in place. **Floral tape does not become sticky until you stretch it** From there I taped a section that would be about 1 inch above where I wanted to cut. For good measure, I added a third row of tape in between.

3. To help make the flowers appear fuller and not so squished after taping, I took the part right above the top section of tape and bent the stems slightly so they angled out. (As seen in the picture above)

4. Cut off the excess stems. If your wire cutters won’t cut it, what I did was used the ones I had to cut the plastic parts and then bent the wire and it snapped off easily.

5. Go ahead and make the rest of your matching bouquets. Make sure to line up each one before cutting because you want them to be about the same size.

6. Once you get the bouquets done, all 5 of mine, get your hot glue gun ready.

7. At the bottom of the stem, angle the piece of ribbon so it will start off at a slant. Place a drop of glue and fold it over. This is the hardest part, so I took a few pictures. Essentially, you are trying to get the ribbon started off at a slant so it looks fancier, but you have to get the edges tucked in nicely. I played around with the ribbon several times before actually gluing so I knew what to do.

8. Once I had the bottom anchored on, I just wrapped the burlap ribbon up the stem. Make sure that the ribbon is evenly spaced so the lines look nice. If it is easier, you can put a drop of glue as you go up, but I didn’t.

9. Once you reach the top, go as far as you can possibly go and determine which side you want to be the “front” of your flowers. Cut your ribbon and position the tail end at the back. Fold the ribbon over and glue in place.

10. To add an extra flair, you can wrap another ribbon around or simply attach a bow like I did. I figured out how long I wanted the lace bow to be by holding the options in front of the mirror. Then I glued it in place and stuck a corsage pin at the top of the bow, making sure to angle it down into the center of the stems. The pin adds support to the ribbon. I’ve seen people pin all the way down to give it a pearl look and I’ve also seen people add pins to the very bottom to make sure the ribbon is secure. It’s your preference, but I was satisfied with the glue and one pin.

I do believe my fiance is adorable holding our finished product!

Now for the bridal bouquet! With all the supplies I used, it cost me $20. That seemed like a lot, but I got a variety of flowers to go in it, so it was worth it to me. This one, the steps are the very same, but it’s more intricate, so here are a few tips to help.

1. Arrange your flowers the way you want it to look. If it’s easier, start taping some of them together, but work from the inside out. That’s what I did.

2. Once I had my main flowers arranged and taped together, I knew I could add my Queen Anne’s lace in afterwards (baby’s breath or leaves could do as well, or really anything you want). I cut them to be just long enough to stick into the parts of the bouquet and arranged it the way I wanted. From there, I took one piece out at a time, put a dap of hot glue, and carefully stuck it back into the bouquet. Super simple and no one would ever know the difference.

3. Make a simpler, smaller version of your bouquet to toss after the wedding. Wouldn’t want to toss away your big one!

My bouquet is very special to me and I don’t want to show the absolute finished product so there will be something to look for at the wedding, but I will share a few precious details on why it’s so special. It has hydrangeas, peonies, and roses, which are my favorites, and it’s shades of pink, which of course I love! Now for the super special meaning behind the details! First, I have incorporated three white roses, which symbolize each of the grandparents who have passed and won’t be at our wedding, but were a big part of each of our lives and the lives of our family members. My mom cried when I told her I wanted to do that! Second, my mom had asked if there was any way I would wear a piece of my Grandpa’s old shirt underneath my dress on the day. I had been searching for a super special way to have him with me as I walked down the aisle and her idea sparked a better one. I have taken his old shirt and cut it into “ribbon” strips, which I have attached to the stems of my bouquet. My mom loved the idea, but didn’t think I was serious because his shirts are all plaid, but to me, that makes it even more special. Everyone will notice it and everyone will know he is with me on the big day. Of course, I’m girling it up a bit by adding a touch of lace, but his shirt definitely stands out and I couldn’t be more happy about it!

Every ounce of our wedding preparations are special and there will be so many sentimental touches, so stay tuned and if you’re invited, keep your eyes pealed!