27 Nov Building a Bouquet Yourself
A hand-tied bouquet is the piece people look at most closely, and it is more achievable than it appears provided you follow a method.
Before You Start
Lay everything out and sort it into three piles: focal blooms, secondary flowers and greenery.
Work at a table with room to spread out, in good light. Have wire cutters, floral tape and ribbon ready.
Cut nothing to final length until the shape is finished.
The Spiral Method
- Start with one focal bloom held in your non-dominant hand
- Add each subsequent stem at an angle, all leaning the same way
- Turn the bunch slightly in your hand after each addition
- The stems cross in a spiral rather than a bundle
- Which is what makes the bouquet open into a dome
- Bind at the narrowest point once the shape is right
Wired stems, of the kind on the real-touch roses at floroom.net, make this considerably easier than fresh, because each stem stays where you put it instead of springing back.
Work in Odd Numbers
Groups of three, five and seven read as natural. Even numbers and perfect symmetry read as arranged.
Vary the heights slightly rather than making a flat dome, and let some stems sit proud.
Check It in a Mirror
The step people skip. A bouquet looks different held against a body than lying on a table.
Hold it where you will actually hold it, at the height you will hold it, and look in a full-length mirror. Turn around. The back matters, because photographs happen from every angle.
Bind It Properly
Floral tape wrapped firmly down the binding point, then ribbon over the top, pinned rather than only glued.
Trim the stems level afterwards and check the length: stems that are too long make the bouquet awkward, and too short leave nowhere to hold.
Watch the Wire Ends
The practical safety point. Cut wired stems leave sharp ends that catch fabric and skin.
Tape over every cut end, and cover the base of the bouquet completely. A wire end against a dress is a real problem on the day.
Weight It Yourself
Faux bouquets are lighter than fresh, which can feel insubstantial. Some people add a weighted core.
Make It Twice
The first attempt teaches you; the second is the one you use.
Make the Buttonholes From the Offcuts
Trimmed stems and spare blooms are exactly what buttonholes need, and doing them at the same sitting means the palette matches exactly.