“June is bustin’ out all over” and it is the wedding month of wedding months! The economic situations of the day are putting the kabosh on wedding budgets everywhere and more brides and mothers-of-the brides are choosing to do much of the preparation themselves. As with the previous posting, I thought that I would share with you another idea that I used in our daughter’s wedding – a pretty and inexpensive nosegay that is gorgeous for the wedding attendants. The nosegay is simple and really fun to see go together and can even be done at a “Nosegay Party” with the attendants each making their own. I used the following with silk flowers but real ones will work as well. Use floral wire to keep the stems of real flowers rigid. For each bouquet plan on:
• 3 larger round flowers like peonies, open roses, cabbage roses, etc. in one wedding color
• 2 identical flowers but smaller
• Bunch ivy in any color you wish
• Bunch small flowers like honeysuckle, stephanotis, baby’s breath, etc.
• Floral tape
• Satin in second wedding color
• Ribbon in matching or complement color
• Hot glue gun
• Wire cutters
Directions: Cut the stems on the flowers to the length that is appropriate for an attendant to hold in two hands, one hand over the other, about 7- 8 inches long. Wrap the three larger flowers tightly together with floral tape, pulling the tape as you wrap, to make it stick to itself. You don’t have to wrap all of the way down the stems, but just enough to make them tight and thin. Add the two small flowers on two sides of the group and wrap them tightly. Divide the bunch of smallest flowers and work stems in one or two at a time, wrapping as you go and turning until the larger flowers are cushioned under small flowers. Do the same with the ivy, nestling it beneath and around the flowers as a nest. Finish group by wrapping all stems together as one “handle”.
Cut two circles, with a diameter 2-3″ more than twice the length of the nosegay “handle”. With right sides together, sew circles together with a ¼ inch seam. Leave enough unsewn area to turn. Turn to right sides and press. Press under remaining seam and topstitch around the perimeter of the circle, leaving a ¼ inch edge. Place a drop of hot-glue in the center of the circle and hold the tip end of the bouquet “handle” onto the glue until it sets. Pull the circle up around the base of the bouquet and tie with matching ribbon around the base of the bouquet at the top of the handle. Straighten cloth around so that it evenly undulates around the base of the bouquet. Using a hot-glue gun, strategically glue the cloth to the underside of the bouquet. When dry, tie ribbons of matching and coordinating colors over the first ribbon, using one or two to make a bow and then let the rest drop about 12-14”, staggered so that they will float against the dress as the attendant walks down the aisle. These bouquets are lightweight and can be used in a circle with handles pointing in and one bouquet in the center, for a lovely floral arrangement at one of the serving tables during the reception!!
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