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DIY wedding bouquets from Elsie

June 23, 2011

Craft time! We’re not denying it  – we were left kind of obsessed with every detail in Elsie + Jeremy’s wedding last week, especially the bright bouquets, weren’t you? So, because we know everyone loves a good old fashioned DIY tutorial we asked Elsie to bring it! Once you catch the hang of making these, you’ll find yourself dazzling every corner of your house with handmade bouquets (hmm, that’s not such a bad idea). Ok, take it away Elsie!

Hi Cakelets!

When I was younger I worked at a flower shop. Thinking back to that experience, I knew that bouquet making was  fun and easy so I decided to make my own wedding bouquet while also letting my bridesmaids make theirs too! We got together after the rehearsal dinner, laid out a bucket full of mixed flowers and things I’d collected and had such a  fun time creating our own bouquets!

I loved how each turned out – super unique and special. I was a huge fan of Holly’s bird charm and Katie’s berry twigs and feathers.

Step 1: Collect Supplies. For my wedding bouquets I used fresh flowers, handmade velvet flowers, berry twigs, feather birds, feathers and vintage brooches. I also used some family heirloom ribbon (vintage tatting) and velvet ribbon that I found the first month we were dating! Choose accents that are personal to you!

Step 2: Start from the center and build the floral base of your bouquet. Work your way out by adding more and more flowers.

A Beautiful Mess wedding flowers

Step 3: Wrap the stems with floral tape. Use as much as you need to make it feel secure. The floral tape should go where ever you plan to wrap the ribbon. The ribbon will eventually hide it completely!

Step 4: Add accent piece such as feather birds (they have wires underneath that can secure them onto blooms) or feathers.

Step 5: Wrap the base of your stems (over the floral tape) with a pretty ribbon. I also tied some lace on mine as an accent.

Have fun making your bouquet! Tip: If you’re planning to take bridal portraits, use that to practice making your bouquet.

A Beautiful Mess wedding bouquet

Enjoy…. XO, Elsie

Uber cute, no? As if you needed another reason (aside from your wedding) to make these cuties. We hope this gets you running to your local farmer’s market and vintage shops! Imagine all the fun trinkets you can now add to your bouquet to have it fit your personality. Thanks for sharing the goods Elsie!

Portrait photos taken by Arrow and Apple. Others taken by Elsie, Emma and Rachel