Creating A Wedding Flower Basket: A Step-By-Step Guide

Making your own flower basket for a wedding is a fun and easy DIY project. You can make a beautiful basket in an afternoon, and customise it to your own tastes. The first step is to choose a basket that matches your wedding's theme and location. You can use a traditional basket, or get creative with a sign, wagon, lantern, or even a trusty pet! Next, gather your supplies, including flowers, floral foam, and any decorations you want to add. You can use fresh or silk flowers, and choose colours and varieties that match your wedding palette. Then, it's time to start arranging the flowers in the basket, using techniques like the criss-cross tape method to create a beautiful display. Finally, add any extra touches like ribbons or lights, and you're ready to walk down the aisle in style!

Choosing a basket

When choosing a basket for your wedding flower basket, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, you'll want to select a basket that complements your wedding's theme and location. For example, if you're having a rustic wedding in a barn or a backyard, a wicker or burlap basket would be a perfect choice. On the other hand, if your wedding is in an elegant hotel, a white woven basket or a satin basket would add a touch of shine and elegance to your wedding procession.

Another factor to consider is the size and shape of the basket. Large baskets with handles tend to work well for flower girl baskets, but you can also opt for a basket without a handle. Just make sure that it's deep enough to place a vessel inside, such as a bowl, to hold the water and flowers. You can also use the criss-cross tape method to create a grid pattern on the vessel's opening, supporting the stems and creating a visually appealing arrangement.

When it comes to materials, wicker is a classic and versatile option that comes in various colours and can even be painted to match your wedding colours. Wire baskets are another option and can be coated in any colour you like. Clear acrylic baskets are a fun and unique choice, strong enough to hold up throughout the ceremony and reception. If you're looking for something more natural, wooden buckets or burlap baskets with flexible handles are great choices, especially for little hands.

Don't be afraid to think outside the box! Instead of a traditional basket, you could use a metal pail, a soft purse that coordinates with the flower girl's dress, or even a simple sign in any shape or colour.

Remember, the basket is a blank slate that you can decorate to match your wedding theme. You can use fabric, flowers, faux jewels or crystals, lace, leaves, and ribbons to embellish the basket and make it your own.

Picking flowers

Colour Scheme

Match the flowers in your basket to your wedding colour scheme. If you have a specific theme, such as a rustic barn or elegant hotel wedding, choose flowers that fit the style. For example, opt for soft pastel shades for an elegant wedding or sunflowers and wildflowers for a rustic celebration.

Favourite Flowers

It is traditional for the flower girl's basket to include the bride's favourite flowers, as it is her special day. You can also incorporate the same flowers used in the bridal bouquet or choose miniature versions of your wedding flowers.

Seasonality

Consider the season when selecting your flowers. For example, bright red, orange, and yellow maple leaves for an autumn wedding, fresh green ivy for spring, or baby blue eucalyptus and lemon leaf for a summer ceremony.

Size

Remember to choose flowers that are not too big for the basket, as you don't want them to fall off. Opt for smaller blooms or trim the stems to ensure they fit neatly in the basket.

Availability

When planning your flower basket, consider the availability of your chosen flowers. If you're using fresh flowers, opt for seasonal blooms, or, if you're using silk flowers, ensure you have enough time to source them.

Monochromatic Colour Scheme

For a more professional-looking arrangement, stick to a monochromatic colour scheme. Choose flowers in varying shades of the same colour, such as all pinks, yellows, or purples. This creates a cohesive and elegant display.

Mix and Match

Don't be afraid to mix and match different types of flowers to create a unique and personalised basket. For example, combine roses, limonium, and plumosus fern for texture and visual interest.

Filler Flowers

Include filler flowers or greenery, such as baby's breath, to add texture and fill any gaps in the basket. These smaller blooms will help enhance the overall appearance of the arrangement.

Practice

Before finalising your flower choices, create a mini-bouquet to ensure the flowers go well together. Place the blooms together, manipulating the angles of the stems if necessary, and secure them with a rubber band, wire, or string.

Care and Maintenance

Remember to care for your flowers before and during the wedding. Keep them well-hydrated, and store them in a cool, shady spot to ensure they look fresh and vibrant on the big day.

Happy flower-picking!

Creating a mini-bouquet

Step 1: Choose Your Flowers

Select the flowers you want to use in your mini-bouquet. Consider the colour scheme of the wedding and the bride's favourite flowers. For a classic bridal bouquet, stick to traditional colours like white with touches of pink or other pastel shades. However, feel free to choose colours and flowers that match the wedding theme and your personal preference.

Step 2: Arrange the Flowers

Once you have chosen your flowers, it's time to arrange them. Place all the blooms together, manipulating the angles of some stems to fit them all in. You can create a globe-like shape by inserting flowers in a circular direction, with larger flowers in the centre and smaller accent flowers around the edges. Alternatively, you can choose a focal flower that will be the centre of attention, and add other flowers at an angle, rotating the bouquet as you go to create a well-filled, rounded arrangement.

Step 3: Secure the Bouquet

After you are satisfied with the arrangement, secure the stems with a rubber band, wire, or string. This will hold all the flowers together tightly.

Step 4: Cut the Stems

Cut the stems to a short length. This step not only enhances the visual appeal of the bouquet but also makes it easier to work with in the following steps.

By following these steps, you will create a charming mini-bouquet that will be a delightful addition to your wedding flower basket.

Attaching flowers to the basket

Now that you have chosen your flowers and basket, it's time to put them together. Here is a step-by-step guide to attaching flowers to your wedding basket:

Step 1: Prepare the Basket

Firstly, you will need to prepare your basket. If you are using a plain basket, consider painting it to match your wedding colour scheme. Allow the paint to dry for a day or two before proceeding.

Step 2: Create a Mini-Bouquet

Before you start attaching flowers to your basket, create a mini-bouquet. Place all your blooms together, manipulating the angles of the stems if necessary to fit them all in. Secure the stems with a rubber band, piece of wire, or string, then cut the stems to a short length.

Step 3: Prepare the Basket

Use floral tape to create a grid over the top of the basket. This will help keep your flowers in place and ensure they don't fall out. Trim any excess tape from the edge of the basket for a neat finish.

Step 4: Attach the Mini-Bouquet

Feed thin wire or strong string through the basket, leaving it open at both ends to insert your mini-bouquet. It is best to do this near the handle of the basket as it will provide more support and strength. Tie the wire around your mini-bouquet several times to make sure it is secure, then repeat with additional mini-bouquets if desired.

Step 5: Finishing Touches

Add petals, confetti, or other decorations to your basket. For a classic look, use white rose petals, which symbolise spirituality and new starts. You can also add ribbons, fabric, lace, or other embellishments to match your wedding theme.

Tips:

• Be careful not to damage the flowers when securing them to the basket.
• Test your basket to ensure that the flowers are secure and won't fall out.
• If using glue to attach embellishments, allow sufficient drying time before handling the basket.

Adding fillers

Now that your basket is assembled and everything is securely attached, it’s time to decide what you want to fill it with. You can fill your flower girl's basket with fresh or silk rose petals, rice (white or coloured), mini pinecones (plain or painted), or tiny seashells if you're having a beach wedding.

It's important to check with your venue what is allowed during the ceremony, as some places prefer that nothing is thrown as the flower girl walks down the aisle to avoid a mess.

If you're looking for an alternative to a basket, you can have your flower girl carry a sign, a lantern, or even a trusty pet!

If you want to stick with a basket, you can also fill it with flowers to make it look like they're spilling out of the container. You can use real or silk flowers, and either miniature versions of your wedding flowers or a different variety altogether.

• Baby's breath
• Roses
• Limonium
• Plumosus Fern
• Garden Spray Roses
• White tulips
• Greenery

Remember to cut the stems to a short length so they fit neatly in the basket and don't fall out. You can also add a plastic bag at the bottom of the basket to prevent any water from dripping.

Frequently asked questions