Creating A Wedding Bouquet With Foam Flowers

Creating a wedding bouquet with foam flowers is a fun and creative way to add a personal touch to your special day. It can also be a cost-effective alternative to hiring a florist, allowing you to save money without compromising on the beauty of your bouquet. Here's a simple guide to making your own foam flower wedding bouquet:

First, you'll need to gather your materials. For this project, you'll require foam flowers, floral tape, wire, scissors or wire cutters, and any embellishments you want to add, such as ribbons or greenery. You can choose foam flowers in your desired colours and varieties to match your wedding theme.

Next, prepare your flowers by straightening their stems and removing any leaves or excess foliage from the lower parts of the stems. This will give your bouquet a neater appearance.

Now, it's time to design your bouquet! Start by inserting the flowers into the greenery, creating a globe-like shape. Place larger flowers towards the centre and smaller accent flowers around the edges to guide the eye and create visual interest. Experiment with different placements until you're happy with the arrangement.

Once you've assembled the main body of your bouquet, add depth and dimension by pulling certain flowers forward, especially your focal point flowers. This will make your bouquet look more natural and full.

Secure your bouquet by tying wire around the stems and trimming any excess with wire cutters. Ensure the stems are uniform in length, leaving enough space for a comfortable grip during your wedding while avoiding interference with your dress.

To protect your hands and give your bouquet a professional finish, encase the stems with floral tubing. This will hide any stray wires and keep the bouquet neat and organised.

Finally, conceal any remaining exposed stems near the base of the bouquet with green floral tape. This will ensure your bouquet stays in place and provides a comfortable grip throughout your wedding day.

You can further decorate your bouquet by adding ribbons, beads, or other embellishments. Get creative and make your bouquet truly yours!

Congratulations! You now have a beautiful, custom-made bridal bouquet that will be a cherished part of your wedding day and a lasting keepsake.

Soak the floral foam

Soaking the floral foam is the first step in creating a floral foam arrangement. This process gives the fresh flowers a water source, providing support for the blooms. To soak the floral foam, start by filling a clean container with enough water for the foam to be fully submerged. Then, gently place the floral foam on top of the water and let it sink naturally. Do not force the brick into the water. The foam will float initially and then slowly sink and hydrate as it absorbs water. It will take around 10-15 minutes for the foam to become fully submerged and change to a darker shade of green. Once the foam has turned dark green, it is ready to be used.

It is important to choose a container that is large enough to accommodate the entire piece of foam. If any corners or edges of the foam are left sticking out of the water, they will not absorb water properly. Additionally, avoid pushing the floral foam into the water, as this can create air pockets that prevent the foam from soaking through properly. This will cause the flowers to become prematurely dehydrated and die.

Prep your flowers and greenery

To prep your flowers and greenery, start by removing the flowers from the box and straightening their stems. Then, take your greenery spray and separate the branches so that the leaves radiate outwards from the centre. This will create a realistic effect.

Next, you will need to remove any thorns or excess foliage from the stems. You should also remove all the leaves from your floral stems and the bottom halves of your greenery stems. This will help to create a neat finish.

Now, cut the bottom of each stem at a 45-degree angle. As you work, keep the stems in a bucket of water to keep them fresh.

Finally, stand in front of a mirror and begin building the shape and framework of your bouquet, adding in the larger, focal flowers first, followed by smaller flowers and greenery.

Secure the foam and insert greenery

Now that your foam has soaked, it's time to secure it to your dish using waterproof floral tape. This will ensure that it stays in place while you work on the rest of your bouquet.

The next step is to create a framework for the shape of your bouquet. To do this, you'll want to use a broad-leafed greenery such as salal. Cut the stems at an angle and place them firmly into the foam about one inch deep, angling a few leaves downward around the base to cover the dish. Continue adding stems around the middle and top until you've formed the desired shape—in this case, a round shape. The broad-leafed greenery will also help fill in any bare spaces in the arrangement.

Once you have your framework in place, it's time to add in some accent greenery. Cut the stems at an angle and insert them in between the previous foliage. Continue adding stems until you've achieved the desired rounded shape. Using different varieties of greenery adds texture and colour while also providing a base for the flowers. Don't worry if the foam is still visible at this stage.

Add focal flowers

Now it's time to add the focal flowers. These are the blooms that will sit in the centre of your bouquet, so choose your favourites. Cut the stems to around 5 inches and trim them at an angle—this will help the flowers to absorb water from the foam more easily. Pierce the foam with the stems at an upward angle, with the bottom blooms facing downward and the top blooms facing upward. Position the remaining stems evenly around the arrangement. It's best to avoid removing and reinserting the stems, as this can create holes in the foam and cause it to dry out faster.

Position the remaining focal bloom stems evenly around the arrangement. For a more balanced look, place four stems around the base and three stems around the top. If you want to add more depth and dimension to your bouquet, pull certain flowers forward, particularly the focal point flowers. This will help to emphasise them and make the bouquet look more natural and full.

Tie and trim the stems

Now that you’re happy with your bouquet’s design, it’s time to tidy up the stems. First, take a piece of wire and wrap it around the stems to secure them in place. Then, use wire cutters to trim the excess wire and any floral stems that are longer than others. Make sure that you leave the stems long enough to hold comfortably, but not so long that they interfere with your wedding dress. When trimming, use the shortest stems in your bouquet as a guideline. If they’re still too long, you can always cut them down further.

Frequently asked questions