Creative Ways To Make Your Own Alternative Wedding Bouquet

Flowers are a common feature of weddings, but they're not for everyone. If you're looking for something a little different to carry down the aisle, there are plenty of alternative wedding bouquet options to choose from. From paper flowers to pine cones, and even swords, there's no need to stick to tradition. Alternative bouquets can be made from almost anything, including paper, wool, copper, buttons, brooches, and even flashing lightsabers or music boxes. So, if you're looking to add a unique twist to your wedding, read on for some inspiration!

Paper flowers

To make paper flowers, you will need heavyweight crepe paper, such as Italian Crepe Paper or Doublette Crepe Paper, in the colour of your choice for the petals, and green paper for the leaves and stalks. You will also need florists' wire, glue, and a template to cut out your petals, calyx, and leaves.

Using the template, cut out 15 large and five small petals, about five calyx, and two leaves. Make sure the grain of the crepe paper goes from top to bottom, as it needs to be able to stretch sideways. Stretch the petals outward from the middle to create a slight cup, then use a pencil to roll the top over. Repeat this process for the large and small petals.

To assemble the flower, start by putting a small amount of glue near the bottom of one of the small petals on the side that is cupped in. Attach this to the 18-gauge wire and hold it for a few seconds to ensure it sticks. Add more petals, gluing and attaching them slightly over the previous one, always in a circular motion, until you are happy with the fullness of the rose.

To finish the flower, add the calyx by applying glue to the bottom of each leaf and attaching it to the base of the rose, on top of the wire, with the leaves facing upwards. Move in a circle until the whole base is covered. For the stem, wrap a long piece of green crepe paper around the wire at a 45-degree angle, stretching as you go to ensure a clean wrap.

To make the leaves, wrap a piece of wire in green crepe paper, then add glue to one of the cut-out leaves and place the wire on top. Fold the leaf over onto itself, and when dry, open up and flatten. Attach the leaves to the flower, one higher than the other, and wrap the stem with green crepe paper, starting just below the petals.

Make as many flowers as you need for a full bouquet, usually around 12, and arrange them with ribbon or floral tape to create a beautiful, long-lasting paper wedding bouquet.

Fabric flowers

To make a fabric flower bouquet, you will need:

• Fabric (lightweight varieties such as broadcloth, peachskin, and satin work well)
• A rotary cutter or scissors
• Wooden dowels or sticks
• A lighter or candle (optional)
• Hot glue
• Twine

First, cut a strip of fabric that is about 2.5 inches wide and 24 inches long. Roll the fabric so that it is about 1.5 inches wide, then round off one of the ends with scissors to create petals. If you are using polyester fabric, you can heat the edges with a lighter or candle to melt the fabric slightly and create a puckered edge. This step is not necessary if you are using cotton fabric—simply leave the edges raw.

Next, select the straight stitch on your sewing machine and make the stitch length as long as possible. Sew down the length of the fabric about half an inch from the straight edge. Pull on one of the threads to gather the fabric. If you don't have a sewing machine, you can do this by hand using a running stitch.

Now it's time to assemble the bouquet. Put a dab of hot glue near the top of a wooden dowel or stick and attach the gathered end of the fabric. Wrap the fabric around the stick, securing it with hot glue as you go.

Finally, add twine to the stem by hot-gluing it to the base of the flower and wrapping it around until the bottom is covered. Continue gluing and wrapping the rest of the stick.

Repeat these steps to create more fabric flowers for your bouquet. You can customise your bouquet by using different colours or adding personal touches like antique brooches.

Brooch bouquets

Planning and Gathering Materials

First, decide on the size of your bouquet. For a more elegant look, opt for a smaller bouquet with carefully selected pieces. You will need around 50-60 pieces of jewellery, depending on the size. These can include brooches, earrings, rings, and watches. Try to collect vintage or antique pieces from charity shops, car boot sales, or family and friends. Look for items with sentimental value and an interesting history.

Preparing the Jewellery

Select the pieces you want to use, ensuring they fit together colour-wise and are not too delicate. Similar to creating a bouquet with real flowers, you will need to wrap wire around each piece of jewellery to create a stem. Use the brooch pin to wrap the wire tightly and securely. Cover the wire with tape to create a neat finish and prevent slipping when arranging the bouquet.

Creating the Bouquet

There are a few options for arranging your brooches. You can use a bouquet armature, which is a metal frame that will give your bouquet a rounded shape. Alternatively, you can wire up each brooch individually and arrange them as you would flowers. Choose a central brooch that matches the desired shape of your bouquet and build around it. This will give you a focal point and a guide to work with.

Finishing Touches

Wrapping the handle can be tricky. You can use bouquet wraps, ribbon, or fabric. Start at the top and criss-cross the ribbon down, then back up, taking your time to get a smooth finish. Secure it with pearl pins, a few stitches, or a hot glue gun. You can also add crystal beads or pearls for extra elegance.

Tips and Tricks

• You don't need to use floral foam, as brooches can fall out and it can be fiddly to cover the gaps.
• Opt for quality over quantity when choosing your brooches.
• Use sparkle sparingly for a more elegant look.
• Bigger isn't always better; smaller brooches are often easier to arrange and can create a more cohesive look.
• Leaf and feather brooches offer a lot of variety, while filigree or enamel flowers in different colours can add interest and texture.

Dried flowers

Choosing the Right Flowers:

Select flowers that are almost at full bloom with buds that are not yet fully open. Flowers with low moisture content, such as baby's breath, hydrangeas, celosia, chrysanthemums, rose buds, gomphrena, statice, and sunflowers, are easier to dry. If you want to dry flowers with high moisture content, like peonies or carnations, handle them with care as they are more fragile once dried.

Preparing the Flowers:

Remove excess foliage and greenery from the flowers you plan to dry. Trim the leaves and thorns, being careful not to touch the petals. Cut the stems to approximately the same length to ensure a balanced look for your bouquet. You can also make dry grass to include in your bouquet if you want to add some foliage.

Drying the Flowers:

Gather the flowers into small bunches, as larger bunches will take longer to dry. Each type of flower dries differently, so dry them separately. There are several methods to dry your flowers:

• Air-drying: Hang the flowers upside down in a cool, dark, and dry place for two to three weeks.
• Silica gel: Cover the flowers with silica gel and place them in an airtight container for one to seven days.
• Microwave: Combine silica gel with fresh flowers and microwave for two to five minutes.
• Hairspray: Once the flowers are dry, use hairspray, spray varnish, or flower fixative to preserve the petals.

Creating the Bouquet:

Start with larger dried flowers as the base of your bouquet. Choose preserved roses, dried hydrangeas, or dried sunflowers. Then, add smaller flowers like baby's breath and sprigs of dry grass to complement the larger blooms. You can also include dried flower confetti for a pop of colour. Use twine or ribbon to secure the stems together.

Displaying the Bouquet:

Hang your dried flower bouquet on the wall or place it in a glass vase. You can also scent the bouquet with a few drops of floral essential oils like jasmine or rose. Dried flower bouquets can last forever if properly cared for, so they make a wonderful keepsake from your wedding day.

Vegetables

Vegetable bouquets are a fun, playful, and colourful alternative to traditional flower bouquets. They are also a great way to add a unique and whimsical touch to your wedding.

When creating a vegetable bouquet, you can use a variety of vegetables such as asparagus, purple broccoli, and radishes, cabbage, kale, artichokes, and even fruits and flowers to add interest and texture. Consider the size and weight of the bouquet, as vegetable bouquets tend to be heavier than flower bouquets and may be difficult to hold for extended periods.

For a fall wedding, a combination of vegetables with autumn leaves and textured greenery can create a beautiful pop of colour. If you're looking for something more rustic or boho-chic, dried vegetables, such as baby's breath, paired with dried greenery and branches, can be a perfect choice and will last longer than fresh produce.

If you're feeling especially creative, you can even make a vegetable bouquet with a hanging design, providing gorgeous trails of vegetables to capture light and intrigue your guests.

Vegetable bouquets are not only visually appealing but also edible, making them a sustainable and unique choice for your wedding.

Frequently asked questions