How to Wire Flowers for Wearable Floral Designs

Sometimes nothing will complete a look better than a well-chosen and well-placed fresh flower or several flowers arranged into a garland, corsage or boutonnière. It only takes a couple of minutes and a few pennies' worth of craft supplies to prepare a flower for wearing.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fresh flower on stem
• Florist wire
• Scissors
• Needle nose pliers
• Florist tape

Wiring Most Kinds of Flowers

1. Push a length of florist wire through the bottom of the flower and out the top as close to the center as possible. Don't cut the wire from the spool.

2. Bend the wire end over into a short, straight, narrow hook.

3. Pull the wire back through the flower, taking care to damage the bloom as little as possible, until the hook is almost completely concealed.

4. Lay the remaining florist wire alongside the stem. Cut the wire and the stem to a length of about a half inch for boutonnières or corsages and 2 to 3 inches for flowers that will be worn in your hair.

5. Use florist tape to wrap the wire and the stem together, starting at the top. Twirl the stem while pulling the tape taut so it wraps around the stem smoothly and evenly.

6. Cut the florist tape and press the end against the last row until it sticks together.

Wiring Roses

7. Pierce the calyx (the thick part between the petals and the stem) horizontally with florist wire and pull through a generous length.

8. Bend both sides of the wire down along the stem.

9. Wrap the 2 ends of first length of wire around the stem crossing the wire back and forth to give the stem plenty of support.

10. Tape the stem in the same manner as outlined in Section 1.

Tips & Warnings

• If the bloom is very heavy, you can pierce the calyx vertically with a second length of wire.
• Ensure that the flower you choose has a bloom that's firmly attached to the stem so it doesn't come apart when you pierce it with the florist wire.