How to Use Wire in a Wedding Floral Arrangement

Your floral arrangment can be one of the highlights of your wedding reception, a presentation that can set a tone for the entire event. How you highlight those beautiful flowers will determine whether the arrangement is memorable or merely backdrop.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wire
• Weight
• Vase
• Flowers

1. Choose a weight to pull the flowers down into the vase. Use any heavy object, such as a rock, a piece of glass or a crystal.

2. Measure your wire. Since you'll be twisting the wire, it should be at least twice the height of your vase. Wrap one end of the wire securely around the weight from Step 1.

3. Hold a pencil against the weight and wrap the wire tightly around it four or five times. When you pull out the pencil, you should have a curlicue. Cut off the green stem of your favorite flower and poke the wire in the center so that it comes out through the throat. Push the flower all the way down to the curly-cue.

4. Repeat the process until you have wired all the flowers. The number of flowers depends on the size of the vase. You'll have a beautiful flower arrangement once you put the wired flowers inside the vase.

5. Make a boutonnière by inserting wire through the bottom of the flower without cutting it from the spool. Once it comes out through the top, bend the wire and form a narrow hook. Carefully, pull the wire back through the flower so that it comes out through the bottom of the flower.

6. Cut the stem and the wire to approximately 1 inch in length. Wrap florist tape around the stem and the wire together. Start at the top and pull the tape while you twirl the stem. It should cover the stem and wire evenly and smoothly. Cut the tape and press against the stem so that it sticks.

7. Use one flower individually as a boutonnière or combine a couple of flowers by taping the stems together.