How to Hand-Make Silk Wedding Flowers

Weddings are wonderful and elaborate events. They are the joining of two people but also two families. There are lots of ways to add a few personal touches to your wedding day. One thing you can do is make your own silk flowers for use in the bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres and arrangements. It's a fun way to do something different and save some money.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Silk fabric
• Floral wire
• Scissors
• Sewing machine or needle and thread
• Flat cotton stuffing
• Ribbon
• Floral tape
• Drawing paper

1. Look through magazine or online and find photos of flowers you like and that will coordinate with your wedding colors. Cut out or print out photos that show off the petals and their shape, size and thickness. Draw out the petals on a piece of paper. Try to draw each petal individually.

2. Cut out the petal design. Lay the silk out on a flat surface with the back side of the fabric up. Place the petal cutouts on the fabric and trace them with a pencil. Flip the cutout over and place them on a new section of fabric and trace them again. Cut out all these pieces. Put the matching back-to-back pieces together.

3. Stack the matching pieces with the back side of the fabric on the outside. Thread your sewing machine with a coordinating color of thread. Sew the edges of the doubled petal three quarters of the way around. Remove from the sewing machine. Carefully flip the the petal inside out so the front side of the fabric is showing. Stuff a thin layer of flat cotton in the hole and try to spread it out evenly. Then cut two pieces of wire slightly shorter than the length of the petal. Stuff these into the hole and push to the outer edges. This will give the petal more stability. Sew up the remaining opening. Repeat with all your petals.

4. Sew your petals of a single flower together with a needle and thread. Place a long piece of thick floral wire in the center to act as a stem. Use floral tape to secure if necessary. Make the rest of your flowers. For boutonnieres and corsages, use a short piece of wire for the stem or no wire at all, depending upon the type of flower.

5. Make a bouquet by grouping several stems together and wrapping floral tape around the wire stems. Wrap a wide ribbon around the stems to cover the wire and tape. Secure in place with hot glue. Make your centerpieces and other arrangements in a similar manner or by bunching the flowers and arranging them in a large vase or other container.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a wire cutter to cut the floral wire if scissors prove too difficult.
• Don't choose a shiny silk, as it will not look real.