How to Make a Wedding Basket for a Flower Girl
In a traditional wedding, the flower girl walks down the aisle ahead of the bride as the wedding ceremony begins. She holds a basket full of real or silk flower petals in one hand and scatters them in front of her with the other. It is an important and cherished ritual. Making your own basket is easy and fun, and the task can be completed in an afternoon.
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Things You'll Need
- 10-inch round paper-mache box
- White acrylic paint
- Paintbrush
- White poster board
- ¾-inch fiber packing tape
- Heavy duty stapler
- ¾-yard silk fabric
- ½ yard thick silk cord
- 1-inch silk ribbon
- ½-yard strung artificial pearls
- 1 yard scalloped lace and pearl trim, 3 inches wide
- Glue gun and glue sticks
- Silk flowers
- Two 14-inch lengths of organza ribbon
- Sewing scissors
Instructions
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1
Choose the colors of the silk yardage, silk cord, silk ribbon, silk flowers and scalloped lace to match the bridal colors --- or plain white will do.
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2
Paint the round box white with acrylic paint, unless it came in white. Let dry for one hour. Place the box near the corner of the silk yardage and lightly trace a circle on the fabric with a pencil. Put glue dots around the bottom of the box on the inside and press down the circle of silk to line the bottom of the box. If want more cushioning on the bottom, substitute quilted fabric.
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3
Place the round box near the center of the silk fabric with a weight inside to keep it from moving. From eight points around the box, measure the height of the box, add 3 inches and mark with a pencil.
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4
Cut out the circle of silk, and cover the box with it. Draw in the fabric from all sides and fold the extra 3 inches over the rim of the box. Use a glue gun to attach the silk on the inside, gathering it softly or making pleats.
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5
Cut a 20-inch by 1-inch strip of white poster board for the handle of the basket. Reinforce it on one side with strip of ¾-inch fiber packing tape, folding an additional 1 inch over each end to strengthen. Place these ends on the inside of the rim, on opposite sides of the basket, and staple twice on each side to secure. You'll conceal the staples later.
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6
Wind one-inch silk ribbon around the poster board handle, applying dots of glue on the inside of the handle as you wind. Embellish by winding silk cord and a strand of artificial pearls around the handle, and anchor by tying the ends together on the inner side and securing with glue.
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Glue scalloped lace and pearl trim around the edge of the outer rim of the basket. This will decorate the outer surface of the basket and conceal the staples at the bases of the handle. Tie a bow with two lengths of organza ribbon to the bases of the basket handle and let the ends trail about 6 inches on either side of the basket.
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8
Cut stems of silk flowers to approximately 1 inch. Insert a few into the wound ribbon and cord on the handle and secure with glue. Attach other flowers with glue around the top edges of the scalloped lace.
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9
Fill the basket with real or silk rose petals, and your basket is complete.
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Tips & Warnings
For a less expensive basket, you can substitute satin fabric and trim.
Vary the size of the basket and the length of the handle according to the size of the child. Make sure she can reach easily into the basket to grab a handful of petals.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit wedding flowers image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
