Easiest Wedding Boutonniere Ever

Welcome to the Flower School.com video library. I'm Leanne Kesler, Director of the Floral Design Institute, and today I'm here to share with you a fresh approach to the boutonniere. With wedding season creeping up on us, actually fast approaching, we're all looking for new, wonderful ways to make a boutonniere that's quick and easy. Today I want to share with you the latest mechanics for an updated boutonniere, gives you a lot of style, a lot of fun, and it's fast and easy. 

These boutonnieres do not rely upon the traditional wire and tape. Instead, we look at the new things that are available to us. The fabulous flat wire comes available in different colors. Aluminum wire, also many, many colors. Bullion wire, all the things we love. The decorate wires are so fabulous. Then, Oasis Floral Adhesive, the cold glue that works so fabulously on fresh flowers. Lastly, U-Glu comes in strips and dashes. I'll be working with the strips today. 

The base of the boutonniere, the mechanic is just a small piece of aluminum wire in the one-inch, cutting it down so you just have a nice rectangle. Then using one half, don't need the whole strip, one half of a U-Glu strip, pull off the back and adhere it directly to but leave that connected. Then when you complete the boutonniere, it's as simple as pulling that tab off and sticking it directly onto the clothing. It works fabulously. Trust me, it will support and stay put. 

For the flowers, anything that's lightweight and a flat face works best. You don't want to do a full size rose, but an orchid, a dendrobium, miniature cymbidium, or these fabulous micro gerberas. Just a nice, wonderful bloom, tiny, tiny size. Then textural items, can be acamella, it can be just even a bit from the green trick dianthus, maybe a variety of leaves. This is the green version of the money plant before it turns ivory. Put a little bit of the glue directly onto the tab so I just add glue, and then let it sit because the glue will bond better after it starts to dry. 

Again on the back of the flower a little bit of glue, and then let that set. It gets a little bit bubbly when it's ready and if you put it too quickly, what happens it just slimes around and gets messy so you want to let it start to dry. The textural items can get glued in. Gluing and blowing to get it to dry a little faster. Setting it in place, and with the glue to the glue, it gives you a wonderful bond. A leaf ... you can see I'm creating a base and I continue to add the materials, saving my flower for last because I want that to be right on top. Adding in a little more texture, maybe another leaf or two. 

I'm covering over the silver so the silver strictly is a mechanical aid. It's not going to add any color to this although you could leave it exposed if that was what you desired. One last leaf here and then coming back with the flower and placing it on. 

You could stop there for a very organic look, or if you want to add a little bling, create spirals with the aluminum wire and glue those in place, or for a little bit of sparkle, add a jewel. Again, just glue it into place, or a fine little bauble made out of bullion wire. Just pull off a few feet, say about a foot and a half I guess, and then wad it up and then rolling it like you're playing with Play-Doh to turn it into a bauble and then just a small amount of glue, and tuck it in place to add a little bit of bling that's nice and subtle but has such wonderful texture and draws attention to the bloom. 

Using this technique, it's so easy. When you get to the wedding, simply pull the tab off the back and then adhere it directly to the clothing. It will stay perfectly well throughout the entire event. With today's new mechanics, it's so fun being a florist. We have so many options available to us. 

Now for you, you have more options as well. For more creative inspiration, check out our website, Flower School.com. The website contains hundreds of floral design how-to videos, floral design classes, online floral classes and DIY Flowers. 

You've got questions? You can reach us through the site or pick up the telephone and give us a call at 503-223-8089. Of course, I'd love to see what you create. You can send it my personal email, Leanne@FloralDesignInstitute.com or post it on social media and tag Floral Design Institute so we all can see. Now it's your turn. Have fun and do something you love.