DIY Flower Crown

In the late ’90s, while still in high school, I was a bridesmaid in my first wedding. The wedding was in a garden in Southern California and all the bridesmaid wore long straight ivory dresses with floral crowns. That was the last time I wore a floral crown until just a few months ago, we had a little party in the design*sponge offices andNicolette Camille brought floral crowns for us to play with. I had so much fun that I decided it wouldn’t be wedding month, if we didn’t post a floral crown DIY. I asked Jennie Love of  Love ‘n Fresh Flowers, a small, organically-managed, urban flower farm and design studio located in Philadelphia, to show us how.  Jennie just taught a floral crown workshop at her farm in Philadelphia and she said that floral crowns can be simply sweet or dramatically romantic, depending on the blooms and other elements used. And while they take time and need to be done just before the wedding, they really are not that difficult to make.  -Amy

All flowers used in this tutorial were grown by Love ‘n Fresh Flowers.  Photography byBrooke Courtney.

Materials Needed

• Heavy “grapevine” wire (available at most craft stores)
• Sharp scissors
• Floral tape
• Floral wire (22 gauge or similar)
• Floral glue (optional)
• Lots of flowers (used in this tutorial were feverfew, poppy  and nigella pods, eryngium, lavender, viburnum berries, and garden roses)
• Ribbon
• A small bottle or vase of water to hold snipped blooms while you work

See the full how-to after the jump!

Step 1: Make a loop of grapevine wire that fits your head at the spot you want the crown to sit.  Cut wire about two inches longer than this fitted loop.  Fold the ends of the wire over and hook them together.  If you need to adjust the size of the finished crown, just use these hooks to make it bigger or smaller.

Step 2: Snip off the blooms you want to use so they have about a 3 inch stem.  Remove all foliage from the stems.  Large-headed blooms (like garden roses and dahlias) will need to be wired so they don’t snap off.  Thread a small piece of floral wire up the “butt” of the bloom so that it comes out the center at the top.  Fold the top of the wire over so it creates a tiny hook.  Gently pull the wire back down towards the stem so the hook disappears into the bloom.  Use floral tape to secure the wire to the flower stem.

Step 3: Make lots of little bundles of flowers, mixing and matching elements as you like. Wrap tightly with floral tape, leaving about a three inch tail of tape on each bundle.  Snip off any excess stem from the bottom of each bundle.

Step 4: When you have several bundles made, begin attaching them to the grapevine wire loop.  Place the first bundle so that the flowers lay just over the top of one of the hooks. Use the tail of tape to secure the flower bundle to the wire, making sure it’s snug.

Step 5: Add your next bundle, laying the flowers over the taped stems of the first bundle so that the stems no longer show. Continue adding in this fashion, layering on your bundles, working in the same direction around the loop.

Step 6: At the “front” of your crown, you may wish to add more or bigger blooms.  This is a good spot for the flouncy garden roses.  If desired, you can use the floral glue to adhere extra blooms on top of your taped bundles.

Step 7: Finish adding flowers to the crown all the way around.  Leave an open space for a ribbon loop if desired.  Or, alternatively, you may glue a flower into the last spot so there is no empty space.

Step 8: Wear immediately or store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to wear.  Floral sealants, such as Crowning Glory, are available to help prevent wilting.  It’s important to remember though that flowers in a crown are going to wilt no matter what after a few hours of wear. That’s part of their charm: the beauty of fresh flowers is fleeting and should be truly savored in the moment.