Weddingbee Blog

I know, it’s been a while since I posted anything to this series, but I’ve been busy with many a project and haven’t gotten around to anything other than garden roses.

When we last left off, I showed you how to make your own fabric version of garden roses, but I failed to show you how to attach those pretties to a wire “stem” for use in a bouquet. Can you guess where this tutorial is going?

Yup, I am going to show you my new method of attaching the stems to the flowers. A new method? Yes, I tried something else initially, but came up with an easier, time-saving option.

Part II - Attaching the “Stems”

Supplies used:

• Craft felt
• Scissors
• Cloth coated floral wire (purchased at Michaels in the floral section)
• Glue gun (with low setting)
• Glue sticks
• Round nose pliers, wire cutter (I used my 4-in-1 pliers that do both

Step 1: Cut out 2 felt circles for the base of each flower. Make sure to cut to a size that is big enough to support your flower, but small enough so it will be hidden from above. (The bigger the flower, the bigger the base circle you will need.) For roses that were about 2″-2.5″ in diameter I used a base that was between 1″-1.5″ in diameter.

Step 2: Prep your wire. I used one full-length stem (18″) for each flower (select a wire that has a thick enough gauge to support your flower). To prep the wire use your round nose pliers to begin a spiraling, circular shape. Continue to spiral until the diameter is slightly smaller than that of the felt circles.

Once the spiral is sized, you will need to pull the opposite straight-end of the wire through the center of the spiral to create a sturdy frame for your base.

Step 3: Create your base by attaching both layers of felt. Using one of the felt circles, cut a small hole at the center of the circle and feed the end of the stem through.

Use the glue gun at a low setting and cover the wire frame with a layer of glue.

Next, attach the second felt circle and press together, sandwiching the wire frame in between. As you press the two together you can mold the base into a slightly cupped shape by pushing the center of the spiral down.

Step 4: Once your “cupped” base is formed and cooled, adhere it to the flower. Using the glue gun, place a good amount of glue (do not overdo it or you will have yucky spill over) at the center of the “cup” base.

Quickly press the base of the flower into the glued “cup” and hold firmly until it’s cool. Remove any excess glue and fill any unglued areas with small drops of glue.

And, voila! You have yourself a “stemmed” flower, ready to be used in a bouquet of your liking.