MOH-Ho's Centerpiece Mini Mockup

I've had this centerpiece idea in mind for awhile, but I couldn't get MOH-Ho to picture it right to save my life! Last night we finally got together and did a small version mockup (the real one will have 5 vases instead of 3). We spent some quality time bringing my vision to life:


The purple circles invites I made for MOH-Ho's wedding was my original inspiration for these. I wanted to keep to the color palette and echo the circles theme. My expectations for these were similar to that for my own centerpieces - affordable, not wasteful, easy to set up, unique, incorporate florals... plus the added top criteria of making MOH-Ho happy. I'm glad to report a check on each of these :)

Here's how it was done:

1. Gather Supplies:

• various sizes metal cans and small glass jars right out of the recycling bin (labels removed and thoroughly cleaned of course)
  
• all the same stuff from my thread LED tealight cover project, except for the thread and tealight
  
• yarn
  

2. Read my post on the thread LED tealight cover because the instructions are basically the same, replacing the tealight with the can, and yarn with the thread. Wrap the can with some sort of thick paper or thin cardboard (look for something to recycle, like my used manila envelop here) and tape the end to make a cylinder.
3. Wrap cylinder with a plastic liner (here I used a flattened shipping air pillow)
4. Wrap yarn around the cylinder loosely and pull can out of the cylinder. Make sure the yarn coverage goes beyond the height of the can.
5. Saturate yarn with fabric stiffener of your choice.
6. Dry the yarn according to the instructions given on the stiffener's bottle. Mine calls for the microwave.
7. Once dried, remove the paper/cardboard and plastic wrap (like in the other project). Then pull the yarn cylinder over the can.
8. Put a fun texture item of complimentary color in the glass jar which will become the base. Seal tightly with lid, smother top of cap with glue, then glue to bottom of the yarn covered can.
9. Let dry, and you've got yourself a funky little vase!

10. Repeat steps above with cans and jars of different shapes and sizes, along with similar color yarn of various shades. Compliment with other fun textured filler in the jars (here are Sugar in the Raw, dried split pea, and coffee beans).

You can fill the set of vases with different flowers of the same color...
... or fill them all with the same stems!

The real centerpiece will have a total of 5 vases, using 2 additional shades of purple yarn along with 2 other texture base (rice and breadcrumbs). We'll also use 5 different white filler flowers. I've said before that single bloom arrangements has great advantages, and the simplicity and cost savings works out perfectly with this centerpiece!

There will be a table number display to complete the centerpiece, but that's a project all on its own. The chosen texture bases actually share a significance in the couple's relationship, but I'll have to save that for the table number post. So... more to come!

DIY Boutonnieres

(Groom's bout I made to go with this bouquet,

Image by my brother)

Though it pains me that I can't arrange all the fresh flowers I'd like for my own wedding, I fully appreciate the benefit of having the floral items done ahead of time. I'm not a big lover of silk flowers so I picked mostly textured/miscellaneous elements over imitation floral. The following is a guide to make a simple boutonnière:

Supplies:

• Floral stems
• Floral tape
• Wire cutter
• Floral wire (optional)
• Coordinating ribbon (optional)

1. Pull/cut a few small stems out and arrange to your liking. Once you decide on how it should look, begin forming the boutonnière by taping two of the main stems together with floral tape, then adding the other stems one or two at a time and secure with floral tape.

2. Optional: make ribbon stem by making multiple loops with the ribbon of your choice, then secure with wire at the bottom where the loops meet. Make sure the wire is tight (when in doubt, add a small dab of hot glue). The size and # of loops needed depends on the look you're going for and the ribbon you're using. Skinnier ribbons can usually use more loops and wider ones need less. 3. Optional: back the mini bouquet with an appropriate sized green (which you can buy or pull from the stems you bought). Though this is not required, often this helps give the boutonnière a more finished look, and provides a flatter surface for ease of pinning (plus less confusion for user when trying to figure out which side is the back). Add ribbon stem and leaf stem with floral tape.4. Back view looks something like this when everything is taped on. Now you can cut the stems where it's appropriate (judge by looking at the front). If the cut creates an ugly end, fix with additional floral tape. If you'd like, curl the thin end around a small rod to give you curlies (see next picture, and I apologize for the ugly example!). Additional notes:

1. Floral tape is not that sticky, simply stretch and pull to adhere. If you've never worked with it before, it may take some getting used to.
2. It may be quite tempting to try and tape everything together at step #2. More often then not, the stems move or the whole thing falls apart. Remember these are worn by people when in use, you want to make sure things stay where you want them!
3. I use basically the same method when working with fresh flowers. With fresh flowers the stems are often thicker so you have to manage that better to not create a super bulky stub. Also fresh flowers don't twist, bend, take abuse quite like silk flowers. I highly recommend doing some test trials if you want to DIY your fresh floral boutonnière.

And, here are the final products for my own wedding (black tags are for ID purposes only, and I highly recommend you label them clearly so no one gets confused!):

Officiant's
(I may incorporate those fuzzy ball things in my bouquet and the groom's bout along with fresh florals)

Grandma and Parents'
(they aren't this blingy, it's just the flash...)
Best Man & Groomsmen's
(minor difference with curled wire on bottom and different leaf for the best man)

I know they look a tad Christmas-y, but it's rough to get around that with my colors of red and gold, plus my preference for non-floral stems. I think they won't stand out to be as holiday-esq at the wedding since they will match everything else. If you're making bouts, try to think ahead to what they will be set against before designing them. While these will be great against black tuxes, I should have designed the moms' differently since theirs will be lost on the red dresses.

Before making these, I had fantastic ideas that were a little too different for those who would have to wear them. Since our wedding is already weird by their standards, I dropped those ideas (like using funky feathers, or making bouts out of suckers... etc.)

Now, who else is subbing their wedding florals with alternatives? What are your unexpected elements? I'd love to live vicariously through you!

DIY Topiary

Topiaries are very classic pieces, and they are not as intimidating to DIY as they look! Here are pics (courtesy of my brilliant brother) of one that I made using left over scrap flowers from a wedding:

(Click on image to enlarge)

Anyway, as promised, here are instructions to a very basic topiary:

Materials

1. Pot (here I'm using a 6" terra cotta)

2. Plastic grocery bag

3. Disposable chopstick or sturdy and relatively straight tree branch

4. Plaster (available at your local hardware store)

5. Disposable container, stir stick, gloves, and water for mixing plaster

6. Wet floral foam

7. Floral moss

8. Floral Tape

9. Ribbon, wire, pins

1. Get your pot2. Line pot with a plastic bag

3. Mix plaster per instructions on box

4. Pour plaster in lined pot leaving 1.5" to 2" space from the rim

(see brother GT hard at work here in my hot garage)5. Place chopstick or branch in the middle, make sure it's straight

(approx. 1" in plaster)

(I also painted the chopstick brown so it'd blend in better)

6. Let plaster dry (per instructions on box, I leave it overnight to be safe)

7. Trim grocery bag

8. Cut floral foam to fit the pot to the brim

9. Water the foam thoroughly

10. Cover foam with moss

11. Peel back moss in the middle to give room for arrangement

12. Cut flowers to desired height and stick each stem in foam surrounding the stick

13. Tape together the stems at desired height with floral tape

(make sure you're taping where the stick still reach for max support)

14. If you want, you can make a floral bow to add to the arrangement.

15. Cover floral tape with ribbon and pin the ends

16. Arrange more flowers on the bottom and add bow as desired

Viola!

(and keep the foam wet to maximize the life of the arrangement!)

Power of a Single Flower

For those of you considering DIY wedding florals, you'll find that there's often savings in buying less variety of blooms in bulk. Single stem arrangements done right can give off a very classy vibe. This weekend I bought some roses and made several arrangements using red roses as the only fresh stems.

Here is the centerpiece I wish I could make for my wedding (the Sac town outdoors heat would not be nice to these red pretties for my wedding, not to mention the glass pot would fog up big time for sure):

Here's a 10 minute job (so please excuse the crappiness) I did on a mockup bridal bouqet I'm considering, the fuss balls are silk stems I am using for the boutonnieres to be blogged about later:

Here is an oober easy funky tall vase arrangement:

Next up, instructions on how to DIY this basic topiary:

Amateurs!

Cheap Tip #17: Let experience pay you!

Whatcha think of these flowers? How about the photography? Not too shabby for FREE, right?

It's true, amateurs/hobbists like us (me the florist, my brother the photographer for pictured samples above) are not especially easy to find. Because they don't advertise, you must sniff them out. Because they don't do this for money (or they do it for little money and mostly love), you must be very flexible and respectful of their art. Because they lack experience, you must do much research to make sure one with high potential is chosen.

Here's how:

1. Dig around Craigslist. There's about 0.2% of gold,0.7% silver, 2.6% aluminum on CL, and the rest is pure crap. If you're a good miner, with a bit of luck, you just may find something usable. Also consider putting up 'wanted' listings on CL, you never know who may be stumbling by. Hobbyists like me, browse a little for gigs when in the mood.

2. Get the scoop from those around you with common goals. Participate on boards/forums pertaining to your interest and inquire about the sources of their great finds. If a knottie's bio include DIY projects you love which you're incapable of doing yourself, ask if she's interested in doing it for you for a small fee.

3. Find out about services provided by schools in your area. Students in programs like cosmotology, photography, graphic design, hospitality management, music... all are potential wedding vendors for a fraction of the price from professionals.

4. Get referrals from the experts. Love the work of a specific vendor you can't afford? Contact them and tell them your budget, they may have apprentices or others they have worked with to refer you to.

Keys to success: Time, Patience, Flexibility