Creating this stunning wedding accessory is easier than it looks. A professional florist shows you how
For the ultimate accessory for a wedding, music festival, or backyard garden party, not much can beat a whimsical flower crown. Rhiannon Smith, lead floral designer of Farmgirl Flowers, walked us through how to create these beauties at home and—trust us—it ’s far easier than it looks.
Rhiannon chose flowers in soft peach and berry tones for a summer color palette. The crown includes (from left to right):
To create a crown of your own, choose flowers with different forms, such as rosettes (e.g. rose) and sprays (e.g. heather), as well as textural elements (e.g. privet berries), to add interest to the finished crown. Also be sure to include sturdy foliage such as olive leaves to help provide structure.
You’ll need the following additional materials to construct the crown:
Assemble the crown base with a piece of grape vine wire. Cut the grape vine wire slightly shorter than the circumference of your head, make small loops at each end, and wrap the grape vine in place.
Next, secure the end of the grape vine frame with a piece of floral tape stretched taught to reveal its adhesive.
Cut your foliage in to small pieces about 2-3 inches long, removing all foliage from the bottom inch of each piece. Assemble small bundles with 3 or 4 branches of cleaned foliage. You will need approximately 15-20 bundles prepared before you assemble your crown.
To keep large flowers from breaking off once attached to the crown, prepare all of your flowers by wiring them. Rhiannon shared two ways to wire blooms. The first method, shown here, is best for flowers with sturdy stems (such as roses): Pierce the flower through the stem, twist to fasten, and secure with floral tape.
Rhiannon's second method for wiring blooms is reserved for flowers with more fragile blooms (such as anemone and ranuncula). Insert the wire into the top of the blossom, make a tiny shepherd's hook with the wire, and pull it back into the flower. Secure the wire in place by wrapping a taught piece of floral tape around the base of the flower.
Begin building your crown by attaching a foliage bundle on one end of the grape vine base and wrap it three times with floral paddle wire. Be sure to wrap at the bottom end of the bundle, where the foliage is removed so your crown doesn't become too bulky. Do not cut your paddle wire until you are completely finished with your crown.
Repeat the process by laying another bundle on top of the previously wired bundle. Lay all bundles in the same direction, evenly spaced for a seamless look. Continue adding a bundle and wiring around three times until you get about two-thirds of the way around the crown base.
Next, attach a cluster of flowers to act as the focal point of your crown. Rhiannon recommends building the focal flowers off-center for a more flattering look. To get a sense of where your focal flowers will be, place the unfinished crown on your head and take a look in the mirror. Add a few more bundles of foliage (or remove a couple) to have the focal flowers hit between your temple and above one of your ears.
Begin adding your wired flowers to the crown. Add smaller buds first, and then progressively bigger flowers for a seamless transition. After you've built your focal point with your biggest flowers, nestle a few more small flowers to transition back to the foliage.
Add a few more bundles of foliage before finishing your crown. When you get to the opposite end of your crown base, wrap the wire around 2 extra times for security and cut your paddle wire.
Cover the exposed piece of wire and stems with floral tape pulled taught for a clean finish.
Loop a piece of ribbon through the ends of the crown base. The ribbon allows the crown to be easily adjusted when tied snugly in place.
Feel free to make any adjustments to your crown such as gently bending the wired flowers or sneaking in additional buds. Mist lightly to keep the flowers fresh and keep in a cool place out of direct sunlight until ready to wear.