Welcome Back!
This is part two of Wonder & Wild’s three part series, how to create your own dried flower arrangements, and this week I will be guiding you in creating a dried flower crown.
As the days are getting longer, slightly warmer and brighter, it felt like the perfect time to offer you some inspiration in getting creative and crafting your own dried flower arrangements. As you are aware, I have all the equipment you need in our DIY Kits via sownandwild.co.uk, but this is here as a little extra guidance for you.
The skills you will learn from this blog can be applied to all types of floral crowns, for example, for a fresh, dried or artificial one. At this time of year, during early Spring, not many flowers have bloomed yet, so dried flowers offer that chance to practice your creativity before everything is in full bloom.
The guidance below focuses on dried flower crowns, and so the difference with a fresh crown is that they won’t last as long. Dried flower crowns can be made way in advance, for example, weeks before your wedding or event, but if you are using fresh flowers, you will want to create this just days before.
Don’t forget to enjoy creating your very own masterpiece, the beauty of these blogs and our DIY Kits is that you can make them in your own time, at own pace so enjoy it.
What you will need –
- A selection of dried flowers and foliage,
- Crown base,
- Floristry tape,
- Ribbon,
- Scissors and glue gun, if you have one.
Before you get to the fun bit of creating your dried flower crowns, or any floral crown, you need to decide on a crown base. Our DIY Dried Flower Crown Kit include a handmade wired based crown frame, of which you can purchase or make yourself. Or you can use the easier option of an Alice band.
To make a wired based crown frame, firstly you need to measure the crown of your head. Simply measure from the top of one ear, over the top of your head to the top of the other ear – of which usually ranges between 32-36cm. Once you have your measurement, add 2cms to each side, so if your crown is 34cm then add 4cm to this, which makes your personal measurement 38cm. Using floristry wire, you need to measure your crown length with a ruler and each end of the wire, needs to have a mini hoop, this will be where the ribbon threads through to secure the dried flower crown to your head.
I usually double up on the wire so that the base is strong, and you finish the wire base by wrapping floristry tape around the wire. I love to use white floristry tape, as I think it looks more aesthetically pleasing but there are all shades to choose from.
Now you have your crown base, onto the fun part. If you are using one of our DIY Kits, your flowers will be ready to use, but if you are using your own flowers and foliage, then you need to condition the stems. This means to prune off any unwanted leaves and cut the stems to the approximate size of 2 inches – this is what you use to attach the flowers to the crown base.
Starting approximately 1cm from the end of the crown base, by the mini hoop or at the end of the Alice band, you can start to secure each stem to the crown base by wrapping the stem around the base and securing it with floristry tape. Do not cut the tape until the end of the crown, the tape is sticky and needs to be pulled firmly when securing the stems.
Cluster and overlap the flowers and foliage for a full crown, this will avoid any gaps. Don’t worry too much about the shape of the crown, if using a wired base frame, as this can be manipulated at the end into a circular shape. Working from one end of the crown to the other, and finishing the other side with approximately 1cm to spare, cut the floristry tape and for extra security, you can use glue gun to secure the tape yet equally, the tape is sticky so should stay if pulled and pressed firmly.
If you have, and choose to use a glue gun, you can fill any gaps on the crown with flowers to finish this off and finally thread the ribbon through the hoops to secure your head. And it is as simple as that, the more you try this, the easier it will become. To start with you will very much feel like it can be a little fiddly, but once you’ve finished your dried flower crown, it will be worth it. You can then wear with pride to all of your events and special occasions, and await all the compliments that will come your way.
Next time at Wonder & Wild, part three of this series will guide you in making a dried flower bouquet. Don’t forget to tag @sown_and_wild in all your lovely creations.