Here comes the bride

Wedding post! 

Since my wedding crafts take up so much of my time I think it is only fair to share all of my makes with you. Today I am going to share a labour of love which is probably my favourite and most special make so far....my bouquet! As I am a craft obsessed person a button bouquet was a must for me and I love the idea of being able to keep such a special part of our big day. 

Buttons

When I first suggested to my mum that I was going to make a button bouquet she looked at me as if I had gone stark raving mad. I decided the only way to prove to her I wasn't insane was to make a bouquet even she would be proud of. So I started collecting buttons! I found some great Boofle buttons in The Range which were the perfect colour....a mix of ivory and creams in all different shapes and sizes.

Wire- gauge?

Then for the wire- this bit was tricky as I didn't fully understand the gauge measurements and the fact that the larger the gauge number the thinner the wire! I visited Country Baskets (Astley, Manchester) which stocks all kinds of floristry goods. It took me a while to find the right thickness of wire since it needs to be thin enough to mould but thick enough that it will stand up with the weight of the buttons, as a flower stem would. 

Get making!

I then set to work making around 100 stems with different combinations of buttons. I also visited lots of markets and haberdashery stalls where I found some beautiful vintage and unusual buttons to add into my bouquet. I was so excited and eager to put all the stems together! I have seen other button bouquets which have just button stems but I used a silk flower posy to work around with my stems. This was perfect since you can tape the stems to the handle as you go along. 

Finishing touches

Once I had finished inserting all the stems I wrapped the base of the bouquet with lace to hide the green stems. I then wrapped the handle with ivory ribbon and secured with pearl headed pins. I am really pleased with my first button bouquet and it has inspired me to make more!

What is really special about button bouquets is that you can work family jewellery or bits and bobs which mean something to you. For example, I used one of my grandma's rings and also some earrings which my other half had bought me many years ago. Another great addition would be brooches which you can pick up quite cheaply from places like Primark etc to add a bit of sparkle.

I will be back soon with more wedding craft ideas!
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