I’m super excited to show all of you how these turned out. You might remember me talking about making flowers out of fabric and trims for the wedding party…well they are finally done – and rather impressive if I do say so myself! Let’s start with the smaller projects – the groomsmen’s boutonnieres. I think these will really pop on their khaki suits!

groomsmen bouts

close up

The bridesmaids bouquets took a little more time because, well there are a lot more flowers in each one – nine to be exact! I tucked the tulle in between the flowers for texture. I think the blue tulle adds dimension. These too will pop as the girls are wearing navy taffeta dresses.

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Wedding flowers are insanely expensive.  But you knew that already.  I love flowers.  I love when CC brings home a bouquet of fresh flowers for me.  I love trying to grow flowers in our tiny front garden (I say try because my green thumb is not so green.).  However, I don’t love the idea of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on flowers for our wedding.  I know it’s our special day, but it is – Just. One. Day.

What’s a thrifty girl to do?

Well, let’s stop and take a look at my inspiration and the bouquets that I adore.

Lavender. I remember about ten years ago, my best friend Anne wore lavender all of the time.  She had lavender scented everything.  I, uh, hated it.  To me, it smelled like little old ladies.  In fact, I teased her all of the time because she smelled like little old ladies.  ~::Time Warp 8 Years Forward::~ I rediscovered lavender a couple years ago and, you guessed it, I love the smell!  I am now that person who has lavender hand soap in the loo, lavender laundry soap and dryer sheets, lavender hand lotion, lavender medicinal balm –  You name it, it is scented lavender in my home.  Naturally then, I gravitated towards lavender for an option as a bridal bouquet.

Source

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Hey buds! I wanted to share this DIY bouquet I found on Creature Comforts:

I love this bouquet! It’s simple and elegant, and super easy to do yourself!

These flowers are from Trader Joe’s (she bought 2 sets of daffodils for less than $4!). She tied them together with a rubber band, wrapped the stems in the yellow ribbon, and put an earring on it, to give it a bit of sparkle. All told, she spent less than $8.

I have found Trader Joe’s to be a great place to get flowers. Our local farmers market also has a great selection. Especially if you’re getting married in the spring or summer, most places will have an abundance of great flowers to choose from! And it’s always good to check out what flowers are in season during your wedding!

Make sure you keep in mind that making your own bouquets often takes a few extra hands (it can be a great job for bridesmaids) and you have to time it right to make sure the flowers are still fresh for the wedding.

It’s hard to beat some of the bouquets that I’ve seen florists put together, but for a bride on a budget (like me!) making your own bouquets is a great way to save hundreds of dollars in the long run.

What are your thoughts? Blossoms, did any of you make your own bouquets? How did it turn out?

This project is extremely simple and tons of fun. The total cost of supplies from Michaels was about $30 and I made it over three evenings of primetime tv viewing. I am only a beginner crafter and am certainly not a perfectionist, so feel free to use this as more of a suggestion that instructions.

You will need styrafoam to put the bouquet together.

Glue the two pieces together to create the bouquet structure.

Now, for the flowers. Choose various colors, sizes, and textures of ribbon in order to create a fun bouquet. Don’t be afraid of patterned ribbon. It may look crazy by itself, but when you mix it in with complementary or contrasting colors, it will fit right in. Each flower is made up of a button, thread, 36-38 inches of ribbon, and a felt circle about 1.5 inches in diameter.

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