How to Make Floral Bands for Hat and - Williamsburg Marketplace

Decorating TipsHow to Make Floral Bands for Hats and HairSupplies and materials needed: coat hanger wire or similarheavy wire, wire cutters, needle nose pliers, green floraltape, #28 gauge spool wire, clippers, ribbon (optional),and conditioned plant materials.A garden wedding is the perfect occasion for flowergarlandedstraw hats or wreaths of flowers for the brideand her attendants.Bend a piece of heavy wire into a circle or oval so that itwill fit loosely around the brim of the hat or the head ofthe wearer. Cut the wire, allowing extra wire for a loop at each end, and interlock the 2 loops as shown.Wrap the wire with green floral tape. Select flowers that will stay fresh out of water for several hours.There are 2 ways to prepare the bunches before they are wired onto the frame.(1) Wrap the stems of tinyinterlock loopsbunches of fresh flowers andcoat hanger wirefoliage about 2 1/2 incheslong with green floral tape.The floral tape will help thestems stay moist longer.Using a process similar tomaking a full-size wreath,floral tapestrawflowertaped buncheswired to frameattach the end of the spoolwire to the wire frame.purple staticeLeave the wire attached tothe spool. Hold a bunch ofboxwoodchive blossomflowers on the frame andwrap the spool wire aroundfairy rosethe ends and the frameseveral times. Hold anotherglobe amaranthblue salviaCecile Brunner roseAlexandrian laurelwww.WilliamsburgMarketplace.com

Decorating TipsHow to Make Floral Bands for Hat and HairPage 2bunch of flowers to cover the wired ends ofthe previous bunch and attach this bunch bywrapping the spool wire around the ends andframe several times.Continue to wire the bunches to the frameuntil it is completely covered. The last bunchshould be wired underneath the blooms ofthe first bunch. Cut the spool wire and wrapthe end securely around the frame. Be sure tokeep the size of the bunches and the distancebetween them uniform. Mist the band, put itin a plastic bag, and keep it in the refrigeratoruntil needed. The band may be made the daybefore the wedding.(2) For very fragile flowers, the floral bunchescan be made the day before the wedding.Wire the small bunches of flowers andfoliage. Place the bunches in a shallowcontainer of water, mist, and keep themcovered with plastic in the refrigerator. Whenyou are ready to attach the bunches to thewire frame, blot the stems and secure to theframe with green floral tape. Place the flowerband over the crown of the hat and attach itto the front and back with a small piece ofspool wire. Attach ribbon streamers to thewire loops if desired.A small nosegay of fresh flowers and foliage – goldenrod, chrysanthemums,miniature roses, and Alexandrian laurel – is secured to the back of a fineMilan straw hat.This article was taken from Susan Hight Rountree’s book Entertaining Ideas from Williamsburg.www.WilliamsburgMarketplace.com