How to Make a Boutonniere

Boutonniere's can be worn for all sorts of occasions! Traditionally they are worn by men for formal events (like weddings)... but who says the men get to have all the fun?! Boutonniere's are classy and should be worn as often as possible by men AND women! The fact of the matter is that they are super easy to make, and there's no reason not to wear them whenever you feel like it! All it takes is a few key ingredients and you're good to go!

Start off with your flower or greenery of choice (any old flower from the garden will do), some scissors, floral tape (which is super cheap at any craft store), and if you'd like, a little ribbon for a decorative touch.

Use your scissors and cut the stem of your flower a little shorter than three inches.

If you're feeling daring you can use two flowers at staggered heights to create a more full effect.

Add a little greenery... leafs, branches, berries, etc... just something nice to offset the floral element.

Use your floral tape and tightly wind it around the base of the flower bud. Wrap the tape around and around until it covers the entire stem. Floral tape is sticky and super easy to work with.

At this point you can tell how long you want your stem to be and trim it until it is a length that you like.

Next, take your ribbon, and leaving a tail, wrap the ribbon from top to bottom, just like you did with the floral tape.

Once you get to the bottom, wind the ribbon back up to the base of the buds so that you can tie a nice little bow with the tail that you left when you started the wrapping.

Now you have completed the boutonniere, and all that's left to do is pin it to the lapel of your jacket and walk out the door as stylish as ever!

Note: To all you DIY brides out there, I give you this warning... Boutonnieres only last about one day, so they should be made the day of your wedding (and refrigerated until ready to be worn). BUT PLEASE! As the bride, do NOT make your wedding party's boutonniere's the morning of your wedding!!!! That is your time to relax and enjoy getting ready to walk down the aisle... it is not the time to stress out about last minute projects. If you really don't want to spend the money on a florist doing it, then designate the task to someone else... but whatever you do... if I teach you nothing else, just walk away with this lesson... NO DAY-OF DIY PROJECTS!!!

With that said, I hope you all have learned something new and will help me by bringing boutonniere's back into day-to-day style!