Is there anything that says “Summer, come at me!” more than a flower crown? I think not, says Beci Orpin. Flower crowns have also been a mainstay in music-festival fashion for the past few years, but you can make a flower crown for any reason or any season.
We have gone for a crazy, over the-top crown here, using a fairly simple collection of flowers, but with maximum volume potential. I’d say this floral beauty is more suited to an afternoon tea party rather than bouncing around at a festival, but it’s up to you. And I’m pretty sure Frida Kahlo (the queen of all flower-crown wearers) would approve, too.
YOU WILL NEED
- Florist wire or thin wire
- Wire snips
- A variety of flowers and foliage: choose different shapes, textures and colours but make sure they complement each other (I used gyp/baby’s breath, sedum and pink hypericum berries)
- Scissors
- Floristry tape
- Washi tape, preferably green (optional)
Wrap the wire around the desired position on your head. Once the wire is the correct width and shape, loop it another two or three times around your head.
Cut with wire snips and fasten the end by wrapping it around the wire loop a few times.
TIP: It can take a while to get used to using floristry tape. It is not adhesive, but binds through stretching, winding and the heat from fingers, which makes it mould together. It can be fiddly, so do a few practice bunches before proceeding with the final ones.
Wrap the tape around four bunches to start with.
Sort the flowers into small groups and cut the stems into manageable lengths.
Start to wrap the stems of each small flower bunch with the floristry tape.
Add two bunches to the left side of the wire, spacing them about 2cm apart and facing the flowers to the front.
Secure the bunches to the wire by wrapping floristry and washi tape around the wire and bunch ends. Repeat, adding two bunches to the right side.
TIP: Try the crown on as you go. It can look completely different when it’s on your head from how it looks on a flat surface.
When the crown is finished, I like to add a final layer of green washi tape over the ends of the bunches to keep everything securely in place. You might also like to wrap the washi tape around the wire crown, to give it more structure. If you aren’t wearing the crown straight away, store it in the fridge or a cool place.
Make a few more bunches and add them to the wire. Add as many bunches as you like, until you are happy with how the crown is looking.
NOTE: Think about how long the flowers you are using will last. Choose flowers that are hardy and do well without water (as all my choices do). If not, make the crown as close to wearing time as possible.
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Edited extract from Sunshine Spaces: Naturally Beautiful Projects to Make for Your Home and Outdoor Space by Beci Orpin, Hardie Grant Books.
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First published in Issue 50 of JUNO. Accurate at the time this issue went to print.
