Silk Wedding Flowers

For most newly engaged couples planning a wedding, a budget is of the utmost importance. Most couples find that the largest cost of their nuptials is the expense of a reception. Thus, many do what they can to cut costs in other areas so that they can afford a lavish reception. Enter the silk wedding flower. Wedding planners will tell prospective clients that much of the ceremony costs involve the expense of fresh flowers for decorating. This is because the betrothed are unaware that a flower that may be his or her favorite is not in season in the United States, and must fly them in from foreign countries and great expense. Here are a few things that one must look at to determine if silk flowers are appropriate for your big day.

Live vs. Silk - When To and When Not To Use

Substituting silk wedding flowers for live flowers is a possibility in many situations of the wedding setting. Sometimes the use of even the highest quality silk flower is not appropriate. Instances that silk wedding flowers are appropriate are for areas where the flowers compliment another center of focus, such as those that surround a pillar candle to decorate a table at the reception location. It is also appropriate to use silk flowers to decorate areas within the ceremony location that are not easily accessible by wedding guests, like those that may decorate columns, chuppahs, and arches where the happy couple stand during the vows. In addition, areas of high traffic, such as arrangements places on the ends of pews of a chapel, synagogue, or church are a good place for silk floral designs. Silk petals are appropriate for flowers girls to drop prior to the brides walk down the aisle. Silk wedding flowers are also good to use for the bride's "throw away" or "toss" bouquet. The catcher of the bouquet will probably want to keep it as a keepsake.
It is almost always never appropriate to use silk wedding flowers in the bouquet of the bride. This is one of the main focuses of the ceremony, and even the most expensive silk flowers do not compare to live flowers in this situation. For attendants, some flowers work better than others do, for bouquets or flowers that they carry. Silk flowers also should never be used anywhere close to open flames, such as where smaller candles are being used. They pose the risk of setting the area on fire.

Varieties and Quality Available in Silks

There are different levels of silk wedding flowers. The least expensive flowers do not look like real flowers, no matter what you may think. More expensive versions are most like the real thing, and still do not amount to the cost that one would pay for live flowers of the same type. You will usually find a low cost version, a medium cost, and an expensive version. Again, the ones purchased should depend upon the intended placement.

What Kind of Traditional Wedding Flowers Offer Silk Alternatives?

Most popular flowers are available in a silk wedding flower alternative. These flowers include:
Roses (buds, semi-opened, opened, spray)
Calla Lilies
Carnations
Tiger Lilies
Orchids
Gerbera Daisies
Hydrangeas
Delphiniums
Baby's Breath
Chrysanthemums
Tulips
Gardenias
Peonies

Which Silk Flowers Do Not Work for a Wedding Flower?

Of all the flowers that I have seen that just do not work for a weeding flower are some of the lower end Calla Lilies, Tulips, and Roses. All of these flowers are flowers that have large petals and thus the lack of detail allows one to spot the silks trying to pass as real. For the use of petals in most cases, this does not apply. The best idea is to use best judgment. If the buyer can look at it and question that it is real or not, do not buy it.

Also keep in mind that just because they make it in your favorite color, does not mean use it in the floral arrangements for your wedding. Such is the case of the blue Calla Lilies. These do not grow in the real world, so why use it in your arrangement.

Where to Purchase

There are many locations to purchase silk wedding flowers. Many craft, pottery, and hobby stores, such as Hobby Lobby (http://www.hobbylobby.com), Michaels (http://www.michaels.com), and Garden Ridge (http://www.gardenridge.com) sell a variety of silk floral.

By Yona Gold

Read More

How to Make Your Own Wedding Bouquet

Wedding Bouquets come in varying sizes and colors to fit any wedding ensemble and style. From the luxuriously hanging bouquets with tumbling rose buds, to the simple monochrome ivory sachet, you can’t go wrong with this accessory. The only decision you have to make is whether you want them to be real or silk. There are the obvious benefits to real flowers, but you can just as easily have a gorgeous bouquet without the hassle from the florist. Besides, if a bud falls off of a silk flower bouquet you can reattach it; on the other hand, real bouquets don’t come with this guarantee.

But you don’t need to be a ‘crafty’ person to pull this off. All you need to get a quick and easy wedding bouquet is an eye for beauty and some floral tape. Let’s start with the flowers.

Flowers

I don’t know about you, but finding the flowers you want is the most exciting part of it all. There are so many stunning choices of silk flowers that it is impossible to decide on colors unless you already have your wedding colors picked out. You can buy silk flowers that appear to be ‘dried’ and preserved, for a vintage look, or you can try for the just picked look. Whatever your style, it is best to pick out a variety of complementing colors and flowers. You will want to choose different sized flowers unless you want them all to be the same type. Either way, do a little research on what types of flowers you like best and then go to the craft store with those in mind. It doesn’t hurt to make some drawings or ask a sale’s representative for help on suitable arrangement ideas.

Although most people can figure out well-balanced color schemes, here are a few tips on how to make sure you have a winning showcase. Do you want it to be bold? Choose colors that highly contrast such as white and any other dark color. Purple and yellow, blue and yellow, or red and orange can be striking pairs also. But what if you want it to be more traditional? Choose only ivory or white roses and baby’s breath (small white flowers) for a very classic appearance. Monochrome ideas include washed out pinks or peaches, with a splash of green.

Greenery

And speaking of green, don’t forget the greenery! The most lifelike aspects of a silk arrangement are the accents of green. Onion grass is very inexpensive in its plastic form and gives a spray of long, thin grass to the back of any arrangement for vivid volume. You should either purchase some silk leaves or use the ones on the stems of the flowers, as you will cut most of them off. Baby’s breath or Ivy on long stems will breathe life into this decorative hand accessory and make it look professionally done.

Shape

Shape is arguably the most important aspect to consider BEFORE purchasing any flowers. By shape I’m referring to the overall silhouette of the arrangement. For example, most bouquets are shaped like the one pictured, with large central flowers in the front core and smaller, rounded flowers surrounding it, making an almost diamond shape. But the more modern bouquets are what are often referred to as ‘hanging bouquets,’ which are made in a circular contour and have some buds fashionably ‘falling’ down the front over where your hands will be. Any shape is easy to recreate. You just have to decide how big you want the bouquet and how much volume you want in front of you in the pictures. With the desired shape in mind, figure out whether you would like large central flowers (and what kind they are) or if you’d like a bouquet with all the same sized buds.

Assembly

Assembly is easy. Cut all extraneous silk leaves from each stem with wire cutters. You can leave the top ones intact, but the ones that cover most of the stem should be done away with. Then cut each stem to the length they need to be for all the stems to end up even on the handle portion. Next, wrap the stems securely with floral tape. The greenery is now added to the back and sides and secured with floral tape as well. The last step is to make sure the handle is the length you want it, and then wrap desired ribbon (maybe the same ribbon on your dress or veil) in a one way spiral the entire length of the bundled stems. You can secure the ribbon with a hot glue gun and let it set.

By Corrina Marquit-Phillips

Read More

How to Make a Silk Flower Arrangement

There are those that believe silk flowers are not kosher in creating a flower arrangement. It is not the silk flowers are bad, it is how the flower arrangement is made that give silk flowers the bum rap.

Many people who create flower arrangements with silk flowers use the bunches of silk flowers in their arrangements as they purchased them. That is where many people go wrong with silk floral arrangements.

There are more than just the flowers in live floral arrangements. Florists add greenery to their arrangements as well as other types of floral decorations. The addition of the extra leaves and floral decorations will give the floral arrangement character.

Starting Your Silk Floral Arrangement

You will want to start the process of your silk floral arrangements are choosing the silk flowers, Styrofoam holders, and containers. These three items will be the basis of your silk flower arrangement.

Silk Flower Choices

Silk flowers come in an array of colors, sizes, in bunches, and as singles. You will want to choose the colors that will fit into the color scheme of your home decor. You will then want to decide how much you will want to spend on the silk flowers.

You may want to use your favorite flower for the choice of silk flowers. Silk flowers come in as a wide variety of flower choices as they do in colors.

Silk flowers are cheaper by purchasing the bushes. Bushes of silk flowers come in groups of five to fifteen flowers per bunch or bush. The more flowers that are in the bushes the more expensive they will be.

Another thing to remember in the purchasing of silk flowers is that you will find silk flowers that have sprigs of flowers. You may want to consider adding a bush of the sprig flowers to your floral arrangement.

Container Choices for Silk Flowers

There are numerous styles of containers that you can purchase for your silk flower arrangement. There are baskets, decorative flower pots, and metal flower containers. But wait, you have a decorative container at home that sits there empty, you can use that for your silk flower arrangement.
Basically, any container that strikes your fancy and will go with the decor of the rooms where the silk floral arrangement will be placed will need to be a consideration in the purchasing process. After all, the floral container is going to play another factor in creating your floral arrangement.

Silk Flower Amount and Container Size

You will need to purchase enough silk flowers to fill the container so that it looks full and pretty, not skimpy and sad. This is another problem that many face, how many silk flowers are enough?

A small container, about four to six inches, will need only one silk flower bush. A medium container, six to ten inches, will need one to two silk bunches depending on the choice of silk flowers. Any container more than ten inches add one silk flower bunch per two inches. Basically, a container that is twelve to twenty inches will take three to five bunches of silk flowers.

The smaller the flowers in the silk flower bushes, the more you will need to make a nice looking floral arrangement.

Styrofoam Balls and Blocks

The shape and size of the container you have chosen, will decide which size and shape of Styrofoam you will need to purchase. The easiest way to do this is to have the container or have the exact dimensions of the container with you on the isle that the Styrofoam balls and blocks are located. You will be able to choose a piece of Styrofoam that is wide enough and tall enough for the container.

Greenery and Decorations

You can purchase an extra bunch or two of leaf greenery to add to your floral arrangement for depth and height. You can add taller leaves in the middle areas of the floral arrangement and around the bottom add smaller leaves.

You can add bows, butterflies, birds or any other type of decoration to your silk floral arrangement if this suits you. The extra embellishments are optional.

Other Items Needed

You will need a pair of wire cutters or pliers to cut the bushes of silk flowers apart.

Putting Your Silk Floral Arrangement Together

The following are the steps to put your flower arrangement together.
• You will want to cut the silk flower and greenery bushes apart as close to the bottom of the stems as you can. This will give the silk flowers a variety of lengths to use.
• You will place the piece of Styrofoam in the bottom of the container. It will be
• Place the taller cut silk flowers and greenery in the middle of the Styrofoam.
• Place the shorter silk flowers and greenery around the outer area of the Styrofoam.
• If you need to rearrange the flowers and greenery until you find an arrangement that suits you.

The reason that you place the Styrofoam in the container before arranging is that the Styrofoam will not fall over while you are decorating, and you will be able to see how the silk floral arrangement will look during creation. Also, cutting the silk flower bushes apart helps create the illusion of a live floral arrangement, as well as, the floral arrangement being created by a professional florist.

Silk Floral Arrangement Care

Silk floral arrangements require no watering or feeding to keep them alive and healthy. This will make it easier for the maintenance of you silk floral arrangement.

However, silk floral arrangements do become dusty over time. There are two ways that you can clean the silk flowers.

Cleaning Silk Flowers

You need to remove the silk flowers from the Styrofoam and run them under warm tap water. You can also use a mild dish soap in warm water. Some people have placed their silk flowers in a lingerie bag and ran them through the dishwasher. A damp wash cloth will also work in cleaning of the arrangements.

Another option to clean your silk flower arrangements is to use a lint roller over the flowers and greenery to remove any dust and dirt from the petals and leaves.

Purchasing Silk Floral Arrangement Items

You can purchase any of the silk floral arrangement items at WalMart, Hobby Lobby or any local craft shop. The prices of the items will vary from store to store and from state to state.

By Karen Barnes

Read More

Ikebana: The Japanese Art of Flower Arrangement

Ikebana is a Japanese art of flower arrangement; also known as kado- "the way of flowers". I learned about this art form while I was a college junior at Saint Louis University, Baguio City, Philippines. I was so much enthralled by the beauty of the flower arrangement displayed in one of the display windows of a flower studio close to the university. The studio was owned by an elderly woman who was married to a Japanese businessman. They owned a flower and antique shop specializing in Japanese potteries, prints, and other relics while selling potted bonsai and Ikebana flower arrangements. Their store was frequented by the affluent locals and their flower arrangements graced the lobbies of some of the popular hotels and restaurants in the city. My curiosity led me to go inside and investigate further. The old lady was nice enough to let me in and answered a lot of my questions. Since then, for two months after my chemistry class, I would go to her shop and watched her as she arranged flowers for customers. I particularly enjoyed learning the Ikebana flower arrangement from her. She allowed me to help her create the arrangements as I learned the art. She then presented me with a beautiful Ikebana which I gave to my paternal grandmother for her 80th birthday.

Ikebana's origin is said to date from the sixth century when Buddhist priests offered up flowers before Buddha. Ikebana arose from early Buddhist offerings and grew throughout the fifteenth century into an art form with many styles and schools all over Japan. The most popular styles are Sogetsu, Ohara, and Ikenobo.

Ikebana flower arrangement is simplistic by nature. Instead of using massive blooms which is the traditional way of arranging flowers, Ikebana uses only a small number of blooms. It uses the line and curves of twigs and leaves to highlight the arrangement. The balance of the composition is evident in the choice of plant, vase, and placement of the branches. What makes Ikebana different from the traditional flower arrangement is its use of empty spaces as a part of the composition which is dealt with creatively. The arrangement used symbolism representing ten or shin (heaven), chi or hikae (earth), and jin or soe (man).

SYMBOLISM:

Heaven: This is the longest stem which suggests the sun in heaven. This is the main line where branches and twigs are used. It is important to choose the branch which is the longest, most beautiful, and has the strongest curve.

Man: The symbol is a rectangle which is the medium stem. This suggests a man standing squarely on earth. This line follows the main line.

Earth: The symbol is a triangle and is the shortest stem. This suggests a mountain peak on earth. This line balances heaven and man.

The container used also plays a key element to the arrangement. Most vases have simple designs, one that doesn't compete with the beauty of the arrangement within. The choice of the vase has to be in harmony with the plant and other compositions. Ikebana can be roughly divided into two styles - the moribana (shallow vase style) and the nageire (tall vase style). Generally, these simple vases are filled with water then by adding twigs and/or branches, rocks, and flowers to the arrangement and adjusting the height of each element to achieve the variation of a scalene triangle.

The materials used for an Ikebana is restricted to two or three kinds, and not more than that. Branches and twigs are used as main lines while flowers are used as additional lines. The larger and darker blooms are positioned at the lowest part of the arrangement while the buds or smaller flowers with lighter shades are placed higher. Using scissors to cut the height of each element and by moving or repositioning each element helps in achieving a balanced look.

Ikebana is a beautiful, elegant, and simple way to decorate a home. This is a very good choice to decorate a clutter-free home, where less is always more. This is a true art form that you can enjoy as well as add balance and harmony to your design.

By Josienita Borlongan

Read More