You’re snipping and gluing and the wreath is coming along just fine. Everything is just peachy until you decide to add those perfect flowers that are the focal point of the wreath and critical to the overall effect. The flowers are gorgeous but the stems are too fragile to insert into the wreath base!
You proceed with the determination and caution of a true crafter. But alas, with each attempt you only add insult to injury until all that’s left is a flower head and a stem that looks like a pretzel.
That’s just one of the many memorable scenarios that I’ve encountered. Others include fresh flower heads that droop, stems that are too short and some with no stem at all. While this may seem like an unfixable dilemma, I assure you, it’s not. One of the advantages of working with flowers is if there’s a problem, more than likely, there’s a way to fix it.
Just as you keep basic first aid items in your medicine cabinet, there are several items a flower crafter needs to have at their disposal at all times. These include a good pair of florist’s scissors or wire cutters, a spool of heavy/medium gauge wire, floral tape and floral picks.
GETTING WIRED – This is an easy process and it works very well for those really delicate stems and droopy flower heads. Lets start with “fortifying” existing stems. These are stems that are relatively strong but could use additional support. First, cut a length of wire that is double the length of the stem. Starting at the top of the stem, wrap the wire around several times just to make it secure. Be careful not to tighten it to a point you snip off the flower! Once it’s secure, continue wrapping the wire all the way down the stem. There should be excess wire left once you reach the bottom of the stem. That’s okay. Next, wrap the wire, from top to bottom, with the floral tape. Snip off any excess wire or tape.
The next group is the really delicate flowers that tend to have an equally delicate stem. For this type of situation, trim the existing stem to between 1 to 2 inches. Place a piece of wire (heavy gauge) alongside the stem and wrap them together using floral tape. Voila, your delicate bud is ready to use.
