Help with my button bouquet pls!

Hi - are you using dry foam and glueing them in? If you can flash some piccies, I'll try and help.

Im not very technical so have no idea how to upload photos from my camera. However, im using a dy foam ball, that I bought from hobbycraft:

I am threading my buttons and brooches onto floral wire and literally inserting them into the foam. Im worried that when its done it will be too heavy, especially the underneath. Im planning on attaching a couquet holder like this:

Does this make sense? I dont know if im doing it right, but nothing im doing works and all of the dry foam holders are quite small to use for a bridal boquet. I didnt think i could use glue, i just thought it would disintergrate!

Sorry for the really daft question, but Ive spent hours so far gathering buttons and bouquets and I dont want the effect to look naff! x

Firstly, I've never attempted to make a button bouquet as it's not really my field but I do know about foam and wires etc! Basically, from what you've mentioned, it sounds as if you need a larger bouquet holder. I would use 7cm Dry Foam Wedding Belle by Oasis for large shower bouquets which, in theory, should be big enough for your button bouquet. If your buttons are quite heavy for the foam, then sounds like you need thicker gauge wires such as .9's. The wires need to be inserted roughly half to an inch into the foam with a dab of hot glue on the end which secures it in. An extra safe way to make sure the wires don't come out is to make a small hook on the end but this needs careful placing as once the hook is inside the foam, if you pull it out, it will pull chunks of foam out with it!

I think using a sphere is making it hard for yourself to be honest because you won't have a handle unless your going to push the wire all the way through the foam which could make it disintegrate as you say. Hope this helps a little bit but hopefully I Heart Buttons will see this post or other Brides who have made their own button bouquets so they can share the way they did it with you but don't despair - we're here to help!

Hi, I would probably wire up the buttons and brooches using a long wire rather than using foam, that way you create a handle to ribbon at the same time also I would worry the foam wouldn't hold the weight and quantity of stems. Use a thick gauge wire thread the buttons/brooches and twist the wire around itself to create strong individual stems with buttons on the end, you can then gather them to form a bouquet shape, and use floral tape to bind the stems together, then ribbon the stem and add a bow to create a neat finish. Appologies if its a bit confusing but let me know if your unsure and i'll be happy to help.

Sarah x

I agree with this idea! have you read this how-to page? http://offbeatbride.com/2010/05/diy-button-bead-bouquet

I am making a brooch/button bouquet for one of my brides. Use a long heavier gauged wire and tape the wires. It is a lot of work but you will get there.

Do you have picture of what you want to achieve?

Chitra

Yes, wire them up if you can I wired mine together. Still a Work in Progress but I found it holds the best this way. Once I am done arranging and completely satisfied I am going to glue gun the stem before wrapping ribbon around the handle as far up as i can

Wow, look great.

Thanks! :o) really pleased with it so far

ooo another thing flowersbychitra mentioned tape. I brought some white insulating tape and ill be wrapping that around the stem before i ribbon up, because those wires are so spiky lol

I suggest using florist tape. It is green and will camouflage better.

Thank you so much for the replies and advice. Think Im just going to ditch the foam idea and use wire to wrap around.

I think what threw me was the fact that I wanted to achieve a sphere shape alomost, kinda similar to this:

Can I still achieve this by wrapping wire around? Is it just a case of faffing and playing with it until I get the right shape? Sorry for all the daft questions!! x

Mine is a half sphere the hole way around. I literally made it up of small round bouquets wired together, all arranged,spread neatly and equally and then all of those mini bouquets put together and wired to secure Thats the easiest way i found to do it as I was getting cramp from holding so many stems tightly

What thickness wire have you used? x

26gauge sugar craft wire, my wire is white to camouflage with my bouquet. i have got a couple of finer silver wires to as i want some pearls and crystals to 'sprout' out of the bouquet

Thank you for the help! I should have shares in hobbeycraft the amount of time I spend in there!

Thank you ALL once again for your help, advice and ideas! Where would I be without you all? (6ft buried under buttons no doubt haha!) xx