DIY: How to Preserve Your Wedding Bouquet

For your special day, there are many things you’ll want to preserve after your wedding. Your dress will be zip locked tight and stored safely, your vail folded neatly and tucked away, your "get away" dress to be hung and your shoes placed back into the box neatly.

So, why not preserve one wedding item that everyone can admire and enjoy, and that won’t be tucked away forever? That's where your bouquet comes in! There are many ways to preserve your flowers and have them last a lifetime. Let’s get started!

1. Christmas Ornament

This decoration is not only perfect for the holidays, but it allows you to decorate your Christmas tree with your bouquet! Here’s what you’ll need:

• Clear, glass ornaments (any size)
• Bouquet
• Ribbon
• Scissors

Time to create!

1. Take your ornament and carefully unscrew the top plug
2. Begin to fill your ornament with petals
3. Once finished, screw plug back onto the top of ornament
4. Take a cut piece of your ribbon and tie a loop through top plug.

This Christmas will be extra sweet with this decoration!

 

 2. Hanging Bouquet

One common bouquet preserving tactic is to dry your bouquet. This craft gives your home a shabby chic or vintage feel to you home – and it’s easy! Here’s what you’ll need:

• String
• Bouquet
• Scissors
• Nail and hammer (optional)

Next, the steps:

1. With your bouquet still intact, take a long piece of string and tie it around the grouped stems. Once
2. Once tied securely, hang your bouquet upside down carefully.
3. Either hammer a small nail into a wall or tie the string around a high object.
4. Let your flowers dry leaning against a wall and you’re done!

This is similar to pressing your flowers, but it is on display for all to see!

 3. Shadow Box

This sweet craft will be able to display your bouquet, as well as keep it safe for years to come. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Shadow box
• Bouquet
• Scissors

Time to box it all up!

1. Take your shadow box (purchased online or at your nearest craft store) and carefully open
2. With your bouquet, cut the stems off so you only have the head of each flower
3. Carefully place your flowers in the shadow box, flower facing up
4. Close your shadow box and voila!

Place your shadow box on your bed side table, on top of the fire mantel, near the front door or hung in your living room. Your Bouquet will be so cherished by all who enter your home.

 4. Message in a Bottle

Who can resist Sting? Did anyone break into The Police Message in Bottle yet? If not, be prepared to get that song stuck in your head... Here’s what you’ll need:

• Clear glass bottle with cork or sealable top (local craft store)
• Scissors
• Bouquet

"I'll send an SOS to the world, I hope that someone gets my..." *ahem*

1. Take your bouquet and trim off the stems to all flowers.
2. Either take the full head of the flowers or just the petals and begin to fill your bottle
3. If you saved your vows, you can gently roll them and place within the petals
4. Once full, seal the top

5. Floral Window

This craft will make your bouquet seem like a beautiful field of flowers growing right in your home! Here’s what you’ll need:

1. Large frame with glass on either side (found at local craft store)
2. Bouquet
3. Scissors
4. Take your flowers and either keep the stems or cut the stems off to just have the head of the flower
5. Open your frame, only removing one panel of glass, and begin to lay your flowers down in the arrangement of your liking.

• Once finished, gently place the other side of glass on top (this is similar to pressing your flowers in a book)

1. Close up frame and done!

This will look enchanting over your bed as a bed frame, in your living room or even your sunporch and it will bring so much happiness!