How to Make Boutonnieres With Fresh Flowers

Overview

A boutonniere is a single flower worn on a man's suit jacket lapel. This is different from a corsage, which is a cluster of three or five flowers worn by on a woman's wrist or lapel. A boutonniere is created using fresh or silk flower blossoms bundled with a small amount of greens and baby's breath. Choose flowers that are the appropriate size and color for the occasion and coordinate with a ribbon bow placed below the blossom to hide the wrapped stems.

Step 1

Choose boutonniere flowers that are small to mid-sized. Roses and carnations with the bud starting to open are common boutonniere flowers.

Step 2

Cut the flower stem so it is 3 inches in length. Save the leaves that were cut from the stem.

Step 3

Create a flower bed by placing the leaves or greens on the bottom, followed by a small amount of baby's breath. Use leaves that were cut from the flower stem or a small section of green fern for the bottom layer.

Step 4

Place the flower on top of the bed. Make sure the greens and baby's breath do not extend more than 1/2 an inch past the sides of the flower and 1 inch past the top of the flower.

Step 5

Grasp all the stems and wrap them together with green floral tape. Start at the bottom and wrap the tape until it is a 1/2 inch below the flower base. Trim the bottom to the desired length.

Step 6

Use the ribbon to wire or tie a bow around the wrapped stems. Use one or two long corsage or boutonniere pins to attach the item to the recipient's lapel.