EVERLASTING BOUQUET
EVERLASTING BOUQUET - STEP BY STEP
A cornucopia of silhouettes, delicate colors and an expiration date that beats everything except the plastic pendant, which is also the less charming part - that's how we know everlasting bouquets, despite their steadily increasing popularity, are not necessarily easy to come by in the whole country. Don't despair, there is help to be had from several fronts and if you have the courage for a weekend project, you have a great opportunity to put your own personal touch on your bouquet. By the way, did we mention that the bouquets are quite budget-friendly - depending on how all-in you go, of course? Below you can see how we did it and what the end result was.
SPOILER:
If you are the impatient type, we have a useful trick at the bottom of the post.
THIS IS WHAT WE USED:
Plants / flowers / grasses
- Canary grass
- Pampas grass
- Baby's breath
- Valentine's grass
- Wheatgrass
- Daisies
- Poppy pods
- Drumsticks
We bought ours from our local florist and found the rest in a nearby field.
Other supplies
- Bleach
- Pasta dye
- Water
- Glass containers
- Twine for drying
- Gloves
THIS IS HOW WE DID IT:
00. The starting point
First and foremost, we dried our flowers and grasses - hang them upside down in the warmest room you have. If you are equipped with patience that is by no means something to brag about, you can also dry them in the oven - 75 degrees fan-assisted until they are dry.
When your entire arsenal of floral splendor is completely dry, you can either;
A. Use them as they are.
B. Bleach and/or dye them.
One does not exclude the other, some flowers can easily be beautiful on their own while others become almost enchanting with a little help.
01. Bleach them
Pour bleach into a container that is an appropriate size for what needs to be bleached - select your stems and stick them in the container. Make sure that everything that needs to be bleached is below the surface. Optionally secure them with tape to your container, so they don't just float back up out of the container. The longer you leave them to soak, the lighter they will become. Bleaching worked best in our case for relatively firm varieties - canary grass, Valentine's grass, wheatgrass, poppy pods and drumsticks. Pampas grass can be bleached using a spray bottle filled with bleach.
Also bleach any grasses you plan to dye - so the color will come out most clearly. Hang the stems that are not to be dyed to dry - remember that bleach bleaches, so make sure of a surface that will not be damaged.
02. Dye them
Mix your favorite pasta dyes with water in glass containers - the mixture should be fairly strong so that your dried and/or bleached stems have the opportunity to absorb some color. We used red and purple and let the stems soak for different periods of time. Some stood for half an hour, which gives a delicate pastel, some soaked for 12 hours, which gives a more intense color - depending on how strong your liquid is. Check on them along the way and assess when enough is enough.
03. Dry them
When you feel that the color is just right, it is time for another drying - hang them together with your bleached stems and let them dry well before you continue.
04. Bind them
The culmination of your test of patience - combine your stems exactly as you like; tall, short, wild or systematic! Put your everlasting bouquet in a vase and enjoy it for as long as you like!
TIP
If you just want a beautiful bouquet without spending either time or too much money, eBay is a true flower paradise - also when it comes to the dried kind. Here you can find both dried, bleached and dyed stems for practically no money - you may have to wait for the delivery, but it is well worth it. Below you get a few keywords:
- Bunny tail grass
- Valentine's grass
- Baby's breath
- Daisy
- Natural wheat
Feel free to add words like dried, colored, bleached, stalks, stem or a specific color and search for those that match what you are looking for.
