Today marks the Summer Solstice, the official start to summer, and the longest day of the year for those living in the Northern hemisphere. In Northern Europe, the Summer Solstice or Midsummer was historically celebrated with huge festivals and one accessory in particular often adorned the heads of many celebrants -  the flower crown. Many believed weaving flowers into crowns was a way to harness nature's magic and guarantee good health throughout the year. Today, flower crowns have made a major comeback, especially at festivals, weddings and even for everyday wear. Stylings of mixed materials such as greeneries, baby’s breath, and spray roses are a beautiful way to wear flowers in your hair. These head adornments can come with a hefty price tag from your local florist mostly because of the cost of labor. But if you want to achieve flower crown bliss without the retail cost, it's as easy as following the below steps to create a fun, stylized version of the bohemian flower crown.

Step 1: Gather your Materials

To make a flower crown you will need a short list of materials that can be found at any craft store. The fresh flowers you'll need can be procured from the local florist, farmers market, or from most grocers. 

• 1 Yard of 1/2” satin ribbon in any color
• A piece of 22 gauge florists wire approximately 15” long
• A roll of corsage tape
• A couple of stems of greenery - Eucalyptus is a solid choice
• A couple of stems of filler flowers, such as Baby’s Breath or Wax Flower
• A couple of stems of spray Roses

Step 2: Preparation 

After you have gathered all of the materials, everything will need a bit of prep-work before you begin to put it together. Florists have used corsage tape for many years mostly in the construction of boutonnieres and corsages, but it's useful for plenty of other things as well. You will find that as you start to unravel it to wrap a surface, it will become tacky and stick to itself as you pull it taught. This is super handy and will work perfectly as the main construction component of the flower crown. Beginning at one end of the wire, start by wrapping it with the corsage tape. As you simultaneously pull the tape taught, squeeze it as it makes contact with the wire. This action will cause the tape to adhere to itself. Do this for the length of the wire so it is completely covered. The next step requires cutting the floral materials into small pieces. Greens, filler flowers, and spray roses can all be cut down into smaller, individual sprigs, each about 2” in length.

Gather two or three of these little sprigs together to make a tiny bouquet, and then using the corsage tape, tape the bottom of the bundle in the same fashion that you just taped the wire. You'll need around 12 to 15 little bouquets for your crown.

Step 3: Composition

After you have prepped the wire and all of the little flower bundles, it's time to put the crown together. Starting at one end of the wire, attach a little bouquet by binding it to the wire with additional corsage tape. Remember to pull the tape taught as you use it so that it holds firmly. Repeat this step down the length of the wire, overlapping the mini bouquets only slightly. When finished, you should have a little bit of room at both ends of the wire where you will tie on the ribbon. Cut the piece of ribbon in half, and using one of the halves at each end of the wire, tie a knot in the center of the ribbon around the end of the wire creating two streamers on each end. These will be used to tie the crown onto your head. From here, simply bend the wire to the curve of your head and your flower crown is ready to wear!

Using simple materials available from the craft store and a few stems of floral material, it is easy to create your own flower crown. These crowns are fun to wear for special occasions, photo shoots, and even a fun night out on the town. If you want to save your flower crown for another day or two, put it into a food storage bag and keep it in the refrigerator. Have fun and enjoy creating your flower crown masterpiece!

Derek

Owner, Floral Underground