Flower magazine’s Jessica Cohen shows how to make a boutonniere with succulents and shares tips along with step-by-step instructions. “My inspiration for this boutonniere is succulents, I absolutely love this trendy plant. While my husband and I were dating, he would surprise me with a new succulent, usually an odd shape or one I had not seen before. They come in many different shapes, sizes and colors. Since there are so many varieties, you are bound to find a favorite. Because they are able to retain water, succulents hold up well for boutonnieres.”
Succulents are a great choice for boutonnieres because the hold up well. Many flowers can wilt if not properly conditioned before being placed in a boutonniere. Other flowers just can’t hold up for several hours without water. Most succulents don’t have this problem and add interesting textures and colors to boutonnieres.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Making a Boutonniere
Materials
- Succulent plant (or cutting)
- Green hypericum berries
- Seeded eucalyptus
- Olive green ribbon or jute twine
- Corsage tape – ½ inch green
- Floral Wire – 22 gauge
- Cutters
- Scissors
Jessica’s Key Takeaways from the Video
1| Create a new stem for the succulent using wire and corsage tape.
2| Remember that most corsage tape only sticks to itself if pulled and stretched.
3| Consider fragrance even when you aren’t using flowers. Fragrance can come from foliage. Jessica uses seeded eucalyptus because it will last and has a wonderful smell.
4| Cover your mechanics with ribbon or jute twine to give the boutonniere a more finished look and better material for pinning than the wire and stems.
5| You can make your succulent boutonniere 3-5 days in advance. Just mist with water, place in a plastic container and store in the refrigerator.
By Jessica Cohen