Finally got a stubborn bridal bouquet to hold its shape after two full days of trying

It was for a wedding last Saturday, and the bride wanted a big, loose garden style with peonies and ranunculus. No matter what I did, the stems kept sliding and the whole thing would flop over. I must have redone the wiring and tape three times. Ended up watching a bunch of old flower school videos and found a trick with chicken wire inside the foam. Anyone else have a go-to method for those really soft stem flowers?

4 comments

4 Comments

betty_coleman25d ago

Hot take: Hair spray is genius. I did a wedding last month with the same issue, all ranunculus and sweet peas. The chicken wire trick works but you have to use the really fine gauge, not the standard hardware store stuff. I cut small squares and wrap them around the foam block before I put it in the holder. It acts like a cage. For super slippery stems, I also dip the ends in that green flower glue before I poke them in. It sets in like ten seconds.

oscar_gonzalez4525d ago

Yeah, hair spray is a solid quick fix. I do something similar but with that cheap extra-hold aerosol kind, not the pump spray. One light coat on the bottom few inches of the stem, let it get tacky for a second, then into the foam. It's like giving them a little grip sleeve.

caseywalker25d ago

I get the struggle with soft stems, but I've never had luck with chicken wire inside the foam. It always seems to cut the stems when I try to push them in. My go-to is actually just using a ton of clear hair spray on the stems right before I put them in the holder. It makes them sticky and rough so they grip the foam better. It's not a perfect fix, but it's saved me a few times when the ranunculus just won't stay put.

craig.piper7d ago

Wait, you dip the stems in flower glue BEFORE putting them in the foam? That's wild to me. I always thought that stuff was just for sealing the end of a stem after you cut it. The idea of it making a sticky grip makes sense, but doesn't it gunk up the foam block? I'd be so worried it would just make a weird, hard plug in the hole.