Make a Baby Shower Corsage

Honor the mother-to-be by making a beautiful baby shower corsage for her to wear during her baby shower. You can choose either fresh or silk flowers or you can make a bouquet out of baby socks. After you make the bouquet and add both greenery and ribbon, you can then fashion the arrangement into either a lapel corsage or a wrist corsage.

Steps

Making a Floral Bouquet

1. Choose flowers that match the shower color scheme. Alternatively, you can choose white flowers so that the corsage remains neutral. The design can be used to create either a lapel or a wrist corsage after the greenery and ribbon are attached.
2. Decide whether you want fresh or silk flowers. If you choose fresh flowers, then be sure to make the corsage within 24 hours of the shower. A silk flower corsage can be made well in advance.
   • If you want fresh flowers, check and see what blooms are in season in your area. Blooms that are in season are easier to find and are often much more affordable.
3. Choose an odd number of blooms for your bouquet. You can choose one large bloom, three medium blooms, or five small blooms.
4. Choose the same blooms or complementary blooms. For instance, choose daisies in one color or a variety of different colored daisies.. Leave about a 3” (8 cm) stem on each bloom.
5. Apply florist wire to the stem. Poke florist’s wire into the base of the blooms. Then, wrap the wire loosely around the length of the stems. For a 3” (8 cm) stem, your wire should go around about seven to nine times.
   • Cut the wire. Wrap the wired stem with florist’s tape. Florist wire can be difficult to cut through, so use proper wire cutters for safety.
6. Wrap florist tape around the wire. This will protect the blooms and hide the wire.
7. Bend the wrapped stems. You want to bend them at a 90° angle right at the base of the flower. The flower should face forward instead of upward.
8. Arrange the blooms in a cluster.Twist the wire together to connect the flowers and secure the twisted wire with florist’s tape.
   • When twisting the wire, pinch and twist the wire together to make it as compact (not bumpy) as possible.

Making a Baby Sock Bouquet

1. Choose 3 pairs of baby socks. You will use 5 of the 6 socks from the pairs to make the blooms for the corsage.
   • Be sure to save the 6th sock so that the mother-to-be can use all 3 pairs for her baby.
   • This design will also be suitable for either a lapel or a wrist corsage after the greenery and ribbon are attached.
2. Roll each sock into a rosebud. Start at the base, or toe, of the sock and roll inward.
3. Wrap florist’s wire around the center of the rosebud. Hold the blooms in one hand and grab the five wires directly below the blooms with the other hand. Twist the five wires together until you reach the ends. Leave about 3” (8 cm) of wire trailing from the sock. Cut off the remaining wire.
4. Pull gently on the top of the rosebud to loosen the “petals.” This will make the baby sock blooms look fuller.
5. Bend the wire at a 90° angle right against the sock fabric. The blooms will now be facing forward, not upward.
6. Arrange the blooms. Twist the florist’s wire together to hold them in place.
7. Wrap the twisted wire in florist’s tape for added security.
   • This will also minimize the sharpness of the wire which could tear the sock or be uncomfortable to wear.

Adding Greenery and Attaching the Bouquet

1. Choose any kind of greenery that you desire to add to either the floral or the baby sock bouquet. Popular choices include lily leaves and fern leaves.
2. Choose three to five pieces of greenery, depending on width of the leaves. Choose five pieces of narrower greenery and three pieces of wide leaves.
3. Tape florist’s wire to the backs of the leaves. Leave 3” (8 cm) of wire below the leaves and trim off the rest.
4. Hold the leaves in one hand or place them on a work surface. Keeping the bases of the leaves together, fan out the tops to make a fan-shaped design.
5. Twist the wires holding the stems together. You will want to twist the wires as if you were braiding them.
   • First, twist the right wire underneath the middle one.
   • Then, twist the left wire under the middle one.
   • Repeat this step until the wires are twisted together in a fan shape. These wires should hold together on its own.
6. Cover the twisted wires in florist’s tape. This will avoid annoying pokes or damage.
7. Attach the bouquet to the greenery. The blooms should fill the center of the greenery with only the tops of the greenery visible behind the blooms.
8. Twist the wires together to hold the blooms and greenery together. You want to make sure the wires are twisted together tightly to avoid damage.
9. Wrap florist tape around the wire. The twisted wire should be secure in the tape.

Adding a Layered Ribbon

1. Choose a ribbon. You can either use a single ribbon in a color that complements the blooms or a sheer ribbon. Or, you can place a sheer ribbon on top of your colored ribbon and tie them together simultaneously.
2. Create a loop of ribbon. It should be about 1/2” to 1” (1-2.5 cm) wider than the diameter of your blossom cluster.
3. Create a loop. It should be the same size and be above your original loop.
4. Continue to form the ribbon into loops. You want four to five loops of a uniform size.
5. Pinch the center of the loops together. Secure the centers with florist’s wire. Leave about 2” (5 cm) of florist’s wire to attach the ribbon to the rest of the corsage.
6. Fan out the loops. This will create the traditional bow look.
7. Tuck the ribbon behind the blooms. The center of the ribbon should be placed at the point where the blooms and the greenery are taped together.
8. Twist the wire around the ribbon’s bottom joint and flowers. This holds the blooms and greenery together.
9. Wrap the connection in florist’s tape. This will hold your corsage together.
10. Trim the ends of the ribbon. Leave a bit of ribbon dangling beneath the blooms. Cut the ribbon at an angle or cut a notch into the ribbon to complete the corsage.

Attaching the Corsage to a Lapel

1. Choose a straight pin that has a pearl or other decorative top for best appearance.
2. Hold the corsage against the lapel (such as that on a blazer or jacket) of the mother-to-be’s shirt. If her shirt has no lapel, then place the corsage between her shoulder seam and her collar.
3. Pull the lapel upward or pull the shirt fabric forward. This will ensure that you don’t stick the pin into the mother-to-be’s skin.
4. Push a straight pin into the mother’s shirt or lapel just above the corsage.
   • The pin should be angled 45° to the right of the top of the corsage.
   • If you’re visualizing a clock face, then place the pin at about 1:30.
   • The pin should go into the fabric and then out of the fabric, catching a small piece of fabric as you push it through.
5. Push the pin through the tape-wrapped connection of the greenery, ribbon, and blooms. Be sure the pin goes through the entire corsage.
6. Push the pin into the wearer’s shirt or lapel just below the corsage. Again, let the pin go in and out of the fabric so that the sharp end of the pin is on top of the fabric.
7. Tug gently. This should ensure the stem of the corsage to be secured to the wearer’s lapel or shirt.

Creating a Wrist Corsage

1. Choose an appropriate wristband. Use a white or other neutral color of elastic wristband that is covered in gathered fabric or ribbon.
   • You can either purchase a pre-made wristband or make your own using elastic that is covered with gathered fabric. If you make your own, then cut the elastic the length of the circumference of the wearer’s wrist. Stitch the ends together, making sure that they overlap slightly for maximum comfort and the best appearance.
2. Find the seam of the wristband. Wrapping your bouquet around the wristband seam will hide the seam.
3. Coil the stems. Tie the bouquet around the seam so that the bouquet is firmly attached.
4. Place a dab of hot glue on the seam of the wristband using a hot glue gun. This will help to hold the bouquet in place.
   • You may want to hold the flowers into place while dabbing the hot glue so that you know exactly where the glue should go and avoid burns.
   • Do not hot glue the flowers when the corsage is on a wrist! This can cause burns!
5. Trim the ends. Make sure the stem is trimmed as needed so that the wire doesn’t poke into the wearer’s wrist.
6. Slip the elastic wristband and corsage over the wearer’s hand. It should rest securely around her wrist. It should be loose enough to be comfortable but tight enough to not fall off.

Tips

• If you make a fresh flower bouquet, then be sure to refrigerate the corsage to keep it fresh. Wrap any protruding stems in a damp paper towel to keep them moist.
• If your bouquet needs additional filler, tuck fresh or silk baby’s breath between and behind the blooms.
• You can also make a simple bow with your ribbon and tuck the bow behind the blooms. Wrap wire around the center of the bow and secure the wire to the blooms, wrapping the connection in florist’s tape.
• You can quickly hot glue blossoms and greenery together, tie them with floral wire, and then tie the wire around the wrist of the mother-to-be for a quick wrist corsage. A corsage like this is easy to make quickly but will not be as sturdy as one wrapped with floral tape.

Warnings

• Ask the mother if she is allergic to pollen. If so, then use silk flowers or baby socks instead of fresh flowers to prevent discomfort.
• Always be careful with sharp and hot objects such as florist wire, wire cutters, and hot glue.

Things You'll Need

• Fresh or silk blooms
• Florist’s wire
• Florist’s tape
• Baby socks
• Greenery
• Ribbon
• Straight pin
• Elastic wristband
• Glue sticks
• Hot glue gun

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Sources and Citations

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