Creating an artificial wedding corsage or buttonhole

No matter how big or small, all flower arrangements in a wedding are important – and boutonnieres are no exception! In this blog, we share our top tips for styling artificial wedding buttonholes and corsages, how to make a buttonhole with artificial flowers, and more!

Table of contents

• How to make a wedding buttonhole or corsage step-by-step video
• What you'll need
• Step-by-step guide with expert tips & tricks
• DIY do's & don'ts
• What are wedding corsages & buttonholes?
• Are corsage flowers real or fake?
• Is it worth it to do your own wedding flowers?

How to make a corsage or buttonhole using artificial flowers

What you'll need:

• Faux flowers
• Wire cutters
• A hot glue gun & sticks
• Cable ties
• Decorative ribbon, rope or twine

Step-by-step guide

1. Trim excess flower stem length
2. Experiment building your corsage or buttonhole arrangement
3. Secure the stems of your arrangement together
4. Trim the base of the stems
5. Cover any gaps
6. Wrap the stems in ribbon or twine

Step 1: Trim excess flower stem length

Using a pair of wire cutters, begin trimming the lengths of the artificial stems, removing any parts of the stems you don't wish to include in your buttonhole or corsage. We recommend cutting at the base join of the flower so there is still some stem left.

Step 2: Experiment building your corsage or buttonhole arrangement

Gather all of your new artificial flower cuttings onto a clean workspace, and spread them out so you can see what stems you are working with. Begin experimenting with different arrangements until you design one you're happy with.

If you are making a wedding corsage, we recommend making the arrangement smaller, so that it is more appropriately sized for a lady's dress or suit lapel.

Expert tip: Take a photo of your arrangement so, during the securing process, you will know how the stems were placed.

Step 3: Secure the stems of your arrangement together

Using some cable ties, begin securing your arrangement together. We recommend adding a cable tie to secure your arrangement every time two new faux flower cuttings are added.

Secure your final arrangement with a final cable tie.

Expert tip: If your final arrangement has some really long and short stems that create a widened shape at the base of your buttonhole, we suggest adding another cable tie 2cm - 3cm down from your previous cable tie.

Step 4: Trim the base of the stems

Trim off any uneven stems for a neater finish. If you need to make your boutonniere shorter, take off another centimetre or two from the base of the arrangement.

Step 5: Cover any gaps

Gather any small artificial flowers or leaves you have left over from your cuttings. Using a hot glue gun, apply glue to the empty space in the boutonniere and place some artificial flower buds, or foliage into the glue, concealing the gap in the buttonhole or corsage. Repeat this step until you're happy with how the flowers and foliage look.

Expert tip: Make sure you put your hot glue down on a heat protected surface prior to and after use.

Step 6: Wrap the stems in ribbon or twine

You may wish to leave your boutonniere stems unwrapped for a rustic look, however, we recommend wrapping the base of your stems to hide any unsightly cable ties.

To wrap your corsage or buttonhole, you first need to gather your string or twine - in our video tutorial, we will be using a piece of bohemian-inspired ribbon that is approx 25cm in length.

Begin by wrapping the ribbon around the middle of the arrangement and tucking in one of the edges - if you're struggling to keep the edge of the ribbon tucked-in, you can always add a drop of hot glue.

Using the other 'free' side of ribbon, start wrapping the artificial stems until they are covered.

To secure the end of the ribbon, add some hot glue to the end piece and push it down into the stems.

Voila! You have made your artificial corsage or buttonhole!

A larger boutonnière is perfect for placing inside a man's pocket or pinning to the outer edge of his blazer lapel, whereas a lady's corsage is much smaller in size, so it can be easily pinned to her dress or outerwear.

DIY do's & don'ts

Want some expert advice before venturing into this DIY? Below you will find all of our DIY do's and don'ts, so you can be safe, have fun and get the result you wanted from your project!

What are wedding corsages & buttonholes?

Wedding corsages or buttonholes are a small bundle of flowers worn by the bride and groom's family and friends at their wedding ceremony.

Traditionally, a wedding corsage is worn by the women involved in the ceremony, such as the bridesmaids and the mothers and grandmothers of the bride and groom. A buttonhole, however, is commonly worn by the groom's party, such as his best man, his father, grandfather, and close friends.

A lady's boutonnière (corsage) is commonly tied around the wrist, however, they also can be pinned to the right-side of a dress or suit jacket. This is different to a man's buttonhole, which is traditionally positioned in or pinned to a blazer pocket or lapel on the left-side.

Are corsage flowers real or fake?

Buttonholes and corsages can be made from fresh flowers, dried flowers and artificial ones.

In recent years, fresh flowers for boutonnieres have become less popular. This is because fresh flowers require certain conditions to look their best and can easily perish, wilt or break.

Dried flower boutonnieres can also be fragile, however - like artificial boutonnieres - they can be kept as a memento of the couples magical day.

Artificial buttonholes and corsages are very popular due to their stylish look and durability. To get the most out of your artificial wedding boutonniere, we recommend investing is some high-quality silk stems to make your artificial flower arrangement mistakable for fresh cut blooms!

Is it worth it to do your own wedding flowers?

The short answer is YES! Doing your own wedding flowers saves money and makes for a more personal touch on your wedding day.

If you choose to make artificial or dried flower arrangements, you also can begin working on your centrepieces, bouquets, corsages and buttonholes straight away, with no fear of the flowers not making it to your special day. If you're not sure what flowers you want at your wedding yet, then our 'growing trends for artificial wedding  bouquets' blog may help!

Want to learn more about how you could create your own wedding florals? From wreath making to spring garlands, our DIY blogs are sure to inspire and help you make your magical day extra special.

Need more help with making your own artificial wedding flowers?

In need of some help? Why not check out our inspiration gallery and blog for some ideas, or contact our customer service team!

Here's to happy planning and an even happier wedding day!