Girl makes bouquets

Boy proposes to Girl.
Girl says yes.
Boy goes to war.
Girl plans a wedding
Girl saves money.
Girl gets crafty.
Girl makes bouquets.

I knew early on that I didn't want to use live flowers in our wedding. I wanted something different and unique. I knew that I wanted to do a lot of things myself and be crafty. I like to be crafty :) I also knew pretty early on that my bouquet would be made from brooches. I did not think that the girls bouquets would also... that would just be too much. But I wanted something that would go together.

When I was googling things and looking around online, I came across this picture:



I decided I liked this idea, so I set out to try to recreate it. After several failed attempts at making something I really loved, I had success. And so I want to share a little DIY paper bridesmaid bouquet. As with all of the DIY projects I post, I'd love to see pictures if you do something similar! Or if you put a different twist on it! I love to see creativity!




Here are step by step instructions to make one. If you need to make more than one, just make sure you get enough supplies and repeat the instructions!

Things you will need:
-Styrofoam ball (I used 5")
-2 foot by 2 foot piece of fabric (keep in mind color will show through a little)
-wooden dowel (mine was about 6 inches long)
-rubber band
-inch wide ribbon (about a foot and a half should be enough)
-Dress maker pins (or something similar. Could use pearl headed pins instead)
-flower hole punch
-super glue
-4 to 6 sheets of scrapbook paper in coordinating colors (It will depend on how close together you want the flowers and if you want a single layer or a double layer. I put mine pretty close together and doubled each flower)

Step 1:
Place Styrofoam ball in the middle of fabric square


Step 2:
Fold fabric square in half diagonally over Styrofoam ball.


Step 3:
Pin fabric around ball leaving about a one inch space free.


Step 4.
Place wooden dowel into ball. (the trick here is to poke a hole about an inch deep into the foam with the dowel. Then take the dowel out and put super glue in the hole. Place the dowel back in and hold it to let glue dry.


Step 5:
Finish pinning fabric tight around Styrofoam ball


Step 6:
Rubber band the bottom of the fabric right under where the dowel ends.


Step 7:
Tuck loose ends of fabric up and wrap ribbon around and around, covering the dowel and fabric. Make sure to keep the ribbon tight. This is what the girls will hold, so it is important that it is good and tight. Put a couple of dots of super glue at the end of the ribbon to keep it from coming unwound.


Step 8:
Use flower hole punch to punch different colors of scrapbook paper


Step 9:
Pin flowers to ball with dressmaker pins. Turn up edges slightly to create texture and dimension. You can double up your flowers (either 2 of the same color or 2 different colors) to give it more dimension and color and texture. Pictured, I doubled up the flowers using 2 different colors.


Step 10:
continue pinning flowers until the surface of the ball is covered. Make sure to pin down any fabric that may not be flat as you go. Use the flowers to disguise any problem places in the fabric.

Step 11 (optional):
Super glue rhinestones down the handle of the bouquet to acheive a little extra sparkle... And make it look like it has been pinned.

And that's it! It's pretty simple, but a bit time consuming. Each of my bridesmaids will be carrying one of these... and I think it will end up looking pretty cool!

Girl chooses bridesmaids

Girl grows up in Oregon.
Girl is only child.
Girl moves to new school.
Girl makes friends.
Girl moves again.
Girl meets Boy.
Girl loves Boy.
Boy proposes to Girl.
Girl says yes.
Girl plans a wedding.
Girl chooses bridesmaids.

The choice of bridesmaids was not a difficult choice for me.
And while it took me longer than 5 minutes to decide, it wasn't much longer.
I moved several times growing up... and went to 3 different high schools.
I've had my share of friends, and what I've found is that there are very few friends that last a lifetime.

I wanted my bridesmaids to represent me... to stand next to me physically, spiritually and emotionally. But I also want them to be girls that I will still be speaking to 5 years down the road!

I wrote a few weeks ago about Davene, my maid of honor. She's been my friend the longest (outside of my family). I am so excited to be in her upcoming wedding and just as excited that she'll be my maid of honor!


(I'm on the left with blond hair! Davene is on the right)

I also have a beautiful, wonderful friend who I haven't known quite as long, but who has been there for me through thick and thin. We had a chance meeting... a blind date of sorts... and she has been a great friend to me ever since. She is the girl that will tell you the truth... even when you don't want to hear it. She'll pray for you, encourage you, and tell you when your jeans look bad. I am blessed that Bianca will be a bridesmaid, and even more blessed that she is my friend.


(Bianca is on the left, I'm on the right. I should mention that as fantastic as it looks, her hair is not normally this... full ;))

I moved away from Oregon almost a decade ago. Leaving behind my friends, and my extended family. Even though we've had distance between us, my cousins have been amongst my best friends over the years.

Heidi is my oldest cousin. I remember being a little girl and thinking she was the coolest. I would follow her around her house, wanting to do everything she did. I'm sure it drove her nuts, but she was so kind... even as a kid. Heidi has been my source of strength and encouragement through lots of tough times. She has been the first one I've talked to when I've had a problem... we've laughed together, cried together, struggled together and triumphed together.
(Heidi is on the far right. I am on the left)



(Rebecca is in the middle the above picture)
Rebecca is only a couple of years younger than me, as is Holly. But when we were little girls, and I was following Heidi around.. Rebecca and Holly and I had a rocky relationship. I'm not entirely sure when it changed, but it did. And what followed were long days playing with our dolls, making up choreographed dances and skits, laughing so hard that we couldn't even stand it, and begging our parents to let us stay together longer. We had slumber parties, and went on vacations together. All these years later, Rebecca lives in a totally different state. So does Holly. And yet, through the miles, we remain not only cousins, but also friends. Holly has been a big support for me in the time that J has been in the military... and especially with this deployment. Her husband is an Army man too. I am grateful for amazing beautiful girls who are not only family but also friends.



J is a package deal. He has a large, and very tight knit family. And I love them.
His niece, Crystal has quickly become a great friend to me. I feel like we've known each other for years. She is the kind of girl that you can laugh with for hours, and who will be there for you when you just need to cry. We've had countless conversations while riding all over the place in my jeep. She has been an incredible support in my photography as well as coming along to hang out, assist and second shoot for me. I am so proud of who she is becoming, and so thankful for the huge role she's played in my life.




I also have two very special little girls that will be joining me as beautiful flower girls. J's nieces, Samantha and Angela. J and I had already discussed having them as part of the wedding.
But then one night we were all at dinner and they walked up giggling.
Samantha said in a sing song voice, "Angie has something to ask you."
To which Angela giggled and whispered in my ear, "Can we be your flower girls?"
I looked at them wide eyed and said, "Well I don't know... do you have experience?"
Oh the list they gave me of their flower girl qualifications.
Needless to say, they will be fantastic flower girls :)


(Angela, me with blond hair, and Samantha)

Girl chooses Maid of Honor

Girl moves to new city.
Girl has no friends.
Girl starts a new school.
Girl makes a friend.
Girl asks friend to be maid of honor.

We moved to a small town in Southern Oregon in the middle of my freshman year of high school. And suddenly we were in a whole new place, a whole new school, a whole new church... and I had no friends.

I slowly began making friends, but I had yet to really "click" with anyone. I had places to go and things to do and people to spend time with but I didn't have a best friend.

Then one day, Davene walked into our church. I didn't like her at first, because she seemed to be awfully close to the boy I liked at the time (oh high school)... but soon enough I found out that that boy was her cousin and she was pretty fantastic. Not long after that, she and her mom and sister moved into the house down the street... only a few houses away from me. We became inseparable. Every night we were at her house or my house... together.

The summer before my junior year of high school, I moved again. This time to Southern California... more than 14 hours away from Davene. I was devastated. I didn't want to leave my best friend. In the years that followed, we both had ups and downs.
New friends...
Broken hearts...
Drama...
Family struggles...
But in the midst of it all, Davene was always just a phone call away.

Over years and miles, she has remained my best friend. So many years later, and so many miles away, she is still only a phone call away. I am THRILLED to stand beside her on her wedding day next August, and just as thrilled that she'll be my maid of honor on my wedding day next November :)




Me and Davene with her baby boy!