6 Ways To Make A Brooch Bouquet On A Budget

If there is one wedding trend that brides on a budget can embrace, it is that of skipping the traditional fresh flower bouquet in favor of something a bit more modern. Where your grandmother’s pink rose petals leave off, the brooch bouquet steps in and stuns!
There are so many reasons to go this route that you’ll wonder why you ever considered the hassle of keeping those flowers chilled when you could save a bit of dosh and create a hassle free bouquet that you can keep forever, without the aid of a freezer on your big day or beyond.
While you can have a brooch bouquet made for you by a professional, you certainly have a choice. You can create your own with items you hand select and tailor to suit your own style. It’s a lot simpler than it looks. Just collect your materials like brooches, pins and earrings. These are found cheaply enough at estate sales, thrift shops or by shopping for bargains on sites like Etsy, Amazon or Ebay.

Depending on how you decide to put things together, you may need floral tape, craft wire, glue or silk flowers. Assemble the bouquet however you choose and add the finishing touches, like ribbons, scarves or stringed embellishments.
To help you get started, we’ve pulled together some tutorial videos of different styles and modes of creation. Once you’ve decided how you want your brooch bouquet to look and how to best put it together, you can make a list of the specific items you’ll need and start collecting them to create this very special piece for your wedding. You can even create variations or smaller bouquets for your bridesmaids or boutonnieres for your groomsmen if you really want to impress your guests!

1. Go Wireless

The materials for this brooch can be easily located in most large scale hobby stores and made without wires. You only need your materials, a few tools and some glue. Not only is it a money saver, but also a time saver in the fact that you won’t be spending as much time searching for suitable pieces all over the markets.

2. Singular Sensation

This super simple brooch bouquet is made with one strip of fabric and one brooch. It doesn’t get much easier than that! The best thing about this one is that you can showcase a single brooch, perhaps one that ticks off one of those something old, new, borrowed or blue boxes and makes a statement all its own. It’s also a great choice if you are wanting to make simple brooch bouquets for your bridesmaids to complement your own larger creation. Plus, it’s a great way to play with colors and patterns within each bouquet.

3. Colorific!

Want those bright, cheerful flowers, but also want a brooch bouquet? Problem solved. Look for bold floral brooches that suit your signature colors or rebel against the system and clash with everything but your own sense of quirky style. When the wedding is over, you can toss these in a vase as part of your home décor or pull them out on your silver anniversary to use as a floral centerpiece for that big celebration.

4. Bring on the Bling!

Want to put some sparkle into your bouquet? Then you’ll love this next brooch bouquet, chock full of shining stones with touches of color and gorgeous strings of pearls. It’s the perfect blend of old Hollywood glam and modern bling. It even includes a very special touch of a locket where you can put a picture of your groom and yourself or another loved one that you want to remember on your big day. It’s such a great way to remember those that you’ve lost, allowing them to walk down the aisle with you in such a special way.

5. Keep it to a Minimum

Don’t have time to go out and find dozens of brooches and just want a few signature touches? Try this great bouquet that incorporates common materials you can find in any hobby or sewing and a handful of brooches that add the final touches. Not only will it save you time, but it will save you money on the materials needed to make it. Best of all, it looks absolutely gorgeous!

6. Completely From Scratch

No time to look for the brooches you want? Make your own. Not only can you create your own brooches, as can be seen in the tutorial below, but there are so many items out there that you can incorporate into your bouquet as “brooches.” Hair pins, hair bows, earrings, odd pieces of jewelry, even buttons can be used to create the look you desire. Truly, the only limit to what your bouquet can become is your imagination.

By Amy Naves, Excalibur Press

Edition 10 of
North-West Brides
is on the shelves now.
Or you can
SUBSCRIBE HERE